Storm hole bigger than it looks
The hole that opened up in a footpath after torrential rain hit Auckland may be bigger and deeper than first thought.
Tracy Mulholland chairwoman of the Whau Local Board said Auckland Council was still discovering the scale of the damage caused by the footpath that caved in after the weekend’s Tasman Tempest downpours.
She was given a tour of the site on March 14 and said she ‘‘entirely agrees’’ the scouring was much larger than it seemed in the first photographs from the scene.
Mulholland said on Wednesday the water was continuing to recede.
General manager of Auckland Council’s healthy waters, Craig Mcilroy, said the depth of the hole cannot be assessed without a physical inspection.
At this stage council and Auckland Transport have not given the all-clear for them to enter and manually assess the scouring.
He said the depth of the scouring ‘‘goes down several metres’’.
A drone had been used once to inspect inside the culvert but the water levels were too high to inspect any further, Mcilroy said.
The hole had filled with debris, which would be cleared once it was safe to do so.
He hoped they may be able to inspect it on March 15.
‘‘We do not anticipate the culvert hole to get bigger,’’ Mcilroy said.
Just metres away from the caved-in footpath, the Probett Building had a small crack in it, Mulholland said. The Probett Building had been issued with a red sticker by Auckland Council. This meant it was dangerous to enter and access was completely prohibited.
Businesses on the premises included Club Fiafia - West Auckland’s only nightclub, Happy Japanese Restaurant, Bula Barber and Hair, and Delicious Cake and Pastry Shop. Mcilroy asked the public to stay clear for their safety - specifically around the hole.
Across the road five businesses had yellow stickers on their shop windows, which meant restricted access until a second check had been completed.
Debra Clarke from Auckland Locksmith Services said it was ‘‘a waiting game’’ until their insurance company appointed a loss adjustor. The business had been yellow stickered so she couldn’t even start to clean-up.