6 Mar 2014

Fuel leaks into Lyttelton Harbour

5:07 pm on 6 March 2014

About 1000 litres of fuel has leaked into Lyttelton Harbour after a landslip caused by Tuesday's severe storm damaged a fuel storage tank.

The Fire Service said on Thursday that crews remain at the port while they wait for the results of geotechnical reports on the stability of homes in the vicinity of the collapse.

The bad weather caused slips in Lyttelton.

The bad weather caused slips in Lyttelton. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young

Parts of two streets, Brittan Terrace and Park Terrace, are still closed on Thursday afternoon and are expected to remain so for the next 24 hours. The Christchurch City Council says teams are regularly assessing the site.

A nearby marina has also been evacuated because north-easterly winds were propelling fumes across the vessels moored there.

A council spokersperson said all available staff and contractors are working across Christchurch to clear stormwater drains, gutters, sumps and connections following a severe storm on Tuesday.

The transport network is generally working, apart from some isolated road closures including Avonside Drive.

The council is testing drinking water supplies as a precaution.

Power out for about 200

Fewer than 200 electricity customers remained without power in Canterbury on Thursday afternoon.

Orion chief executive Rob Jamieson says that number has come down from the 7000 who lost power at the height of the storm. He expects that by nightfall it will be down to fewer than 100.

Mr Jamieson says those without power are mostly around Banks Peninsula, although some parts of Christchurch and some small pockets of Orion's rural network are also affected.

He says it is unfortunate many of the repairs require considerable time to complete, yet they only bring back power to one or a handful of customers.