4 Jul 2011

Husband of rockfall victim wants area cordoned off

8:10 pm on 4 July 2011

The husband of a North Shore woman killed when hit by falling rocks says he wants parts of the cliff taped off from the public so no one else is hurt.

Murray Bay resident Inna Viktorovna Rudyy, 44, was killed while walking her two dogs under the cliffs at Rothsay Bay on Saturday about 1pm.

Her husband, Stephen Collie, says he and his wife walked the same route during the past four years and it is not like her to walk so close to the cliff.

Mr Collie says the Auckland Council needs to make people more aware the cliffs are a danger and are continually eroding.

He says there is nothing that can be done to stop the erosion, but there needs to be more monitoring and the dangerous parts of the cliff need to be cordoned off.

Rothesay Bay resident Cynthia Baker says the council knows the cliff is unstable and more signs are needed to warn people unfamiliar with the area to stay away from the base of the cliff.

Ms Reade says extra signs warning about the risk of falling rocks will be put up around the beach.

Auckland Council will receive a geotechnical report this week about the stability of a cliff site where Ms Rudyy died.

Chief operating officer Patricia Reade says initial engineering reports suggest the rockfall was a common erosion event and the council will decide whether to carry out work on the cliff face once it gets the report.

Ms Rudyy's death has been referred to the Coroner.