Dover Heights sinkhole causes SES and police scramble

Dover Heights residents were left surprised on Saturday night when a sinkhole engulfed a construction site.

Days of heavy rain have left a 10m-wide sinkhole in a Sydney suburb, washing away part of a road and putting homes at risk of flooding.

A burst of sudden rainfall on Saturday combined with run-off in Dover Heights in Sydney’s east caused a sinkhole to form overnight, the NSW State Emergency Service said.

There were no injuries, but SES spent around four hours on the scene from 9pm to 1am.

“We were … using sandbags and a retaining wall to divert water away from properties,” NSW SES Waverley-Woollahra Deputy Unit Commander Anthia Kollaras said.

“The hole was quite big, and part of the road had washed away.

“There was about a metre drop, and a lot of debris that was washing past a house, so it was important we prevented water ingress of nearby homes.”

Overnight flooding led to a sinkhole breaking out at a Dover Heights construction site on Saturday. Picture: NSW SES

Dover Heights residents were left surprised on Saturday night when a sinkhole engulfed a construction site. Picture: ABC News

It comes after over a week of consistent rainfall that has caused the Bureau of Meteorology to put out a statewide severe surf warning, alongside a severe weather warning for parts of Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains.

Flood warnings remain in place along the state’s riverbanks. Tuggerah River had a final flood warning, moderate risk was advised along the Moruya, Warrego and Deua Rivers, and minor warnings were standing along the Bega, Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers.

SES NSW are monitoring the spill of Warragamba Dam after it reached capacity on Sunday.

At the Dover Heights sinkhole, police blocked off the road while Fire and Rescue NSW crews secured the scene.

It was one of 270 SES call-outs in the 24 hours to 8am on Sunday across the state. There have been 415 incidents across NSW since the weather event’s beginning, with 300 active volunteers responding.

NSW’s Warragamba Dam began to spill today, which SES advised it would also monitor.

The rain across NSW is expected to finish tomorrow, with temperatures remaining in the low 20C range.

Originally published as Dover Heights sinkhole causes SES and police scramble