CTV designer blamed for collapse
Audio, Radio New Zealand
The Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes has heard the CTV building collapsed because of the incompetence of the man in charge of designing it.
The Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes has heard the CTV building collapsed because of the incompetence of the man in charge of designing it.
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.
The Royal Commission into the Canterbury earthquakes has been told illegal building techniques are being used in the Christchurch rebuild because the engineering profession is in crisis.
The Serious Fraud Office has launched it's first investigation into earthquake insurance fraud in Christchurch which could involve tens of millions of dollars.
Christchurch was jolted by a magnitude 4.3 earthquake this lunchtime.
158 other buildings may share CTV construction flaw; US defence chief lifts ban on NZ vessels in US ports; first snapshot of national standards data published today; Korean fishing boat officers fined more than $400,000; and SFO starts investigation into Christchurch earthquake insurance fraud.
People will be told by Christmas if they are in unsafe buildings that have the same flaw as the CTV building, which collapsed killing 115 people in the Christchurch earthquake.
A super council, along the lines of Auckland city could be on the cards in Canterbury, but not until the earthquake recovery is well underway.
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 Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee refused to be interviewed on Checkpoint.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, has defended the government's handling of the Christchurch City Council's consenting crisis in Parliament this afternoon.
A Christchurch construction firm says businesses who are complaining about losing money on earthquake repair jobs should work more closely with their project managers.
Katy Gosset meets one of Christchurch's top tailors. Mark van Roosmalen may have lost his premises in the earthquake but he's busier than ever, turning out bespoke garments for the city's style-conscious. Katy finds that amidst the high-viz vests of Christchurch there's still plenty of room for a sharp suit.
More now on Canterbury people having to pay an extra 5 dollars 20 on their monthly power bill from next April with the Commerce Commission telling the Orion lines company it can put up prices.
Workers in Christchurh already stressed by the earthquakes are pleading with MPs to stop proposed changes to employment law.
Christchurch airport's annual profit has fallen 6 per cent after losing nearly half a million passengers following the earthquakes.
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 property manager has been questioned at the Royal Commission investigating the Canterbury earthquakes about why he didn't tell tenants the building they worked in was unsafe.
The Royal Commission investigating the Canterbury earthquakes has heard that the premises where a man was killed by a falling concrete wall was not inspected by structural engineers between the September and February quakes.
The head of the Earthquake Commission is questioning why some Christchurch people are living in dire straits when there's help available.
The Earthquake Commission has agreed to meet with the Institute of Surveyors next week over concerns about how assessments of earthquake damaged Christchurch homes are being done.
Male mammals don't stay monogamous to produce fitter offspring, instead they do it for love and to protect their partner; Edward Snowden granted temporary asylum in Russia; Parking companies in central Wellington increase fees after earthquakes; and tours of Christchurch's Red Zone started this week.
Topics - Hundreds of people have lost their lives in Egypt overnight, and it's expected the death toll will continue to rise. This comes after the military over threw the democratically elected leader last month, and has now forcibly closed down protester camps. Power company Orion - owned by Christchurch City Council and Selwyn District Council - is looking to hike its prices until 2019, to help recover revenue lost because of the Canterbury earthquakes.
The head of the Earthquake Commission Ian Simpson says the claims from Friday's and July's earthquakes are being handled differently from the approach taken in Christchurch.
The number of fraud cases referred to the Christchurch police by the Earthquake Commission has doubled in the past five months.
A new exhibition is simply called " 37". The show is by the photographer Doc Ross, features 37 Christchurch people captured on film using a 37 second exposure. The aim: to reflect the length of time their city shook during February 2011's devastating earthquake. Katy Gosset hears some of the stories behind the exhibition and hits the streets to record her own take on the 37 second concept.
The Earthquake Commission has brought forward its deadline for repairing thousands of earthquake-damaged properties in Canterbury by 12 months.
Tower Insurance has increased the amount it is willing to pay towards repairing an earthquake-damaged Christchurch home, but is still refusing to pay for a more expensive rebuild.
Andre Lovatt grew up in Christchurch and completed a masters degree in Civil Engineering at Canterbury before taking up a position in Singapore working on, among other things, the $6.7 billion Marina Bay Sands waterfront resort. After almost 10 years in Southeast Asia he has returned to his earthquake ravaged home to take on a project with a much smaller price tag. Andre is the new CEO of the Christchurch Arts Centre and his job is to oversee the $290 million dollar project that will, if it's successful, return the centre to its former glory by the end of 2019.
The Insurance Council has shot down criticism the industry may be delaying earthquake claims for financial gain.