Grey District Council says a sluicing operation above a slip site in Arnott Heights today has been “relatively successful” following a large slip last week that continued to move.
Last week, wet weather led to an “active” slip that blocked access to more than 50 homes in Arnott Heights, and power disruptions plagued residents of the street as debris continued to move.
Grey District Council’s geotechnical engineers assessed the slip site last week and said “a large chunk” of the hillside could come down at any time, prompting a sluicing operation to be undertaken by helicopter this morning from 9am.
In a post to social media, the council said a helicopter dropped monsoon buckets of water onto the slip site, working from the top down. It said the operation provided teams with a “clearer picture of the state of the slip site and a more solid base for the way forward”.
“While the operation didn’t remove the main island of vegetation and trees impacting overhead powerlines, we’ve confirmed that this can now be safely managed from the ground,” it said.
Paddy Blanchfield from Grey District Council told 1News the operation had been “relatively successful” so far and that most of the loose material had been removed.
“The big heavy material’s not been moved this stage yet, so we’ll try to get a long reach machine on site tomorrow to remove the pungas that have been causing the hassles for the power authority.”
Blanchfield said the priority was to try and keep the road open for residents, and that there was currently no power on the road aside from what was created by generators.
Grey District Council said teams would meet tomorrow to confirm an action plan starting early next week, including establishing a suitable debris barrier and catchment area at the base of the slip.
“Work will also begin on a more permanent retaining wall in coming weeks.”
In the short term, the site will be shored up to ensure safe traffic movement under temporary traffic lights, with the hope this could provide Arnott Heights residents access over the coming days.
Mayor looking at ‘permanent solution’
Mayor Tania Gibson said the goal of today’s sluicing effort was to bring down debris that was still sitting atop the slip site.
“We have what we call an island or a knob in between the two slips that have come down, so we really need to get that down to make it safe for the community.”
Asked how the locals were holding up, Gibson said “they’ve all been very good”.
“I think fatigue is setting in and we do need to find a solution to ensure they can get on with their everyday life.
“We’re nearly there, guys,” she laughed.
She said weather events caused “a lot of anxiety” for the community and the council was looking toward retaining solutions that would serve the community better in the long-term.
“And we are working on that permanent solution, so thank you for all your patience.”
