News archive

CTV engineer tries to block investigation

The man who oversaw the design of Christchurch's ill-fated CTV building is attempting to block an official investigation.

Design timeline on target

Christchurch's central-city blueprint took 100 days to design, but what progress has been made in a year

Expert hails Catholic cathedral

Christchurch's earthquake-damaged Catholic cathedral is "sophisticated architecture on the grand scale", an architectural historian says.

CTV engineer fights probe

The Christchurch engineer whose firm designed the deadly CTV building is trying to stop an investigation of his engineering activities by the Institution of Professional Engineers (Ipenz).

Blueprint timeline on target

Shallow quake felt in Canterbury

A strong earthquake has been felt in North Canterbury.

Recognition for CERA feats in quake aftermath

Day 888 - Kanban Board 1

Todays job was setting up a for Addington Action to speed up work and reduce bottlenecks. A kanban board is a visual tool that reduces complexity and stress and having to remember where things sit in a queue.

Other visual tools common in life are a paper calendar or a map on a wall.

Each chunck of work gets a seperate bit of A4 paper. It gets moved along a big pin board as it flows thru the system. The beauty of a Kanban board is reducing the number of tasks on the go at anyone ti ...

Peterborough mini-park

A temporary park site is now open opposite the Library in Peterborough Street. It is adjacent to the ‘Temple for Christchurch’  timber installation construction-site (which will itself be open to the public in a month’s time). This new Greening the Rubble mini-park uses brick-filled gabions and tree planters last seen at Barbadoes Street, on the [...]

Rebuild stimulus spreading out

The burst of earthquake-related construction activity in Canterbury is now spilling over into other areas of the local economy including car sales and the retail activity.

Maori trainees boost skills pool for rebuild

Construction industry leaders have been urged to take note of graduates emerging from a Maori trades training programme.

Art, projects to draw more into CBD

A landowner hopes donating vacant land for temporary art installations and transitional projects will draw more people to central Christchurch.

CCCDU: Avon River, East & North Frame Design (July 2013)

Consents help get Canterbury moving

Canterbury's rebuild was boosted by a lift in building consents, rising house prices and increased retail spending in the first half of the year, according to ASB's "Cantometer" index.The measure, which provides a snapshot of economic...

Novotel almost ready to reopen doors

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square hotel is hosting a series of "trial guests" in the run-up to booked visitors being able to return from August 19 after a $20 million repair and rebuild.

Maori trainees boost skills pool for rebuild

Construction industry leaders have been urged to take note of graduates emerging from a Maori trades training programme.

Christchurch rebuild stimulus spreading out

The burst of earthquake-related construction activity in Canterbury is now spilling over into other areas of the local economy including car sales and the retail activity.

Novotel almost ready to reopen doors

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square hotel is hosting a series of "trial guests" in the run-up to booked visitors being able to return from August 19 after a $20 million repair and rebuild.

Course for women to nurture themselves

A course for women to nurture themselves begins this Thursday at the St Albans Community Centre in Colombo Street. Margreet Stronks, well-known for her involvement in the St Albans community for many years, is running a six week course for …

Insurance Companies & EQC – Human Rights Violations – post by WeCAN

If you are suffering or have suffered from dealing with your Insurance Company/ EQC as a result of the earthquakes, you have the opportunity of making a formal complaint to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) of the New …

The GCSB Bill -’democracy trusts the people dictatorship does not’ – a must watch

http://youtu.be/okQ6pl8AbuA ~Future Proofing for a sustainable, participatory, democratic society. http://thechristchurchfiasco.wordpress.com/about/ https://twitter.com/fiascofiles http://www.facebook.com/thechristchurchfiasco Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: democracy, John Key, spying on New Zealanders

Smaller rebuilders face squeeze

Christchurch's home building industry is polarised, it seems, between those with full books of forward work and those whose future work is looking skinny.

No consents issued yet for use of cardboard cathedral

Despite tickets already having been sold for forthcoming concerts in Christchurch's cardboard cathedral, the Bishop of Christchurch says the new church has not yet received consents to operate.

More roadworks in Bealey Ave

Bealey Ave, from Champion Street to the intersection with Whitmore Street, will be down to two lanes heading eastwards for six weeks while SCIRT strengthens underground pipes. Also in Whitmore Road, traffic heading southwards is likely to come across roadworks.

Fishhooks in determining “Sum Insured”

An Avonside resident has pointed out that online calculators provided by some insurance companies to help homeowners work out a “sum insured” for their future house insurance have shortcomings because they do not cover everything and do not give advice. …

CCC decides no public hearings for Edgeware Plan

No public hearings will be held for the draft Edgeware Master Plan Plan because 89 per cent of submissions are in favour of it. The Shirley Papanui Community Board recommended that such hearings were not necessary because of the plan’s …

Tricky move for Catholic church saved from demolition

Many onlookers stopped in Canterbury today as a large church was driven down country roads on the back of a truck.

Heritage buildings lost in quake-strengthing changes

Questions are being raised about the future of heritage buildings if strict new earthquake standards are introduced.

THX 4 THE MEMORIES

In November 2011 there was a blog entry Photographing the loss of Avonside (here) about a project to record a number of post-earthquake personal experiences. The purpose was to record, over a period of years, the lives of some Avonside residents as they and the suburb experienced the after-effects of the earthquakes. The first phase of the project is more or less complete and those of you who

Insurance changes set new traps for owners

Homeowners who think the only issue with house insurance changes is the likely premium increase need look no further than Christchurch.Just as the Canterbury earthquakes have changed the home insurance landscape, many homeowners...

“Letter From New Zealand” …or Provincial Propoganda?

Dear Father and Mother, l arrived here all safe on the 23rd of September, after a splendid voyage of 94 days without a single storm. I enjoyed the voyage very much and was kindly treated by everybody, plenty to do and plenty of friends. I have nothing to say against the Government, for they looked well after the single girls, and we have had the £5 given to us for industry and good conduct on board the ship, so that I am quite free, which is a great thing. I was able to earn by my needle on the ...

Cathedral demolition ruling upheld

A decision on whether to partially demolish Christchurch's cathedral - possibly as low as the window sills - could be made as early as August.

Fight for Chch Cathedral could continue

The legal fight to save the quake-damaged ChristChurch Cathedral may have another leg to run yet.

CERA website back online after hack

CERA has reactivated its website after an emergency effort to remove malicious software from its systems.

Day 886 - how to refer uninsured people for free home repairs

Uninsured homes in Hoon Hay, Hillmorton, Spreydon, Addington, Sydenham, and Waltham are being repaired by volunteers under the coordination and guidance of Addington Action. These suburbs are in the Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board area.

Addington Action is gearing up for the Spring and Summer rush and needs the help of support service providers to act as a to provide the social support required for the residents of these uninsured homes. This will allow Addington Action ...

CBD – Available Routes Map – 28th July – 3rd August

For available routes around the Central City please find below the CBD network map. This is updated weekly and is available via our website and The Press newspaper on Saturdays. Please click here to download the network map – Available Routes Map.

Insurers can help with mould menace – really, – yeah right!

The Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) have stated that Canterbury homeowners should contact their insurers if they are affected by creeping mould. As winter sets in, “insurers are prioritizing residents for rebuilds and repair based on their vulnerability and …

Ballantynes memorial to be restored

Repair work is set to get underway on the quake-damaged Ballantynes Memorial Rose Garden.

Court upholds cathedral demolition ruling

The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court ruling that the Church Property Trustees is entitled to demolish ChristChurch Cathedral if it constructs a new cathedral on the same site.

Bid to halt cathedral deconstruction fails

The Court of Appeal has thrown out a bid to stop the deconstruction of the quake-damaged Christ Church Cathedral.

Court upholds ruling that cathedral may be demolished

The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court ruling that the Church Property Trustees is entitled to demolish ChristChurch Cathedral if it constructs a new cathedral on the same site.

Hills Road, Richmond- detour in place for southbound road users

Hills Road, Richmond will be northbound only over the next couple of weeks. Southbound road users will be detoured via Warden Street, Slater Street and Dudley Street back onto Hills Road. The detour is in while the first stage of works is carried out …

Court gives green light to 'deconstruct' Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral can now be demolished after the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier decision allowing deconstruction of the earthquake-damaged heritage building to continue.The Great Christchurch Buildings Trust (GCBT) has...

Govt set for windfall from red zone properties

The Government is set for a sizeable windfall from Christchurch residential red zone properties it has purchased.As the owner of properties the Crown has either bought or is holding signed sale and purchase agreements for, the Government...

Day 886 - fruit & veggie orders

There are 511 orders from 21 of the 22 CSFVC distribution centers for fruit and veggie packs next week. The orders will be packed and distributed on Wednesday 31 July.

1 chocolate slab cake coming up to celebrate at the packing!

  0 Addington Action
  7 Addington School
14 Bower Ave
25 Burnham
10 Comcare Addington
  1 CSCGT
35 Discovery
43 Eureka St
16 Hoon Hay Presbyterian
42 Manuka Cottage at Church Sq
50 Opawa Baptist
22 Pens ...

Thanks Chris Lynch

I spoke to one of my sources at EQC this morning who has reported that Reid Stiven has instructed the call centre to release engineer’s reports without having to go through the Official Information Act.  The one caveat is that the call centres will forward the request to another team, who will likely redact costings […]

'Tension' in leaked design report

A leaked government report has pinpointed urban design as a clear source of tension between the Christchurch City Council and the development community.

“The Sick, Faint Feeling of Violent Shakes,” Jane Deans

For one of our city’s most famous early women settlers, poor health had marred not only her voyage to New Zealand but also her arrival to her new home at Riccarton. From the moment Jane Deans boarded the sailing ship at Plymouth for Canterbury in November of 1853, she suffered from motion sickness. As the voyage progressed, her sea sickness became so severe, she could neither face hot tea nor food of any kind. Only just married to John Deans in October, Jane was also suffering from morning ...

Rudyard Kipling’s Flying Visit to Christchurch

By Our Special Reporter Yesterday morning I was at the Christchurch railway station with the intention of going to Port by the five minutes to eight train, in order to meet Mr Rudyard Kipling, who was a passenger on the Talune. I found that the steamer had arrived early in the morning, and that some of her passengers had already come up to town. I made enquiries in what I considered likely quarters, but could not ascertain whether or not Mr Kipling had been among these passengers. My enquiries w ...

Malicious software found in quake website

An investigation has been launched into how a piece of malicious computer software came to be embedded in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority's website.

Day 885 - visit from Todd Foundation

Christina from Todd Foundation visited the Garlands Rd depot earlier today. The Todd and Tindall Foundations have jointly paid for costs of the pole barn.

Christina had a good look at the scale model and what has been done on site already. Phineas, the head kitten, came along as well for the first visit since his leg cast came off.

Everyone was happy!

Hills Road, St Albans – detour in place for southbound road users

From this week part of Hills Road, St Albans will be northbound only. Southbound road users will be detoured via Warden Street, Slater Street and Dudley Street back onto Hills Road. The detour is in while the first stage of works is carried out …

CERA website offline after hack

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) website is offline today as officials scramble to discover how malicious software was implanted inside their web systems.

Please, not two CBDs

While looking through commercial buildings for lease in Christchurch online recently, it quickly became apparent that many of the new buildings are, or will be, unsightly glass boxes, predominantly located in Addington, but also randomly dotted about the city.

Golf Links Road – One Way from the 26th July

Traffic on Golf Links Road will be reduced to one way travelling north. Works will begin at the intersection of Golf Links Road and McCorkindale Place reopening the completed sections to two-way traffic as work progresses south. Works are expected …

Golf Links Road – One Way from the 26th June

Traffic on Golf Links Road will be reduced to one way travelling north. Works will begin at the intersection of Golf Links Road and McCorkindale Place reopening the completed sections to two-way traffic as work progresses south. Works are expected …

Park Terrace – Two way traffic temporarily restored

Two way traffic will be reinstated along Park Terrace at the end of this week for approximately two weeks. The final phase of works will then begin between Kilmore Street and Armagh Street. All works on Park Terrace are expected …

Lessons from Christchurch: Workplace health and safety

The Christchurch rebuild is the biggest urban reconstruction undertaking in New Zealand's history. And it's triggering a growing focus on health and safety in worksites - not just for large construction companies, but also...

SCIRT – Traffic Update from the 29 July

Whitmore Street and Bealey Avenue from Champion Street Just two lanes on Bealey Avenue eastbound and Whitmore Street southbound for six weeks. The London Street intersection will be closed for a few weeks. Durham Street North/Cambridge Terrace at the Hereford …

Arsonists target quake-damaged homes

Police are investigating a spate of suspected arson attacks on quake-damaged Christchurch homes.