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Residents affected by 2022 Mornington Peninsula landslide say concerns have been ignored

A retaining wall on top of soil that has slipped away on the side of a cliff to the left of a house.

Mornington Peninsula residents say their concerns have not been addressed fully. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

In short:

Mornington Peninsula residents say their concerns about smaller landslips and underground water have been ignored after a landslide on Tuesday destroyed a home.

The region has a history of similar incidents including a landslide in 2022, which has displaced multiple residents.

What's next?

The Mornington Peninsula Shire says it is investigating the cause of Tuesday's landslide.

Residents along the Mornington Peninsula, where a landslide destroyed a home and hospitalised a man, say concerns raised about possible water issues and landslips have fallen on deaf ears. 

A multimillion-dollar property in McCrae came sliding down a hill on Tuesday after the landslip, crashing into another home and damaging a third property. 

Part of a house on it's side between other properties.

Investigations are ongoing into the cause behind a landslide that destroyed a McCrae home.  (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

But Josh Heath said landslides were an ongoing problem.

He said his grandfather was living in a neighbouring property, but has not been allowed into his home for more than two years after a landslide occurred in November 2022.

He said his grandfather's property was still not safe enough to return to, with repair works allegedly being slowed down.

"The cliff face repairs were signed off by multiple geotech engineers, but at the end of day, it's come down to who's actually going to pay and foot the bill," he said.   

Mr Heath said the cause of that landslide was still unknown to residents.

"We're under the impression that there are springs running underneath the cliff face that are causing degradation, but we were sort of being left in the dark," he said. 

Josh speaks seriously to a news camera.

Josh Heath says his grandfather has not been able to return to his home for more than two years. (ABC News)

A Mornington Peninsula Shire spokesperson said the cause of the current landslide was being investigated and the shire "did not know if there is any connection between the 2022 landslip and the current one".

The ABC put a number of questions to the shire about who was responsible for repair works and costs, but it declined to comment given there have been ongoing legal proceedings related to the 2022 landslide. 

Property prices predicted to drop, agent says

Eleven homes were evacuated as a result of the most recent landslide, with residents told it could be several weeks before they were able to return. 

"The exclusion zones will stay in place at the moment, potentially up to three weeks," SES Sorrento unit controller Mark Daw said. 

"We’re working with the geotech's but there is a high risk for a further collapse." 

Mark Daw in a high vis vest.

Sorrento SES unit controller Mark Daw says residents are unlikely to be able to return to their homes for weeks. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Director of Planned Living Architects Jay Earles said there were a lot of complicated sites along the Mornington Peninsula that were subject to landslide risks. 

"When we get presented with a complex site, one that might be particularly steep or be known to have a high risk such as such as this, we'd be making sure we've got an experienced team on board from the outset," he said. 

"We'd be looking at consulting with geotechnical engineers, with structural engineers, prior to even putting pen to paper."

Mr Earles said he was unsure whether there would have been the same structural considerations for the older properties in the area.

Jay Earles wearing a blue shirt standing in front of a blurry green background

Jay Earles, director of Planned Living Architects, says there are complex sites along the Mornington Peninsula. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Local real estate agent Darren Sadler said the engineering of homes had come a long way. 

"If it was built back in the 50s, the engineering was certainly not at the standard it is now," he said. 

"They'd be much more at risk compared to something that we've built in the last five to 10 years." 

Police tape cordons off an area where firefighters and SES vans are situated.

Authorities are working to make the landslide site safe for residents to return to. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

He was anticipating property prices in the market could dip as a result of the landslide with one agent already taking listings down. 

"People will be nervous to buy a property that's on that cliff face or escarpment. I think there's going to be a bit of nervousness of anything like that happening again," Mr Sadler said. 

'Unavoidable' problem to fix

Mr Sadler also acknowledged ongoing drainage issues as a concern that he said "doesn't seem to have been addressed properly".  

"There's been remedial works done here in the last five years, but that doesn't seem to have fixed the issue," he said. 

"There's no information that seems to be available from council. No one seems to know what the specific issue is, and what's causing the dampness, where the water's coming from, why it's eroding." 

Part of a collapsed house sitting on its side in a cliff near another property with trees around.

Some have raised concerns about water drainage in the area. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Another resident told the ABC the local council was slow to act after another landslip about a week ago exposed underground water flows at her property, which was uphill from the one destroyed.

South East Water general manager of service delivery Tim Lloyd said he was not able to provide a specific comment on the landslide.

"We’re working with key authorities and providing assistance where appropriate," he said.

"The cause of the landslide is still undetermined, it would be inappropriate to comment further until this work has been completed."

Former Monash University chancellor Simon McKeon, who was Australian of the Year in 2011, has lived in the area for the last five decades and said residents wanted a solution.

He has called for a comprehensive study to be carried out looking at the causes of the landslides and making recommendations on how to resolve it.  

A man looks frustrated as he speaks to a news camera.

Simon McKeon wants action to be taken. (ABC News)

"Rather than to just stick our heads in the sand and hope it goes away lets understand really what we need to do," he said.

"Let's get the experts in, let's listen carefully, let's not push it down the road a bit, let's actually take some action and understand what we need to do." 

Mr Heath agreed something needed to be done and said the issue had now become "unavoidable for council to fix".

"It's no surprise really, that throughout the years, the land has slowly degraded and another more catastrophic landslide has occurred," Mr Heath said.