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Dog survives fall down deep sinkhole in Sydney Mines

The sinkhole is in the backyard of a vacant property near steep cliffs.

People in Sydney Mines are calling for someone to fill a large sinkhole on a property after a dog fell down it one week ago.

The hole is in the backyard of a vacant house on Shore Road. It’s estimated to be several metres across and about 20 metres deep.

MLA Eddie Orrell says he's been getting lots of calls since the dog fell in the hole. The dog survived, but Orrell says he's concerned that a person falling in the hole might not.

"We’ve been working with the municipality," he said. "They’ve sent some inspectors over."

Orrell said the Department of Natural Resources told him it can’t do much because the hole is on private property.

"But as a safety issue, I believe that they’re looking into it to see what they might be able to do – either knock the hole in, fill it in, or put a fence around it as a safety concern for people in the area."

The sinkhole is close to steep cliffs that line the shore in Sydney Mines.

Some neighbours say they believe the hole has been there for decades, and the former homeowner used to warn people off the property.