The government is hoping a new one-stop shop will help homeowners in Canterbury still struggling with insurance claims, but as Logan Church reports, this isn't the first initiative of its kind in the quake-rattled city.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake was felt widely throughout the central New Zealand and as far south as Christchurch today. We spoke to people throughout the country, who described what impact the quake had on them.
Christchurch homeowners are still battling insurers eight years after the first major earthquake. Mike and Fran Dodge say their insurer AA has not honoured their insurance policy, and now court seems to be the only option left.
In the hours after the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake, Chessie Henry's father Chris Henry, a Kaikoura-based doctor, crawled into makeshift tunnels in the collapsed CTV building to rescue the living and look for the dead. Six years later, Chessie interviewed Chris in an attempt to understand the trauma that lead her father to burnout. In her book just published, We Can Make A Life: A memoir of family, earthquakes and courage, Chessie Henry considers the psychological cost of heroism and unravels stories and memories from her family history.
The public policy think tank, the New Zealand Initiative, says this country is still under-prepared for the next big earthquake. The group of economists has reviewed the policy response to the Canterbury earthquakes and has just released its report: Recipe for disaster: Building policy on shaky ground. It says recovery from the quakes was hindered by avoidable policy mistakes that still haven't been addressed. One of the report's co authors Dr Eric Crampton joins Susie Ferguson to discuss the issues.
Construction delays and cost over-runs are prolonging the earthquake risks facing patients and staff at Christchurch hospital. Six major hospital buildings at the central city site have been listed as earthquake prone since May, but there is no safer space to shift patients into. Phil Pennington reports.
Construction delays and cost over-runs are prolonging the earthquake risks facing patients and staff at Christchurch hospital. Six major hospital buildings at the central city site have been listed as earthquake prone since May, but there is no safer space to shift patients into. Christchurch Hospital boss David Meates pron; Mates says the hospital is still basically a construction site. One earthquake prone building has roof tanks containing 75 tonnes of water. Mr Meates told RNZ reporter Phil Pennington removing the water from the tanks in the meantime is not an option.
A Christchurch earthquake insurance specialist says a critical report of the Earthquake Commission is a good start but doesn't go far enough. The report by an independent ministerial advisor says EQC staff have no confidence in their own data, and that the organisation needs to dramatically improve the way it communicates with claimants. The advisor, Christine Stevenson, said EQC was unable even to tell her how many claims it's still dealing with from the Canterbury earthquakes. Dean Lester is a Christchurch insurance advocate and claims preparer. He talks to Susie Ferguson.
Javier and Jackie Garcia Knight look back on the earthquake that changed Christchurch and New Zealand forever.
As the government eyes an EQC overhaul, Christchurch earthquake insurance specialist Dean Lester wants to see action, not hear more empty words. This after a report yesterday found EQC staff had no confidence in their own data, and the organisation needed to drastically improve its treatment of claimants. The minister in charge of the Earthquake Commission is calling for immediate changes to the organisation.
It's almost eight years to the day since the first Christchurch earthquake, and as anyone who lives in Christchurch knows, some insurance claims are still in dispute. Dodgy repairs are still being discovered and previously undiscovered damage is being found. Earthquake Commission minister Megan Woods says as problems emerge, people can come back and ask for re-repairs or have their home looked at. But just how much money is in the National Disaster Fund?
The State Services Commission is investigating Canterbury earthquake insurer Southern Response. A new pharmacy council ethics code has upset doctors.
The government has announced a new "hub" offering a bunch of separate services to Christchurch locals with ongoing earthquake-related problems.
In half an hour, the first passenger train since the devastating Kaikoura earthquake will depart Picton for Christchurch. The 7.8 earthquake that struck the region in 2016 ripped up much of the scenic Coastal Pacific railway - sweeping kilometres of tracks out to sea and buried beneath slips. The rebuild of the railway line has taken two years and the efforts of nearly 1700 workers. Todd Moyle is KiwiRail's acting chief executive. He talks to Susie Ferguson.
A law which prevents charges being laid over the collapse of Christchurch's CTV buildin gin the 2011 earthquake could be repealled soon.
Insurance company, Tower, says it's started the year on a positive note despite bad weather and lingering complex claims from the Christchurch earthquakes.
Victoria Square, the slightly less famous cousin of nearby Cathedral Square was re-opened today following $7.5 million worth of earthquake repairs.
It is understood 26 Christchurch earthquake claimants who took class actiona against Southern Response are close to reaching an out of court settlement.
One of the heroes from the Christchurch earthquake gives his take on where the city is at today and what needs to be done.
A Christchurch man has begun a hunger strike over an earthquake insurance claim. Fonterra changes its policy and promises to pay bills more promptly.
The bill to fix botched EQC repairs from the Canterbury earthquakes has hit $270 million - four times what the previous Government predicted just two years ago. The Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission, Megan Woods, has asked Treasury to urgently crunch some figures to give the Government an idea of its future liability, with many experts warning thousands more homes may be affected. The former Canterbury Rebuild Minister Gerry Brownlee, who was in the job for six years until a year ago, speaks to Guyon Espiner.
A Canterbury woman has finally settled an insurance claim seven years to the day her family home was damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
The names of each individual killed by the Christchurch earthquake were read one after the other at a memorial service to commemorate the quake's seventh anniversary today.
On 31 May, Dr Ann Brower will deliver a lecture at the University of Canterbury, titled: A Little Guy's Guide to Making a Difference after receiving the Critic and Conscience of Society Award earlier this month. Dr Brower is probably best known for her advocacy for more stringent regulation of earthquake-prone buildings, a campaign informed by her experience of being on a bus crushed by falling masonry in Christchurch's 2011 earthquake. Twelve passengers died on or beside the bus. She's also been prominent in highlighting high country land being transferred from Crown to private ownership.
Nearly seven years on from the Christchurch earthquake, some quake damaged homeowners with unresolved insurance claims say they are being driven to the point of complete exhaustion.
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.
As IAG and Southern Response's limitation periods for claims resulting from the February, 2011 earthquake nears, Christchurch lawyer Peter Woods says the current situation is a "bloody mess".
A Christchurch man has been left stunned after his insurance premium rose by 440 percent after his insurer decided his property was at a higher risk from earthquakes.
Canterbury mayors say their ratepayers are already paying for earthquake recovery, roading, water and storm water infrastructure, so a shiny new Christchurch stadium is way down the priority list.
Liam takes a work trip to Christchurch. Iris gets a part-time job but before she can start she gets a call from the school about Billy's reaction to an earthquake drill.