Latest news with #BanksPeninsula
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Akaroa residents still waiting to return home after storm
The State of Emergency in Canterbury's storm-hit Banks Peninsula has finally been lifted. But almost two weeks after severe rain lashed the region, causing flooding and slips, some Akaroa residents are still waiting to return home. Alan Hemsley had been living in rental accommodation since he was evacuated from his home on Aylmers Valley Road ten days ago. Alan Hemsley, who was evacuated from his home on Alymers Valley Road. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon He said the slip, which sat above his property on the nearby Lighthouse Road, was significant. "There's probably over one thousand cubic metres in volume, it's destabilised, and obviously there's a sliding zone which creates instability, but that material will basically slide down onto the Lighthouse Road. It really needs to be removed, " he said. Heavy rain and flooding caused several slips along Banks Peninsula. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Hemsley's property was one of four that were evacuated by the council as a precaution. He wanted the council to urgently fix the slip so people could return home. "There's nothing like being in your own bed at night, and being on your own property, you can get quality sleep, and it's just peace of mind to be fair, it's easier on everyone," he said. Lighthouse Road has been closed due to Banks Peninsula slips. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon "It'd be nice to see a big digger and a few big trucks up there just to take the pressure off the top of that slip and some subsurface drainage as soon as possible." The council said the storm caused 29 slips in total across the Christchurch district, with the vast majority in Banks Peninsula. Hemsley worked as an excavation contractor on the peninsula and had been flat-out helping with the clean-up. "There's still a list of jobs to do, so we'll get to everyone as soon as we can, but peninsula people are very resilient, it's a wonderful community, we look after each other," he said. Penguin tour business Pōhatu Penguins had been forced to temporarily close because Lighthouse Road, the only road up to its Flea Bay colony, was impassable. General manager Kevin Parthonnaud said they had to refund a number of bookings. Kevin Parthonnaud, Pōhatu Penguins general manager. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon "Over winter, we're getting probably 30 to 40 people maybe a day, so that's two to three tours sometimes a day we've had to cancel," he said. He said another worry was that the business directly funded the conservation work they did with the penguins. "When there's no tourism, the income is not coming in either, it's always a matter of kind of thinking of that," he said. "We're confident that it's going to come back to normal soon." Charlotte Oborne lives on a farm near the Lighthouse Road slip, and said her teenage daughter was having to walk 45 minutes to school because their home was cut off. She said her family was tired of the restrictions on getting around. "A little bit like going back into Covid, as in it's just really quiet and it just means if we're going to go out we just have to plan a bit ahead and check the weather a bit more or whatever to make sure it's all right when we come back in." Oborne said access to Akaroa via a back road meant a journey of about an hour each way. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Akaroa residents still waiting for return home after storm
The State of Emergency in Canterbury's storm-hit Banks Pensinsula has finally been lifted. But almost two weeks after severe rain lashed the region, causing flooding and slips, some Akaroa residents are still waiting to return home. Anna Sargent reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Local State of Emergency on Banks Peninsula lifts
The community of Little River was hard hit by flooding. Photo: Christchurch City Council The local State of Emergency on Banks Peninsula has been lifted after no further significant land movement was detected. It was put in place after heavy rain caused widespread flooding and slips. Mayor Phil Mauger said monitoring equipment on Lighthouse Road provided several days of detailed information to inform the decision. "With that information, we're now in a position to make a decision on the evacuation zone, begin work on the slip remediation options and lift the State of Emergency," he said. "The team has been working closely with property owners and businesses in Akaroa and will continue to do so." Cracks in Lighthouse Road, Akaroa which led to some houses being evacuated due to landslip fears. Photo: Christchurch City Council The ground in Banks Peninsula was still saturated, the mayor said, and Christchurch City Council will monitor the area. "A designation has been made under the Building Act on the area, so we can react if needed. "Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are now both in a recovery period and the focus will be on repairing damaged infrastructure around the district."
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials for Monday 12 May 2025
sport technology 7 minutes ago In today's episode, a lobby group is pleased the government is making solid plans to try and ban social media for under-16s, a Banks Peninsula teenager is walking about 45 minutes each way to get to school while her house is cut off by a large slip, people in Auckland who took some Fullers360 sailings last Monday are being asked to monitor for symptoms of measles, and New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has won his first PGA Tour title.
RNZ News
10-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
State of emergency in Banks Peninsula extended due to Akaroa land slip
Cracks on Lighthouse Road led to four homes being evacuated last week. Photo: Christchurch City Council The state of emergency on storm-hit Banks Peninsula will remain in place for at least another day, while the Christchurch City Council monitors a land slip in Akaroa. The council said the land was still rain saturated, with the potential for further slips. A resident living on a farm above the Lighthouse Road slip, Charlotte Oborne, told RNZ her family had been cut off for more than a week, with the only route to town left impassable. "I'm hoping they'll give us some information on Monday, rather than saying we'll have to wait longer, because we've got to... come up with a bit of a plan, if we know on the farm that we're not going to be able to use that route." Her main concern was the lack of a clear timeframe for reopening the road. The slip saw four homes evacuated as a precaution last week. The state of emergency will be reassessed tomorrow. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
