Efforts to save quake damaged buildings
Audio, Radio New Zealand
A Christchurch MP is working with a group trying to prevent historic buildings damaged in last month's earthquake from being torn down unnecessarily.
A Christchurch MP is working with a group trying to prevent historic buildings damaged in last month's earthquake from being torn down unnecessarily.
We are taking a look at some of Christchurch's icon and heritage buildings lost, or at least badly damaged by last Tuesdays earthquake.
The Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority says today's aftershocks have caused up to 50 additional buildings in the city's redzone to collapse or partially collapse.
Concern about the demolition process of heritage buildings in Christchurch. With Anna Crighton - Chairperson of the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund Trust, which raises money, matched by the government, to save quake-damaged heritage buildings.
The first report into the damage done to three large buildings in the Christchurch earthquake is recommending urgent steps be taken around the country to strengthen buildings with stairwells.
Insurance cover has been cancelled for Christchurch's historic Arts Centre and its Catholic Cathedral which were both badly damaged in the February earthquake.
A new plan will see all dangerous earthquake-damaged buildings in Christchurch's Cashel Mall pulled down or made safe by mid-July.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority's manager of demolitions, Warwick Isaacs.
The Christchurch Cathedral has suffered massive damage, with its spire reduced to rubble and the roof caved in. There were visitors inside the building when the earthquake hit, and it is still unclear whether anyone was trapped beneath the rubble.
A seismic engineer says many of the Christchurch buildings destroyed in Tuesday's quake weren't designed to cope with such intense forces - and it's possible damage from the September 4th earthquake went undetected.
A huge team of engineers is in Christchurch to assess the state of buildings damaged but still standing after Tuesday's earthquake.
The Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes has heard evidence questioning the measure used to judge how resistant a building is to earthquake damage. It's come on the second day of hearings into why unreinforced masonry buildings collapsed in Christchurch during the February 22nd earthquake, killing 40 people.
After the devastating effects on Christchurch, we are all aware of the damage earthquakes can cause. But in New Zealand, a tsunami could be just as damaging. University of Auckland engineers Asaad Shamseldin and PhD student Reza Shafiei are creating waves in the lab to work out how safe our buildings are, if a tsunami hits. Ruth Beran goes to visit them.
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.
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.
From the time it opened in the 1920s, the Winter Garden ballroom was the place to go for debutante balls and big-band concerts in Christchurch. Queen Elizabeth II even dined there during her visit in 1954. But this special part of Christchurch's history is over and the Armagh Street building has been placed on the urgent demolition list because of earthquake damage. Tiny Kirk is the chairman of the Trade Union Centre which has owned the building since 1984.
A review of the week's news including: Christchurch's emergency operation moves from rescue to recovery, two minutes' silence observed nationwide, government announces aid package, Finance Minister outlines cost of quake, a fifth of Christchurch population has fled, inquiry launched into collapse of damaged buildings, many Christchurch schools remain closed and some of their pupils enrol elsewhere, students and farmers roll up their sleeves to help quake victims, rescuers tell stories of survival, hundreds of Wellington buildings expected not to meet earthquake safety standards and time capsule discovered under statue of Christchurch founding father
Questions to Ministers 1. AMY ADAMS to the Minister of Finance: How many claims does the Earthquake Commission expect to receive as a result of the earthquakes in Canterbury since 4 September 2010? 2. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that "rebuilding Christchurch is a key priority for the Government this year"; if so, what rebuilding plans are currently in place? 3. METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement that state support is for "people to fall back on when they really need it"? 4. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that New Zealanders were "more than compensated" for last year's increase in GST? 5. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How is her Ministry responding to support the Christchurch recovery following last month's earthquake? 6. JACINDA ARDERN to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his answers to Oral Question number one on 8 March 2011; if not, why not? 7. AARON GILMORE to the Minister of Corrections: What support has the Department of Corrections provided to the people of Christchurch following last month's earthquake? 8. Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister of Finance: How much has he budgeted to raise from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal and has this figure been revised in light of the Japanese earthquake? 9. JO GOODHEW to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What work will the New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue team be carrying out in Japan? 10. Hon SHANE JONES to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by his statement that the $300 million bill for restoring the Christchurch road network won't be causing any "dramatic issues" and what is his timeframe for the completion of this work? 11. COLIN KING to the Minister of Transport: What work has been done to repair and reopen Christchurch's roads and highways following the 22 February earthquake? 12. Hon STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: Has he had any discussions with the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery about heritage buildings or recovering cultural artefacts from buildings damaged by the earthquake on 22 February; if so, what did he say to the Minister?