Andrew Thomson found himself trapped at the bottom of the 3m pit for about an hour earlier this week after the paving beneath him gave way while he was feeding his pet goldfish.
Mr Thomson was stuck in the hole for about about half an hour before his cries for help were heard by his neighbour and he was rescued by workers from Fulton Hogan, who were working nearby at the time.
On Thursday, the Dunedin City Council visited his property and a dangerous building notice was put on the property, which meant he was not able to return home until an engineer deemed it safe.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Mr Thomson said the reality of the situation had started to hit him.
"It’s time to settle down and realise you don’t have a bed and you just have to try and work things through."
He hoped to have a report back from a geotechnical engineer in the next few days and then he would know what needed to be done to make his home safe again.
Except for a brief conversation earlier this week and telling him to vacate the property, Mr Thomson said there had been little contact between him and the council, which he thought was surprising.
But the council’s building solutions adviser Neil McLeod said when a dangerous building notice was issued, it was up to the property owner to obtain their own engineering advice on how to make the building safe.
Once the report was finished and the building was secured, council staff would talk with Mr Thomson and engineers to lift the notice, Mr McLeod said. Based on what the council knew about the hole, it seemed to be a watercourse on a private property, so there were no issues for neighbouring properties at this stage, he said.
