INTUITIVE foresight by Chris Chrisostomos, the Murwillumbah and Upper Tweed SES Controller, prevented damage to a range of vehicles when a huge landslip behind the SES/Rural Fire Service complex at Bray Park crashed into the rear of the building last Wednesday.

The landslip on the cliff face which towers over the building and yard, measured 45m high and 35m across and the earth was ripped to a depth of 3m.

Trees, soil and stones swiftly slipped down the face and cascaded into the rear wall of the vehicle garage behind the main building, smashing through the Colorbond construction as though it was confetti.

Fortunately Mr Chrisostomos and his staff had only minutes earlier emptied the huge parking bays, removing five flood boats, two storm trailers and four vehicles - all of which were in heavy use over the next few days as SES staff worked around the clock aiding a host of residents who required their services following the sustained deluge.

Earlier that morning at 9.15am, a much larger landslip adjacent to the complex had crashed down the hillside and spread across Kyogle Rd.

Mr Chrisostomos and his crew were immediately in action, using chainsaws and manpower to cut up trees and branches and remove them which enabled one side of the road to be opened to traffic.

"We returned to our base and not long after we had a small slip at the base of the hill behind us," Mr Chrisostomos said.

"That was enough for us - so we got to work removing all the boats, trailers and vehicles from the parking bays.

"It wasn't long after that that the whole cliff face broke away from the hill and slipped down onto the rear of the complex - the noise was horrendous."

Mr Chrisostomos said Tweed Shire Council engineers have been on site to survey the damage, but they won't be able to fully assess the situation with the hill until it totally dries out.

"The early consensus from them was that a lot of drainage work will have to be carried on top of the steep hill to enable heavy downpours to avoid cascading down the cliff face, weakening it and perhaps leading to further landslides," he said.

The land on top of hill above the SES/Rural Fire Service complex surrounds the water reservoir and is a council property.

The reservoir is situated well back from the cliff face.

Mr Chrisostomos said he and his 36-member staff were keeping their fingers crossed that the heavy rains stayed away so council staff could access the hill and remedy the situation.

"Looking at it (the cliff) now, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that further heavy rain could lead to that section also going," Mr Chrisostomos said, pointing to the edge of the cliff which separates the two landslips.