Lawyer dismisses Labour's plan for an Earthquake Court
Audio, Radio New Zealand
A Christchurch lawyer with more than 100 insurance cases before the courts is dismissing Labour's plans for a special Earthquake Court.
A Christchurch lawyer with more than 100 insurance cases before the courts is dismissing Labour's plans for a special Earthquake Court.
Simon Manning is a Wellington funeral director who is part of the funeral industry's disaster response team, which is mobilising in Christchurch.
The Minister for Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, is due to give the government's response to the Christchurch City Council's draft central city plan tomorrow.
Residents living in Canterbury's red zones are praising Labour's plan to help them recover from the effects of the region's earthquakes.
Kaiapoi, just north of Christchurch, has unveiled a bold new plan for the parts of the town wiped off the map in the Canterbury earthquakes. The plan proposes having house boats on the river that runs through the town, there'll be a place for campervans to park up and a covered sports facility is on the cards.
The community of Lyttelton, severely cut off from Christchurch access routes during the earthquakes, is planning to become more self reliant.
Christchurch City Council abandons plan to sell its City Care maintenance bid as part of its plan to raise $600 million to repair infrastructure damaged by earthquakes.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister is giving the Christchurch City Council until this morning to approve a major land development plan otherwise he'll force it through himself.
The Christchurch City Council's plans to to help curb a rising homeless population has left some people who live rough worried. The council is considering funding the Christchurch City Mission to employ outreach workers for the first time since the Canterbury earthquakes, and police are increasing central city patrols. Christchurch reporter Logan Church has the story.
It's been more than two months since New Zealand braced for a tsunami following a massive earthquake off the coast of Chile.
A proposal to put houses back into Christchurch red zones is being shot down by some worried locals who say it's unfair and potentially unsafe. On Friday the crown-led agency, Regenerate Christchurch, released ten options for one area by the Avon river that 9 thousand people used to call home. Almost every house in the 602 hectare zone was demolished after the earthquakes.
The Christchurch City Council's control of the earthquake recovery plan has been taken out of its hands, to the delight of business leaders, but to the chagrin of some local councilors.
Contractors in Christchurch are due to file legal action against the Earthquake Commission tomorrow, because of thousands of dollars worth of unpaid invoices.
Some Christchurch community groups say a programme to rebuild the city's wastewater and storm water systems to a pre-earthquake equivalent isn't good enough.
The Goverment has offered to pay out five thousand home owners in Christchurch of the most severely quake damaged properties.
Disgruntled Christchurch red-zoners who want the government to rethink its policy on quake-damaged homes are backing Labour's Earthquake Recovery Package.
Christchurch's earthquake rebuild authority, Regenerate Christchurch, has released a new report setting out a timeline for what to do with the land - but angry residents are calling for action.
The government plans to introduce legislation to change the Earthquake Commission's operations, after a report found major failings. It found EQC was woefully unprepared as it dealt with the Canterbury quakes, and made dozens of recommendations about clarifying EQC's role and improving the way it deals with claimants. RNZ political reporter Yvette McCullough has more.
We're joined now by the Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee - who is in Christchurch.
There were angry scenes at a Christchurch meeting last night as residents tried to stop a dump for earthquake debris being built in their suburb.
Christchurch businesses, councils, MPs and individuals have banded together to turn the rubble of the Canterbury earthquake green.
The creation of a new unit within the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to oversee the rebuilding of central Christchurch is being welcomed by business leaders.
Christchurch has a big bill to contend with, if it still wants the multi-use stadium that's been in the works since the earthquakes 11 years ago. The problem-plagued project has blown out another $150 million, meaning it's going to cost $680 million and counting. The finish date's been pushed out too - to April 2026. Christchurch City Council's punting the hefty decision making back to the ratepayers. The options - increase the budget, scale back the project, or halt work altogether. Tessa Guest reports, and Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge talks to Lisa Owen.
Christchurch's plan to have 20,000 people living in the city centre within the next few years looks increasingly set to fail. Official figures from last year show the Central Business District's population hovering at around 7000, stubbornly lower than before the earthquakes struck more than a decade ago. Reporter Anan Zaki has more.
Is Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee pleased with the initial response to the plan?
Building plans signed off by the Christchurch City Council show one of its own structural engineers was involved in the design of a new multistorey building that is unstable. The eight-storey office building at 230 High Street is off-limits as it is too weak and might 'rupture' in an earthquake. But the council insists the planning documents are wrong and its engineer had only a minor role. Phil Pennington reports.
Three years on from the earthquakes that crippled Christchurch's infrastructure, the city has yet to see costings and timeframes for the delivery of a revamped transport system for the central city.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee is defending the time it's taking to get robust information for a full report on the matter.
Head of Music at Linwood College in Christchurch on status of school orchestra's European trip that was planned before earthquake.
Arts Voice Chrischurch is planning to create a 'river of arts' as part of Christchurch's post-earthquake rebuild.