Cyclone Hola safety concerns spark Bella Vista Homes evacuation in Tauranga
Friday, 9 March 2018
Residents of 13 homes in a new Tauranga development have been told they have to evacuate immediately.
The houses are part of the former Bella Vista Homes which went into liquidation last year.
The statement released by the Tauranga City Council said on Friday they need to get people out of the homes as they are in varying stages of completion.
The council is concerned about people's safety should the beachside city be hit by Cyclone Hola early next week.
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The 21 homes built by Bella Vista Homes are in Lakes Boulevard and Anita Way.
The council's chief executive, Garry Poole, issued a warrant on 21 properties in the development. The council believes up to 13 of those properties are occupied.
A geotechnical specialist advised on Friday morning that the properties needed to be vacated immediately.
When Stuff visited the subdivision on Saturday the houses were empty and there was no sign of any residents around.
The houses are in various stages of completion. The warrant includes work on three of the dwellings to prevent lifting in high winds that are expected on Monday.
People will remain in council supplied accommodation until after the cyclone has passed and the buildings and land have been inspected by geotechnical and engineering staff.
'Part of the reason for this urgency is the potential weather event forecast to hit next week. However, there is also a specific slope that is not retained, and that is a risk of failing. For this reason, Council has had to act urgently,' a council statement said.
Bella Vista Homes development went into liquidation November 30, 2017.
The council conducted an assessment of the development where they found the houses to be in varying stages of completion. The assessment was to establish what needs to be done to ensure all of the homes in the subdivision are compliant with the building code.
Council has attempted to contact all owners of these properties and is organising temporary accommodation for them.
The expert assessments on the properties are expected to be completed over the coming weeks.
Tauranga is expected to be hit with heavy rainfall from Monday with strong southeasterly winds gusting in the afternoon, according to the MetService.