A section of Lighthouse Road and the surrounding land is experiencing instability following a significant wet weather event from 30 April to 1 May 2025.

Due to recent land movement, access is restricted to Lighthouse Road residents, local businesses, and others pre-approved by Christchurch City Council.

Land investigations are currently underway, and access restrictions will remain in place at least until these works are completed. A further review of the restrictions is scheduled for mid-August.

We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

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A primary zone and a secondary zone have been established due to a section of Lighthouse Road and surrounding land experiencing instability.

What happened

Christchurch City and Banks Peninsula experienced prolonged, intense rainfall between 30 April and 3 May 2025, resulting in flooding and multiple landslides across the region.

The most significant slip events directly impacted residential areas in Akaroa, Le Bons Bay, Okains Bay and Pigeon Bay, with reports of slope instability, ground movement and property damage.

On Thursday 1 May, significant cracking was found along Lighthouse Road and the surrounding land. The road was closed late that night, and affected residents were evacuated as a precaution.

Residents have since returned home, although the road remains closed to the general public and designations are still in place under the Building Act.

Monitoring equipment has been installed on Lighthouse Road to give regular information about land movement and further geotechnical investigations are ongoing to better understand the situation, our options and plan our next steps.

In an emergency, where there's an immediate risk to life or property, call 111.

We don’t have all the answers yet, but here’s what we know.

Monitoring equipment installed on Lighthouse Road gives us regular information about land movement. There has been no significant movement since the severe weather event on 30 April – 1 May 2025.

However, there may be some on-going minor movement, and you may see cracks in the road surface or surrounding land open – this is to be expected as the land continues to settle. Our contractors will be out and about making repairs. If you see a large or new crack, please report this to FENZ – call 111.

Building on our initial work, we’ve now completed further geotechnical investigations, which is helping to guide the next stages of our ongoing response.

We’re working closely with our geotechnical experts to better understand the situation, our options and plan our next steps. We’ve completed:

  • Debris flow modelling, which helps us understand where debris could travel under different scenarios. This modelling has allowed us to update the zones with greater accuracy and confidence.
  • Geological mapping, which helps us better understand land instability by analysing soil layers and surface features. This process has enabled us to identify specific areas that require further investigation.

  • Borehole drilling on site in July 2025, with the data collected currently being used to update our geotechnical modelling and reporting to ensure we have the most accurate understanding possible of the land instability.

What’s next?

Once we have updated our modelling and reporting, we will provide further information to residents, including sequencing and, where possible, remediation options to accelerate the process to reduce uncertainty and support recovery.

Need support?

If you or someone you know requires immediate welfare assistance, please email our community support team.

We’re committed to keeping you informed.

For updates, sign up for our newsletter(external link) or email lighthouseroad@ccc.govt.nz.

To speak to our staff, phone 03 941 8999 or 0800 800 169.