SCIRT Learning Legacy
We’re proud to have been working with the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) to archive their Learning Legacy project; a collection of concepts, plans, policies and documented lessons learnt from the past six years spent repairing Christchurch’s horizontal infrastructure.
Today, SCIRT launched their Learning Legacy Website, which pulls this material through from the collection in QuakeStudies and presents it to the public as a collection of stories.
One of our favourites would have to be Project Chocolate Fish:
“In response to driver frustration and to encourage patience and safe driving habits during traffic detours and delays, stationary drivers were given "chocolate fish" (iconic New Zealand sweets) wrapped in a message about the project… The fish were wrapped in an information flyer about the project to help drivers understand the delay and thank them for their patience and tolerance. The slogan on the flyer was: "Doing the right thing at roadworks is as Kiwi as ... a chocolate fish.”
SCIRT flyers wrapped around chocolate fish. Image courtesy of SCIRT.
By sharing this valuable information publicly, SCIRT hopes the website will benefit other people and organisations, locally and internationally, that may face similar challenges in the future.
“The SCIRT Learning Legacy website is not only a great source of information for international organisations about being prepared for an event of this magnitude, but also for local people to understand a crucial part of the city’s recovery from the earthquakes,” Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch said.
So far, the collection features around 70 stories, with more to be added in the coming months.
Images supplied by SCIRT. Click to read the corresponding story.
“With this site we aim to make the lessons we have learnt available to a wide range of people. We believe the lessons are relevant and helpful to both local and international organisations.
“If we can help other communities facing a similar experience, or preparing and planning for one, the site will have done its job,” SCIRT Executive General Manager Ian Campbell said.
Storing material in CEISMIC ensures the long-term preservation of the material beyond the lifetime of the Learning Legacy website. It also enables the lessons learnt by SCIRT to become part of the larger CEISMIC archive, which gathers together material from a wide range of organisations and individuals, and enables connections to be made between many different aspects of earthquake response and recovery.
As UC CEISMIC's Dr Chris Thomson says: "It's important to have a long-term, independent repository where the recovery process is documented, and to make these materials findable for policymakers, researchers and communities in the future."