An investigation will start next week into the land the Waitaki District Council wants to use for the Forrester Heights subdivision, on Cape Wanbrow.
The full geotechnical investigation, which was a condition imposed when resource consents were issued for the 27-section subdivision, will look at the ground structure beneath major services such as roads.
The council's property manager, Dougall McIntyre, said yesterday a preliminary geotechnical investigation had been carried out when the council was proposing the subdivision.
URS Corporation had now been contracted to carry out the full investigation, which, weather permitting, would start on Monday and continue on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The investigation would involve an excavator creating eight 10m-square platforms.
Each platform would be excavated, and a bore would be sunk to obtain core samples for analysis.
The area would then be refilled and compacted, with matting and grass seed put on top to encourage quick growth.
A small bund would be built above each area to divert stormwater.
Mr McIntyre said these steps were being taken to avoid the risk of erosion and possibly weakening of the soils if there was rain.
The excavator would then move to the next site.
The stability of the Forrester Heights land had been questioned by some groups and individuals who were opposed to the subdivision on Cape Wanbrow, although the preliminary geotechnical report had cleared it.
While some sections, priced at $300,000 or more, have been sold, the council cannot start physically developing the subdivision until the Reserves and Other Lands Bill is passed by Parliament, lifting a reserve status over the land which was imposed in the 1930s.
