Marlborough Sounds homeowners whose properties were destroyed by logs in last August's storm are now having to pay to remove them.
Some South East Bay residents have had concerns for years about the forestry above their properties and want the rules changed.
Kirsty Campbell said their bach has been in the family for generation and her mother had plans to retire there.
"We've lost our history, our home and our heritage. It's all gone. It's just been destroyed."
1News visited the bay, which is deep within the Pelorus Sounds and can only be accessed by boat, shortly after the storm.
The properties had been annihilated by mud and logs.
Nine months on and residents have had to pay to remove the logs and what's left of the homes, before more damage is done.
The removal isn't covered by insurance. Campbell said it's entirely unfair.
"If I was driving a car and I hit your car, I would be liable to pay for the damage to your vehicle," she said.
"Somebody else's property has come onto ours and destroyed our home, yet we have to pay to clean that up."
Matt Earle's father has been coming to South East Bay since he was young. They've had their bach there for 35 years.
He said the family was always worried that when the forest above them was harvested something was going to happen.
"We predicted it. You don't have to be a scientist to know that there's so many trees up there and it's extremely muddy and vulnerable."
In fact, five years ago there was an incident during harvesting.
"They let a tree slip and it came right down the hill and went straight through our bach and then into the ground, four to five metres," Earle said.
The forestry company at the time was fined and undertook remediation work. The harvesting ended around then but the homeowners say some logs and debris remained.
The land above the homes is owned by Sonyac Enterprises who didn't want to comment when contacted by 1News.
The Marlborough District Council is currently investigating whether any rules were broken but Earle said he has lost confidence in them.
"I think they're useless. We don't have any expectations now. They haven't helped us."
The homeowners have been told it could take years for the investigation to be completed.
A spokesperson for the council said they empathised with the residents and are keeping them informed of the process.
They said the council has previously addressed issues on the forestry block and the last inspection was two years prior to the August storm.
"Marlborough District Council has undertaken several compliance actions for non-compliance on this block."
Recently it's brought in an expert to inspect the site and is awaiting that report, the purpose being to "identify not only causes of failures but also to recommend mitigation to prevent future failures".
Meanwhile the homeowners just want to ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Campbell said the rules around forestry and where it's planted need to be changed.
"One of the big things I worry about is how many New Zealanders are sitting in their homes with forestry having been harvested behind them, that after a rain event are going to be facing exactly what we're facing. Are lives going to be lost? Because ours almost was".
A government-commissioned review into forestry is underway and is due back at the end of this month.
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