Slip victims may help neighbours

Press, 11 August 1979, Page 1

Slip victims may help neighbours

PA Dunedin The families who had their homes wrecked by the Abbotsford landslide are being called the “lucky ones” by other residents who were forced to leave their houses hurriedly. The residents’ spokesman, Mr Bill Medder, whose home was one of the first to be demolished, said yesterday that the people who were to receive full compensation must get behind the residents who still had to live in the area. “All we asked for was full compensation and it looks as if we are going to get it,” Mr Medder said. “But what about the poor people who are left in the area and are stuck with their houses?” One resident, Mr K. C. Brooks, says he will not take his family back to their Lethaby Street home to “live on dynamite.”

“I don’t care what they say, we are not going back to our house to live in terror for the rest of our lives,” he said. Mr P. Cadman, of John Street, said he would not return to his home until he got a signed statement from the engineers saying the hill was safe.

Yesterday afternoon. Civil Defence authorities changed their minds and decided that the landslip victims could not make further salvage forays to their homes in the meantime.

Earlier, they had told some victims they could return to their homes, but the residents replied that vast quantities of water were still flowing through their sections. The decision was then reversed. Residents will now be allowed to return only for belongings and furniture with approval from the authorities. They will be escorted to and from their properties by policemen or soldiers. Two access roads have been bulldozed into the slip area, which will allow Civil Defence workers to start salvage work today. They will try to get motorvehicles and goods and belongings from the houses buried or partly buried in the 7 ha mass of mud and rubble. Rain which began to fall early last evening soon cleared, leaving the promise of a fine day today. Many residents are concerned that although their houses have not been damaged, they are worthless because of the area they are in. Mr Brooks said he had been paying his $25,000 house off for 25 years and

had only $BOO to pay when the slip came. Some of the wives have vowed never to return to the Abbotsford hill. “Under no circumstances do I ever want to go back to live there.” said one woman, near tears. “I saw red-hot power lines all over the place, and houses crashing down the bank.” Soldiers and policemen yesterday helped residents ' to move some of their belongings from homes in Christie Street at the top of the slip, and from some of the houses on the edge of the huge chasm. These were the homes which will not be occupied aagin, and which may be destroyed over the next few days. Each householder was allowed to fill the equivalent of two paper rubbish sacks and escorted through the rigid cordon. On the home destruction possibility, the Civil Defence controller. Mr Ken Fraser, told slip victims: “This will enable us to trim the top of the slip so that there is no further fear of sloughing off or slumping away.” By noon yesterday the Earthquake and War Damage Commission had paid out about $406,000 in 16 claims for property dam-, age. About a third of the claims had been dealt with. The Minister of Civil Defence (Mr Highet) said he would take back to the Government a suggestion that the Housing Corporation should buy the evacuated houses not affected by the slip. “But I cannot guarantee anything,” he said. The mayoral relief fund committee has assessed 34 claims for immediate assistance to compensate people who have lost uninsurable, property, mainly sections. Of the 69 houses so far condemned, the average section value is about $6500. This means the committee will have to pay out at least $500,000 for sections alone. For the families moved from their homes during Wednesday’s emergency, yesterday’s trip back to pick up essential and personal belongings was one of despair and a sense of panic. Most had the mandatory two rubbish bags to fill, and between seven and 30 minutes to sift through their belongings. It was a tearful task, a time for snap decisions.

•Mrs June Johnston said: It was an absolutely dreadful feeling. We had half an hour. I felt like I was in a hurry at a supermarket, grabbing things here and there.” She said she had to cater for her children, aged 17, herself and her husband. “There were things they were pinning for. Personal and irreplaceable things. We grabbed them first, and then worried about ourselves," Mrs Johnston said. “It was a tremendous relief to be able to get things like photographs. I had it all in my mind’s eye what I wanted.*' Radio New Zealand’s national radio appeal for Abbotsford victims had raiseo $137,393 by 8 p.m. yesterday. Contributions from Otago amounted to $133,000. Special mention was made of the people of Taumarunui, who raised 52400. Post Offices throughout New Zealand would accept donations for Abbotsford slip victims, said the Postmaster-General (Mr Couch). The National Insurance Company, of Dunedin, last evening gave $lO,OOO to the relief fund, and the New Reinsurance Company, of Geneva, in Switzerland, has given $5OO because of its business association with National Insurance. Dunuttiofi, Brewers has

given $5000; and its chairman (Sir Henry Kelliher) asked at the annual meeting yesterday: “Why doesn't the Government take about $4 million or so from the $44 million it gets from us in beer tax and duties and give it to those unfortunate people in Abbotsford?” The Wellington City Council has offered $lOOO and the use of some of its staff to help at Abbotsford. An Auckland City Council appeal to residents to open their homes to Abbotsford children during the school holidays has brought a good response, according to the council’s recreation planner (Mr E. Jones). “More than 20 have called in offering to take up to three children during the holidays,’’ he said. More than $3700 of the radio appeal’s proceeds had been raised in Christchurch by last evening. Much of this was given after an announcer, Pat Courtenay, was suspended from a crane outside Kent House in Durham Street for several hours as r fund-raising gimmick. Children at the Wool ston Primary School pre sented a cheque for about $4OO to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H, G. Hay) yesterday morning. The moneys was part of fund-raising The school had done for children in New Zealand and overseas, but they decidffi instead to divert this amount to Abbotsford Jeb e f. More; thanf $lOOO was

received at the Christchurch appeal headquarters at the City Council offices yesterday. The Canterbury Savings Bank has also opened a special appeal fund for the people of Abbotsford. Donations can be made at any branch of the bank, which ran a similar appeal fund for victims of the recent floods in Southland. From London, it is reported that Britons with relatives in Dunedin have flooded New Zealand House and news agencies with requests for information on the Abbotsford disaster. One of the 69 homes written off in the slip was uninsured, said the secretary of the Earthquake and War Damage Commission (Mr J. L. Gill) in Wellington yesterday. Its owners were unable tto claim compensation from the commission. The Minister of Works (Mr W. L. Young) said he believed the owners concerned would “miss out.” If the commission paid out on such a claim it would undercut the whole system. “People would think hey needn’t insure because the Government would pay them anyway in the case of a natural disaster. “I’m not being hardhearted, but that is how it is,” Mr Young said. The owners could still lodge a claim for the value of their land, which was uninsurable, and for improvement to the propr- ■ .