Landslips in the Tauranga suburb of Maungatapu placed residents under tremendous stress during recent heavy rainfall, but the community's resilience has earned praise from Tauranga City Council.

The most severe of the slips has been in Egret Avenue, where five homes have been deemed unsafe to live in and issued with Dangerous Building Notices, according to a Tauranga City Council spokesperson.

"Other minor slips have occurred in Mersea Place and Te Hono Street, but there have been no further property evacuations," says the spokesperson.

"Residents in Egret Avenue, Fantail Drive, Plover Place, Taipiri Place and Te Mutu Crescent have received letters from Council updating them on the current situation and where they can go for help if needed. A community drop-in session is also planned to give people an opportunity to speak to experts and ask questions.

"More details on time and location will be advised shortly.

"Council has appointed a recovery team to directly liaise with local residents and guide them through the process. Clean-up will get underway when the forecast heavy rain has passed, or once advice has been received that it is safe to do so."

'We would like to thank the local community for their assistance and cooperation during the severe weather and the subsequent landslips. They have done an incredible job in banding together and helping out their neighbours in a time of crisis,” says Commission Chair Anne Tolley.

'We are doing all we can to ensure a timely clean-up and recovery of the impacted areas and we're working directly with residents who have been affected.”

Since the landslips on Saturday night, a number of agencies, including emergency services, Tauranga City Council's building inspection and civil defence teams, engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers have made the Egret Avenue site as safe as possible.

'The safety of residents and the public is our main priority and security staff will remain onsite for the immediate future to ensure that properties and contents are secure until the clean-up begins,” says Community Services General Manager Barbara Dempsey.

Drone footage has confirmed that the slip does not appear to have worsened, but the slope is still very wet and there is potential for more rain in the coming days. Residents are being advised to monitor their properties for any further damage and be prepared to self-evacuate if the conditions deteriorate. All slopes in Tauranga are at an increased risk during and after rainfall events.

'If you live near a hill or steep slope, watch for cracks or movement that could be a warning sign. Make sure any retaining walls are well maintained and look around to see if neighbouring retaining walls or slopes could affect your property,” says Barbara.

People with concerns about an actual, or potential landslip, or retaining walls on their properties can seek advice from suitably qualified professionals, such as an engineering geologist or geotechnical engineer. Council has a list of accredited geo-professionals on its website.

If any residents have concerns about slips on or around their property, they can also contact Council on 07 577 7000.