Christchurch's new QE2 sports complex opens

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury earthquakes damaged the facility beyond use, and almost six years after it was demolished, a new facility known as Taiora QE2 has risen from the rubble.

Reaction to press conference

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Communities' Earthquake Recovery Network or CanCERN represents dozens of residents' associations and community groups. Tom McBrearty is chairman, whose own house has been badly affected.

CERA officials used positions for financial gain

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Two former Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority officials attempted to use their positions for their own financial gain and their actions will now be referred to the Serious Fraud Office.

CERA pays more for PR advice

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority spent more than three million dollars on communications staff and consultants in the last financial year, up by a third on the previous year.

Radio NZ presenter honoured at quake ceremony

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Radio NZ's Vicki McKay among those honoured at an awards ceremony in Christchurch for heroism, service or acts of kindness by organisations and individuals during the Canterbury earthquakes.

Midday News for 20 February 2013

Audio, Radio New Zealand

About 70 percent of Canterbury's residential earthquake claims have not been dealt with and submissions on the closure of Christchurch schools show some are willing to sacrifice their neighbours.

Govt set to make announcement about future of AMI

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Government has confirmed it is closely monitoring the insurer, AMI, whose $1 Billion in reinsurance and capital is believed to have been exhausted by the two Canterbury earthquakes.

What was hiding under a statue in Cathedral Square

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury Museum says because of the earthquake it's likely to be weeks before they can open a sealed time capsule found under a statue brought down by the quake.

Potential asbestos forces CERA to check paperwork

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is now double checking all of its paperwork following fears earthquake rubble dumped in a Christchurch land fill could have been contaminated by asbestos.

No insulation for earthquake-damaged homes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The company hired by the Government to carry out earthquake repairs in Canterbury is refusing to install insulation at the same time as it replaces old cladding on houses.

Skills shortage looms ahead of Christchurch rebuild

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Members of the building industry say a serious skills shortage is looming as the Government releases new estimates of the number of homes seriously damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes.

Grand Chancellor the focus of Royal Commission hearing

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Canterbury Earthquakes will today begin to examine the failure of the building that's come to symbolise the damage to the central city.

Inquest into 144 Christchurch quake deaths continues

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The inquest into many of the deaths in the Christchurch earthquake will today hear evidence about the more than 60 language students who perished in the Canterbury Television building.

Parliament throws full support behind earthquake bill

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Parliament has unanimously supported legislation giving Government ministers the power to make exemptions to almost every law on the statute books, to help fast-track reconstruction efforts in Canterbury.

Tower confident in new company to protect it

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The insurance company, Tower, is confident that putting its costly and complex outstanding Canterbury earthquake claims into a separate company will allow the rest of the group to flourish.

Almost four weeks after quake, Kaiapoi still struggling

Audio, Radio New Zealand

In its latest update, the Earthquake Commission says it will have to manage repairs to 50-thousand homes moderately or seriously damaged by the Canterbury earthquake four weeks ago.

Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee on Quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Government responded to Canterbury's plight by putting through Parliament emergency legislation to give special powers to the Earthquake Recovery Minister to deal with the effects of the quake.

Vertical shaking from February earthquake not unique

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An earthquake engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission that the intense vertical shaking during the February 2011 earthquake wasn't unique and was similar to events overseas.

Midday News for 15 April 2013

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An Assistant Police Commissioner may have to give evidence in Kim Dotcom's compensation case and the Government accepts almost all the recommedations made by the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.

How prepared are we for a volcanic eruption?

Audio, Radio New Zealand

You might be prepared for an earthquake or a flood, but how prepared are we for a volcanic eruption? University of Canterbury Professor, Tom Wilson spoke to Corin Dann.

Emergency charger

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Sixteen-year-old Sam Mackwell and his mates from St Thomas of Canterbury College have created a device that uses boiling water to charge cellphones, power a light and run a radio. They came up with the idea for the small generator after the first earthquake in Canterbury in September when electricity supplies were cut to much of the city. They call the device"The Lion"and hope to sell it in retail stores soon.

Tourism Holdings says business as usual despite earthquakes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The campervan company, Tourism Holdings, says it doesn't expect the North Canterbury earthquake to have any material impact on its tourism business in either the near or long-term.

Local heroes acknowledged in Kaiapoi

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Several earthquake volunteers, including those who helped deliver more than 400 tonnes of food to hard hit suburbs, have been recognised at a ceremony in the Canterbury town of Kaiapoi.

Roger Sutton says CERA's PR spend is worth it

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has spent more than three-and-a-half million dollars on communications in the past year. The Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive is Roger Sutton.

Lawyer argues design faults did not cause CTV to collapse

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The lawyer for the man whose company designed the CTV building says it was the strength and number of Canterbury earthquakes that caused its collaspe, and not any design faults.

Construction of 35 million dollar bridge to take 2 years

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The construction of the first bridge in Canterbury to be built to the new earthquake design codes is going to take nearly two years and cost over 30 million dollars.

Roger Sutton to head the Earthquake Recovery Authority

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Damaged properties, water, sewerage and the demolition of buildings in the city centre are first on the list for the new man in charge of the recovery operation in Canterbury.

Buy A Brick

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The collapse of the Christchurch Cathedral during the devastating earthquake of February the 22nd struck a powerful blow to the core of Canterbury and New Zealand as a whole.

Snow means students miss out on precious exam prep

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Heavy snow is forcing schools to close across the country. It's a double blow for Canterbury students who have already lost weeks of precious school time due to the earthquakes.

Grand Chancellor checked for damage four times before February

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury earthquake's Royal Commission has heard that the Hotel Grand Chancellor was checked for earthquake damage - and cleared for use four times prior to the February 22nd earthquake.