Emergency services have responded to a “small localised landslide” at Muriwai on Auckland’s northwest coast.

Three properties were initially evacuated on Motutara Rd, where three appliances are on-site.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel are in attendance and Fire and Emergency also confirmed so too is a geotechnical engineer from Auckland Council to assess the situation.

USAR have used a drone to look at the scene.

Chris Lind, Fire and Emergency NZ’s Assistant Commander for Waitemata, said the landslide was a result of rain over the last couple of days.

“This tiny section of road here has dropped off taking a power pole with it,” Lind said.

“There’s three properties below this. One is directly impacted and the other two are not impacted.”

All three properties were initially evacuated.

“The council geotechnical engineer and our internal USAR engineer are comfortable that the two properties that are not impacted can be reoccupied when they need to be.

“For the property that has been impacted, I believe we have a building control representative from council coming out to assess the building.

“Their determination will determine whether those people can re-occupy or not.”

Lind said the structure was intact,but had debris resting against the back of it.

“So, you have got a quantity of mud and soil and some trees, and obviously the water that has come through behind it.”

Police earlier said they had been notified of the landslide but are not currently attending.

The owner of the Muriwai Lodge said there was nothing to see from the road.

There had been “a hell of a lot” of rain yesterday but today the sun was shining, they said.

Before Lind’s latest update, Henderson Fire Brigade Senior Station Officer Phil Grace said Fire and Emergency were called to a landslip this morning on the edge of Motutara Rd in Muriwai.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Auckland Council staff are at the scene of a landslip at the back of a Muriwai property. Photo / Hayden Woodward

“At this stage we have evacuated houses immediately below the landslide zone. We have partially cordoned off the road, we will probably be closing it fully for a while it gets assessed by a geotech engineer.

“At this time our focus is just on making sure people in the community are safe and are not going to be impacted by any further landslip.”

He said the landslip wasn’t large, but was significant as it impacted infrastructure including the road and houses immediately below.

Multiple agencies were in attendance, including fire, police, engineers from the council, Downers, and a USAR engineer.

“I want to assure the community that people are here to support them,” he said.

He urged residents to be vigilant to what was happening in their environment contact the council if they any concerns.

Auckland Council engineering, assets and technical advisory general manager, Paul Klinac, said the council was aware of the Motutara Rd landslip.

“At Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s request, we have deployed geotechnical experts to assist with the assessment of the slip. Our teams are on standby to further assist Fire and Emergency if it’s required.”

He added that if anyone felt their life or property was at risk, they should immediately call 111.

A large landslide hit the coastal suburb of Muriwai following Cyclone Gabrielle on February 14, 2023. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images 

Firefighters Dr Dave Van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens lost their lives as the storm tore through the city in the early hours of February 13, 2023. 

Stevens was able to be rescued and was taken to hospital in a critical but stable condition following the slip. His colleague Van Zwanenberg’s body was recovered two days later. 

Muriwai firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg (left) and Craig Stevens (right) both died in a landslide while helping at a damaged house in Muriwai during Cyclone Gabrielle. 

Stevens succumbed to his injuries in hospital on February 16 - a little over two weeks shy of his 40th birthday. 

The 2023 landslide caused 128 homes to be red-stickered, and 48 yellow-stickered on two roads. 

Homeowners faced months of uncertainty as the land was continuously assessed, with some qualifying for government buy-outs. 

Geotechnical surveys using helicopter-mounted Lidar showed up to two metres of ground movement within a week in some areas. 

More to come