News archive

178 red-zoners reject Crown offer

Nearly 200 red-zoners have rejected a Crown offer to buy their earthquake-damaged land and will stay on in largely abandoned neighbourhoods.

Red-zoners accept deal at last minute

Around a third of the remaining property owners in Christchurch's red-zones accepted a land buyout offer at the last minute.

IAG updates

IAG have released three updates for their customers.

Forum: How Is Anxiety Treated?

Wednesday April 10th 2013: – Simone Kinley, psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Unit, CDHB. Most anxiety is managed with medication, counselling, therapy or Brief Intervention. For some anxiety is so severe that treatment by a psychologist or psychiatrist is needed.  However, by improving your understanding of anxiety as a condition, your own triggers for becoming anxious and...

Only 30pc of NZ prepared for emergency

After the Canterbury earthquakes only 30 per cent of New Zealanders are prepared at home for an emergency and a Civil Defence report says there is little evidence on how prepared businesses are.Prior to the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes...

Civil defence laws could be changed

The Canterbury earthquakes revealed problems with managing large-scale recovery efforts and laws could be reviewed, the Government says.

Room for Civil Defence progress - report

The Canterbury earthquakes have heightened Civil Defence' focus on preparing for emergencies, a new report says.

Uncertain future for red-zoners staying put

The futures of 150 home owners who are refusing to leave their red-zoned properties in Christchurch are still uncertain.

Red-zoners who rejected offers still in limbo

The Christchurch red-zoners who have shunned a Government offer still face uncertainty over the fate of their land.

Red-zoners who rejected offers still in limbo

The Christchurch red-zoners who have shunned a Government offer still face uncertainty over the fate of their land.

Council quake study results due

Detailed engineering assessments of most of the buildings owned by Christchurch City Council should be completed by the end of this month.

Interim concert venue sought for CSO

Christchurch Symphony Orchestra is scouting for a large building to convert into a performance space for the next three to five years.

Red-zoners who rejected offers still in limbo

The Christchurch red-zoners who have shunned a Government offer still face uncertainty over the fate of their land.

'Stunning' designs for Peterborough Village

Prince Charles and other judges have chosen the winning design for a central Christchurch neighbourhood - but its identity is under wraps for another fortnight.

Day 768 - SVA students sign up for Saturdays

A whole string of students are signing up to help on Saturdays from the Student Volunteer Army website.

Ten things about St Albans (includes Edgeware)

The Press has created a list of 10 things about St Albans. However, they say its about Edgeware, which is not the name of the suburb, so they can have fun with words like Edge. There is the Edgeware Village …

More rebuild information sheets from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released a set of Canterbury rebuild information sheets on it’s website (here). The topics covered are: TC1, TC2, & TC3 foundations 

PM: Privacy breaches are inevitable

Prime Minister John Key says privacy breaches like the two revealed in one week at the Earthquake Commission are inevitable, and they are a result of human error, not systemic failure.EQC mistakenly sent an email containing claims...

Steps we’re taking to protect your privacy

Christchurch people unhappy on deadline day

On the last day for Christchurch land owners to settle with CERA, many people are not happy with what they've been offered.

Cantabrians unhappy on deadline day

On the last day for Christchurch landowners to settle with CERA, many people are not happy with what they've been offered.

Limited EQC service resumes

Customers waiting for payments from the Earthquake Commission will have to wait longer despite a limited resumption of IT services at the beleaguered Government agency today.

EQC resumes limited IT functions

The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has resumed limited IT functions this afternoon.

Day 768 - Architect assists Garlands Rd

Max, a Registered Architect, visited 124 Garlands Rd today to offer his services pro bono to assist with the drawings required for the consent process. He looked at the scale model, made lots of notes and took copies of Mike's hand drawn plans to take away to turn into proper plans, both site and bulk.

Max will have the plans done by Monday 8 April ready to pickup and then submit to the council.

Day 768 - Garlands Rd benchmark

A surveyor visited 124 Garlands Rd earlier today and put in a surveyed benchmark for the new Addington Action depot that is yet to be built. There was no charge for this so thanks very much.

The benchmark is 12.11m (Christchurch City Council Datum) and is pretty close to what the guess was.

Anxiety Plagues Christchurch Residents

After two years of uncertainty, Christchurch is rife with anxiety and despair with more than 66,000 Cantabrians popping anti-depressant pills, mental health referrals at an all-time high and severe psychological disorders starting to emerge. Read more…

Apr 2: Story Festival – Tales at the Pallet Pavilion April 5-7

Come along and join us in celebrating and exploring the magic of story and it’s role in our daily lives. There’ll be awesome performances by various local artists and you too can be part of sharing stories and creating collective stories with words and music! All ages and all experiences! Click here for an electronic [...]

Red-zoned garage owners to stay

The owners of the red-zoned garage in two minds about whether to abandon their quake-damaged land have made a decision - they're staying.

Elderly Widow in the Red Zone by Rev. Mike Coleman

FREE DE-STRESS Course

11-14 April Thurs & Fri – 6.30pm – 8.30pm Sat & Sun 10am – 2.30pm Benefits, Tension-free body, Anxiety-free mind, Emotional stability Heightened mental clarity and awareness, Increased energy levels Over 900 Cantabrians have benefitted since September 2010 To register · free call: 0508 Artofliving 0508 2786 354 · email canterbury@artofliving.org.nz · go to www.artofliving.org.nz

McDow snap up For Real recruit

Gregory had his life all mapped out, and has done so for the past 31 years. Like many he lived through the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, he picked up the pieces of his life and he carried on best he …

MacDow snap up For Real recruit

Gregory Gregory Parker had his life all mapped out, and has done so for the past 31 years. Like many he lived through the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, he picked up the pieces of his life and he carried on …

Coastal train suspended after big losses

A dramatic post-quake drop in Christchurch tourism has forced KiwiRail to suspend its Coastal Pacific train service for the winter.

Consenting process begins for next stage of Western Corridor

HIVE celebration

This weekend the HIVE Christchurch celebrates its first year as the country’s leading Home Innovation Village.

D-day for Christchurch red-zone owners

Christchurch's red-zone land owners have just hours before the deadline for the Government's buy-out offer passes.The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has offered those with undeveloped, commercial or uninsured properties...

Buyout offer deadline today for red-zoners

It's D-Day in Canterbury today for red-zoners to accept the Government's offer to buy their homes.

'Bring on the bulldozers', say red-zoners

A red-zoned Brooklands couple have told the Government: "We're staying - bring on the bulldozers."

Life 'paradise' worth the risks

A red-zoned Brooklands couple have told the Government: "We're staying - bring on the bulldozers."

Gym may not be spared after all

Les Mills, Calendar Girls and the former Inland Revenue building are among buildings set to be bought by the Crown as part of the Government's plans for Christchurch's new eastern frame.

Tenants dismayed by plan to level new building

Tammy and Mike Bell waited for the release of the central-city blueprint before signing a lease on a new building.

Elderly pensioner's red zone nightmare

CCDU flip-flops again. New-CBD-buildings-to-be-demolished

The insanity of CERA/CCDU continues. Westende House,  a brand new, tenanted building in Manchester Street (130% of the New Building code) to be demolished for a wider roadway. 

CCDU flip-flops again. New-CBD-building-to-be-demolished

The insanity of CERA/CCDU continues. Westende House,  a brand new, tenanted building in Manchester Street (130% of the New Building code) to be demolished for a wider roadway.   Another CERA/CCDU “flip-flop”.  You can not trust what they say.  And expect …

Locked out of undamaged factory for 764 days….

Land Grab In Christchurch

Disabled Kiwis left behind by quake plans

Large parts of the country's building stock will be off-limits for disabled people under a proposal to trim the cost of upgrading thousands of earthquake-prone buildings, advocacy groups have warned.One of the lesser-known changes...

Commissioner's red-zone plea ignored

A decision not to extend the deadline for accepting Government red-zone offers is an "opportunity lost", the Human Rights Commissioner says.

Red-zone uproar over late advice

Christchurch landowners who accept a 50 per cent offer for their vacant, uninsured or commercial red-zone properties can still take legal action against the Government.

Tribute to Avonside - Holy Trinity Avonside

For those who, like Julie, weren’t able to be in Avonside today. Holy Trinity Avonside hosted a service of thanksgiving this afternoon remembering and giving thanks for life in Avonside. After the service there was afternoon and a wide range of photo boards showing different aspects of Avonside from over the last 100 or more years. Photographs and the order of service are below. To Rosalyn

Red zone dairy closes after 100 years

After 100 years, the dairy in Horseshoe Lake is closing thanks to the Christchurch earthquake.

Day 766 - Larcome Vineyard donates

Larcome Vineyard and Restauraunt today donated 6 Bain Marie pans to Addington Action. The stainless steel pans were originally won on Trademe but when picking up earlier today, the owners decided to not accept payment when they found out the pans were for Addington Action's mobile catering for feeding the troops.

Letter 2 from the Leader of the Labour Party, David Shearer

Filed under: Uncategorized

Revealed: The man behind the EQC leaks story

Tearing up the town

The man who revealed embarrassing EQC leaks says he's not a fighter by nature, but, as he tells Martin van Beynen, he's sick of how Christchurch's quake victims have been treated.

Maps of lateral spreading and other earthquake effects in Avonside

Courtesy of a blog reader I have discovered a Tonkin & Taylor report on lateral spread in the Avonside Area. The full title is Appendix M: Avonside study area – lateral spreading. The EQC website is currently closed however you can download it from here. On the same website, but this page here, is more geotechnical information arising from the Liquefaction Vulnerability Study (mentioned on the

Christchurch CBD frozen in time

A videogame arcade with its roof fractured to the sky, a pub with glasses still hanging neatly above the bar and a sign promoting the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Day 765 - assessing homes for free repairs

Dianne Fitzgerald is now in charge of assessing all uninsured homes that need free repairs.

The recent monthly meeting of Addington Action voted that Dianne be in charge and she will be hand picking a team from amoung Addington Action members to assist her in this task.

All existing homes currently underway for repair or on the waiting list will be visited by Dianne over the coming months and given a priority ranking. The homes will then be fixed in that order by the repair crew. A ...

Repair option gives way to grass

A $32-million hotel in the heart of the Christchurch CBD will be bought by the Government and demolished to make way for grassland in what operators and owners say is a waste of money and opportunity.

Payout may be Australasia's biggest

Lyttelton Port of Christchurch's stalled insurance claim "is potentially the largest ever in Australasian history", new information reveals.