Landslips

Who to call about a landslip

Dealing with slip damage can be stressful. The following information will help you work out who to call, what help is available and who has responsibility for putting it right.

  • If there is an immediate threat to life or property: call emergency services on 111.
  • If you have a gas leak: call 111.
  • For electricity issues: call your provider.
  • For water issues: turn the water off at your toby (this is the water shut-off valve, generally located at the boundary of your property, that sits between the council water main and your private water pipe).
  • If the slip happened within your property boundary: it is your responsibility to fix it. We recommend you contact your insurer and the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake  for assistance. Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake  insures residential property for landslips via a levy paid through private insurance - you can call them on 0800 DAMAGE (326 243) to check your eligibility for financial assistance. If you have any further discussions with the Council, please advise us of the Natural Hazards Commission's advice.
  • If the slip spans two or more private properties: we encourage neighbouring landowners to work together in good faith with their insurers to complete the necessary remedial works. We also encourage you to contact the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake on 0800 DAMAGE (326 243) to see if you can claim financial assistance.
  • If the slip occurred between Council land and private property: regardless of whose land it originated from, we’ll work together to resolve any damage alongside your insurer and possibly the Natural Hazards Commission. If the slip threatens Council property and/or infrastructure, please report it to us as soon as possible by calling our contact centre on 04 570 6666 any time. Note, it is not Council policy to purchase private land damaged by landslips. Similarly, we cannot guarantee reimbursement of loss of property and/or assets caused by a landslip. Landslips are usually natural events and each situation will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
  • If the slip occurred entirely within Council land and does not affect private land: Council will assess and fix it. If you notice a slip has occurred on Council land, please call our contact centre on 04 570 6666.
  • If you have a driveway, garage, wall, fence, or other private asset on or crossing a road reserve: it should have received Council consent or approval and is still your responsibility to maintain and repair in a slip. Ask your insurance provider what's covered by road reserve insurance. It will be your duty to put the private asset back on the road reserve.
  • If you do not have consent or approval for your driveway: please call the Council's contact centre on 04 570 6666, so we can work together to resolve the damage.
  • For blocked roads or footpaths: please call the Council's contact centre on 04 570 6666 and we'll take care of the debris, then re-open the area once it’s safe to do so. This number is staffed 24/7 for emergencies.
  • Online GIS system: you can access this system to help you determine property boundaries and ownership. Please note, while it's reasonably accurate, professional surveying may be necessary for precise locations. Private surveyors can carry out this work at your cost. It's important to keep in mind that fences do not always mark legal boundaries. Always call your insurer about a slip, regardless of who you think is responsible.

Reducing the risk of landslips

Find out what you can do to reduce the risk of slips on your property, especially if your land is unstable, at these websites:

Big slips can be complex and take time to fix

Big slips can take time to both assess and fix. If we’re working on a slip on Council land or on Council and private land, we’ll need to ensure the area below the slip is safe.

The process may include some or all of the following:

  • Initial Geotech assessment – this is done when the slip first occurs if we are concerned about the immediate stability of the slip. We do this to assess the best way of clearing the slip.
  • The slip is cleared, the area is made safe and we monitor the site to see if there is any additional movement – this may require more geotechnical assessments to confirm.
  • After a while, when the slip face settles and things dry out a bit, we’ll undertake a review of the slip face. This is when we start to understand a few things like the potential cause of the slip, high-level remediation options and how we will progress the remedial works.
  • If we decide some works are required (e.g. a retaining wall), we then need to factor how this will fit into our existing programme of work.
  • When we know the priority of the job, we can then programme it in and undertake the design process.
  • Once finalised, the design then goes out to tender so we can get contractors on board and only then will any serious construction work begin.
  • Depending on the size, complexity and priority of the individual situation, this process could be as quick as a few months up to a few years to complete.

Natural Hazards Commission cover

Natural Hazards Cover provides insurance for a range of natural hazards, including damage from landslips. It applies to:

  • landslip damage (to your home and insured residential land)
  • debris and silt inundation from floodwater and high winds (to insured land only)
  • land scour or evacuation, where soil is loosened and carried away by overland waterflow (to insured land only).

Natural Hazards Cover depends on the type of damage and whether it has damaged your home or your residential land.

For more information, visit the Storm, flood and landslip damage: what we cover page on the Natural Hazards Commission website.

More questions

If you have further questions not covered here, get in touch on (04) 570 6666 or contact@huttcity.govt.nz