Bob Parker's last day in office
Audio, Radio New Zealand
After six years leading Christchurch, three of them since the first Canterbury earthquake, Bob Parker is packing up his office and hanging up the Mayoral chains today.
After six years leading Christchurch, three of them since the first Canterbury earthquake, Bob Parker is packing up his office and hanging up the Mayoral chains today.
About two hundred of those who lost loved ones in collapsed buildings in Christchurch's 2011 earthquake, heard an apology from the city's mayor, Lianne Dalziel yesterday. A royal commission in to faulty buildings found serious errors by engineers and the Christchurch City Council 185 people died during the earthquake on the 22nd of February, 2011. David Selway who lost his sister Susan Selway in the CTV Building, said it was good to hear a heartfelt apology from the mayor for the role her council played in signing off the building as safe.
The fight to become the next mayor of Christchurch stepped up today with Labour Party's earthquake spokesperson, Lianne Dalziel, announcing she wants the job.
The Christchurch Mayor says the city council will meet with GNS scientists to get some answers about the current sequence of earthquakes, which have sparked anxiety among residents.
Bob Parker, Christchurch mayor and Peter Townsend, chief executive of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce. The Christchurch City Council has unveiled its $2 billion vision for the rebuild of earthquake-hit central Christchurch.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, has made plain his frustration with the performance of the Christchurch City Council, calling the mayor, Bob Parker, a clown and saying that he's at the end of his tether.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, New standards for earthquake prone buildings in Christchurch, Some schools reopen, while others face permanent closure, PM says Defence Force's role to check CV, Plans to burn the Koran on hold not cancelled, Chances of magnitude aftershock hitting rapidly decreasing.
Sue Holmes, resident of Seabreeze Close in Bexley, which was built on reclaimed land which has liquefied after the Canterbury earthquake; Dr Tom Wilson, lecturer in Hazard and Disaster Management, from the department of Geological Sciences, Canterbury University; and Bob Parker, Mayor of Christchurch.
Topic 1: The Minister for Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, was quick to apologise to the Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker for calling him a clown. Topic 2: The Electoral Commission says John Key's hour-long pre-election radio show gave him the chance to raise his personal profile unchallenged.
Te Pae, Christchurch's near $450 million convention centre, has been officially opened this afternoon with a pōwhiri and unveiling by Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Minister Megan Woods. Billed as a legacy for the city, it replaces the old centre which was demolished following the Canterbury earthquakes. Niva Chittock is at the ceremony and joins Lisa with the details.
Topics - The Mayor of Christchurch says he's confident the city council will speed up the processing of building consents and won't lose its authority to grant them. Are Christchurch's frustrations with the Earthquake Commission a result of some kind of misunderstanding. Media hype's being blamed for skyrocketing house prices in parts of Auckland.
A story of hope, at least when it comes to the rebuilding challenge ahead, particularly of Christchurch's badly damaged Cathedral. The Australian city of Newcastle suffered a major earthquake in 1989, and over the next few years put huge effort into rebuilding, virtually brick by brick, its ruined Cathedral. John McNaughton, who was the Lord mayor of Newcastle who oversaw the rebuild, joins us.
A Christchurch woman whose mother died in the 2011 earthquake says an apology from the Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel does not lessen her grief. Yesterday - nine years and one day since the quake killed 185 people - Dalziel invited their families for a private apology. She acknowledged errors made by engineers and the city council in regards to the CTV building. Julie Hibbs lost her mother in the collapse of the building. She speaks to Susie Ferguson.
Gerry Brownlee is the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister. Hugo Kristinsson is a South Brighton resident who stood for mayor last year on the issue of flood risk and land damage. David Stringer is the spokesperson for the community lobby group Insurance Watch - which has been seeking answers from the council since 2011 about the flood risk to the city. Nine to Noon speaks with all three about the recent flooding in Christchurch.
Christchurch remembers six years on from the deadly earthquake. What panelists Ali Jones and James Nokise have been up to. John Gray from the Home Owners and Buyers Association believes the mayor is getting advice from self interest groups looking to shift the focus from their own shortcomings. Police in Hawkes Bay discovered 300 stolen garden gnomes with a growing trend to sell them on to fund meth purchases. Pie eating goalie in the UK has resigned for taking part in the bet that he would eat a pie during his team's match.
Christchurch residents will gather today to mark the 10 year anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake. Large crowds are expected from half past twelve this afternoon on the lawn just across the river from the memorial wall where a service begin at 12.30. Among those speaking is the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. A message from former mayor, Sir Bob Parker, will be also read out. The names of the 185 who died will be read before a minute's silence at twelve fifty one, the exact moment the quake struck. Flowers will then be laid at the memorial wall. This is where our coverage began .A warning this is confronting audio of events that day.
Monday's 10 year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that took the lives of 185 people in Christchurch, will be marked with a special service near the city's earthquake memorial. Large crowds are expected from half past twelve this afternoon on the lawn just across the river from the memorial wall. Among those speaking is the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. A message from former mayor, Sir Bob Parker, will be read out. Sir Bob, who led the city through one of its most challenging periods, recently suffered a major stroke and heart attack. The names of the 185 who died will be read before a minute's silence at twelve fifty one, the exact moment the quake struck. Flowers will then be laid at the memorial wall.
As Auckland and Northland brace for more atrocious weather, city leaders are calling for funding to repair the city's broken infrastructure to be along the lines of the help given to Christchurch after the quakes. Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson says that the damage so far is equivalent to the biggest non earthquake event the country has ever had and should be treated accordingly. The Opportunities Party says the "alliance" model established after the earthquakes, was effective and would work for Auckland's rebuild, because it provides a structure that the Central Government can fund directly. ToP leader Raf Manji was a Christchurch councillor after the quakes and closely involved in the rebuild. He tells Kathryn Ryan it is vital to ensure water and transport infrastructure is repaired quickly and efficiently, especially with a view to future extreme weather events - and there is much to learn from the post-quake rebuild.
A review of the week's news, including... Maori across the country accepting a challenge set by the Maori King to battle the Government over water rights, the Government says Labour's new education policies are flawed, expensive and unnecessary while it's being accused of exploiting the Christchurch earthquakes to force through sweeping changes to schools in the city, Tuhoe is to get 170-million dollars in compensation and more control over Te Urewera National Park in its settlement with the Crown for historical grievances, hundreds of angry and stunned paper mill workers in Kawerau are in limbo over how many will lose their jobs with Norske Skog announcing its halving production, the shotputter Valerie Adams will receive her gold medal in a public ceremony in Auckland on Wednesday, details from of the police investigation into John Bank's mayoral campaign donations have been made public, a man who helped his chronically ill wife commit suicide has broken down in tears after being discharged without conviction and Invercargill has rolled out the red carpet in style, hosting the world premiere of New Zealand's latest feature film.
A review of the week's news including... A tsunami warning after a severe 7.1 earthquake north of East Cape, Havelock North's residents finally get the chance to grill their local leaders, the Environment Minister says people who insist that every lake and river should be safe to swim in are being unrealistic, Kim Dotcom wins his bid to live stream his High Court appeal against his extradition, New Zealanders who've been living in Australia for up to ten years say they're reaching breaking point, legal action over faulty steel mesh triggers doubts about some house insurance, a prominent Maori leader is found guilty of defrauding his fellow trustees in the Wellington Tenths Trust, a South Canterbury farming official says stealing 500 cows is like stealing the Crown jewels - complicated but not impossible, Auckland mayoral candidate Vic Crone pledges to bring forward the cross-harbour tunnel project by a decade or more after saying she'd make no commitments on it, while another candidate, Phil Goff wants to introduce a living wage for all council staff, the transgender community wants the waiting times for sex change operations cut, a sit down chat with Olympic pole vaulting bronze medalist Eliza McCartney and the real story behind the 2nd Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington from a former Wallaby.
A review of the week's news including... An immigration lawyer says 'paying for jobs' is so rampant in New Zealand there needs to be a fresh look at powers available to officials, criminals are using sex to blackmail Indian male students, Auckland lays out its plan to spend 83 billion dollars on transport, the electrified section of the main trunk line between Auckland and Wellington could be mothballed, frustrated advocates are calling for better reporting of suicides committed by current and former members of the military, doctors say making voluntary euthanasia legal would involve many complex and difficult decisions and New Zealand should avoid it, the Morning Report Wellington mayoral candidates debate, a Maori fisheries body wants the Maori Party to abandon its support for the Government if plans for a Kermadec ocean sanctuary go ahead unchanged, Maori representation becomes a virtual no-go area for those vying for public office in New Plymouth, Colin Craig denies ever sending his former press secretary explicit text messages, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child raises concerns about the naming of the new children's ministry, MPs hear emotional pleas from the family of soldiers killed in action and buried in Malaysia for the government to bring their remains home, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform in Christchurch on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Canterbury earthquakes this summer and Prince Charles praises New Zealand soldiers who fought at the Somme at a centennary ceremony in Northern France.
Questions to Ministers 1. GARETH HUGHES to the Minister for Primary Industries: Will he extend the Taranaki set net ban after the recent death of a Maui's dolphin in a fishing net? 2. DAVID BENNETT to the Minister for Economic Development: What actions is the Government taking to boost economic linkages with China? 3. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that his hour-long show on Radio Live on 30 September 2011 was an "election free zone"? 4. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Minister of Health: What improvements, if any, have been made to the Government's national health targets? 5. Hon LIANNE DALZIEL to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Did he discuss with the Christchurch City Mayor reported claims that there had been overtures from within The Treasury that there was scope for the city's rates to be increased or for assets to be sold to pay for the quake recovery, and that this could be done under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act before he called him a clown; if not, why not? 6. JACQUI DEAN to the Minister of Local Government: What reports has he received on increases in local government council debt since the Local Government Act 2002 was enacted? 7. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by her statement that the new minimum wage announced yesterday "strikes the right balance between protecting low paid workers and ensuring that jobs are not lost."? 8. PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA to the Minister of Consumer Affairs: What recent announcements has the Government made on protecting consumers from loan sharks? 9. CLARE CURRAN to the Minister of Broadcasting: Is he aware that Stephen McElrea is part of a working group within NZ On Air, which includes a representative of MediaWorks, and which is determining details of a documentary about Whānau Ora? 10. TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector: What recent announcement has she made in her portfolio that will benefit communities? 11. HOLLY WALKER to the Minister for Social Development: Does she consider low family incomes to be a major contributor to childhood vulnerability? 12. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he still have confidence in all his Ministers?
GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: Does he stand by his statement that the Household Labour Force Survey is "the standard internationally recognised measure of employment and unemployment"? PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he received on the economy? Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Does he stand by the answer given by the Minister of Finance to the question "Does he accept that human-induced climate change is real?" that "It may well be…"? Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Given that unemployment is rising, exports are down, and house price inflation in Auckland and Canterbury is in double-digits, does he agree that after 5 years as Finance Minister he has failed to rebalance and diversify the economy; if not, why not? JOHN HAYES to the Minister of Trade: What efforts is the Government making to deal with the market effects of the possible contamination of some Fonterra diary exports? Hon SHANE JONES to the Minister for Economic Development: What action has he taken to ensure high value jobs are retained in Otago, Waikato, Northland, East Coast and Manawatu? KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Health: Exactly how many of the 21 recommendations to the Minister in the 2010 Public Health Advisory Committee Report The Best Start in Life: Achieving effective action on child health and wellbeing has he implemented? JACQUI DEAN to the Minister for Food Safety: What update can she provide the public on the safety of infant formula? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he stand by all his statements? NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for Building and Construction: What reports has he received following the Government's announcement of a new earthquake-prone building policy? RICHARD PROSSER to the Minister for Primary Industries: What reports, if any, has he received regarding the regeneration of fish stocks in the Snapper 1 fishery? Dr DAVID CLARK to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he agree with Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull that "Central government needs to understand we can't have a … two-speed economy where Christchurch and Auckland are ripping ahead and the rest of the regions are withering"; if not, why not?