My Account
At the end of May, the foot track that runs from the bottom of Arkles Drive to Whangaparaoa Road was closed by a big slip.
At the time the Auckland Council told Hibiscus Matters it would be at least four weeks before the slip could be cleared and the path reopened (HM June 1). However, it now looks as though it will be considerably longer.
In the meantime, Council is warning residents not to use the pathway.
It is used by Arkles Bay residents to walk to and from Whangaparaoa Road and is especially popular with Whangaparaoa Primary students as a route to and from school. Since the slip, locals have continued to use the path, walking around the cones and tape and climbing through the tree that fell across the path.
One resident, Mike Stevens, says he is concerned that this is an accident waiting to happen. He says there are a number of trees with their roots dangerously exposed and with winter rain it may not be long before they follow the first one down the slope.
The stability of the cliff following the slip is a key question for geotechnical engineers and may mean the path has to be realigned.
Council’s head of operational management and maintenance, Agnes McCormack says landslides are difficult to resolve quickly, as are they are often in remote locations, with limited access, and require several specialists to examine the site and help determine potential options for fixing the damage.
“We also need to ensure we are in regular contact with the relevant parties, including landowners and the general public, to ensure the council is taking appropriate action,” she says.
“The council has set up a process to identify sites that can be quickly rectified and re-opened when safe. Unfortunately, the landslide at Arkles Hill is a complex issue, which could take some time to resolve. For this site, a number of specialists need to be involved and there are several stakeholders who we are liaising with. We would like to thank the community for their patience and apologise for the inconvenience. We would like to reiterate that the site is dangerous and the public should avoid the area wherever possible.”
