Rebuilding a broken city
Audio, Radio New Zealand
It's more than a decade since the Canterbury earthquakes, but how far has the Christchurch rebuild come?
It's more than a decade since the Canterbury earthquakes, but how far has the Christchurch rebuild come?
On 22 February 2011, Christchurch police sargeant Dave Harvey was outside the earthquake-damaged Hotel Grand Chancellor on Cashel Street, unsure if anyone was trapped inside. In case they were, he grabbed a can of spray paint and painted 'Help is on the way' in one-metre high letters on the road. Harvey's quick thinking really helped the people trapped in the hotel, says Clare Mackey, producer of the new documentary Help is on the Way.
Cats, dogs, horses, parrots, rats, hedgehogs and turtles. Just like people, these animals were affected by the earthquakes in Christchurch. And two researchers have published a new book into just how big the impact of the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes were. 'Animals in Emergencies: Learning from the Christchurch Earthquakes' is co-authored by Canterbury University's associate professor Annie Potts, and former veterinary nurse Donelle Gadenne.
For many years the Heathcote-Avon estuary was the dumping ground for Christchurch's sewage. Then, in 2010, the wastewater was diverted well out to sea, via a long pipe. David Schiel from the University of Canterbury and John Zeldis from NIWA were investigating the effects of this diversion on the health of estuary when the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes happened, re-engineering both the estuary and their experiments.
Exactly 75 years ago today, Superman made his debut in "Action Comics" No. 1. Campaigners for the restoration of the Christchurch Cathedral are "thrilled" that rebuilding the earthquake-damaged church remains on the table. The Press reports Christchurch's hotel shortage is so critical that at times visitor centre staff have had to put tourists up in their own homes.
A special trauma team has been brought into Christchurch to try to stop a panic exodus of refugees living in the city. Among the 70-thousand people who have fled Christchurch in the last week are refugees who are afraid that another big earthquake will hit. The team is also working with new immigrants, many of whom are victims of war and torture. Dr Arif Saeid is with the organisation Refugees As Survivors.
The country's biggest Maori performance event is coming to Christchurch in 2015; A Burnside woman who's been helping tangata whenua has received a Christchurch Earthquake Award; The Ministry of Education will help fund up to 40 Te Pumaomao nation-building courses this year; and One of New Zealand's most influential Maori academics is one of six recipients of Auckland University's 2012 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Victorian Authorities are warning residents of significant aftershocks following on from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake which shook Melbourne around 9am yesterday, causing significant structural damage across the city. The University of Melbourne's Dr Mark Quigley is a professor of tectonics, who became a familiar voice and face through the Christchurch quakes. Our producer Matthew Theunissen asked him how yesterday's quake compared to those he experienced in Christchurch.
Christchurch residents will gather today to mark the tenth anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake. The 6.2 magnitude quake killed 185 people and caused widespread destruction across the city. It hit at 12.51pm while many people were in the city centre, working, shopping or enjoying their lunch in the sunshine. This is where our coverage began. A warning this is confronting audio of events that day.
After a day of remembering the terrible events of 10 years ago, Christchurch got to celebrate last night with an international T20 match between the Black Caps and Australia. It was the first international match played under lights in the city since the earthquake. Conan Young headed along to Hagley Oval where a sold out crowd was treated to some champagne cricket.
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?
A school pool, a BMX bike club and a music school are among twenty organisations in Christchurch that have benefitted from the final grants from an international appeal for re-building the quake-damaged city. The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal has so far raised almost 100 million dollars, and as our reporter Teresa Cowie discovered, the latest 8 million dollars that's been released from the fund is giving a welcome boost to residents.
A rare glimpse of how Rutherford's Den and Christchurch's iconic Arts Centre are being restored after the earthquakes
Two months on from the Christchurch earthquake, the remains of nine people are still to be formally identified.
The 2011 Christchurch earthquakes and the sewage outfall diversion have had profound impacts on the Heathcote-Avon Estuary
Radio New Zealand reporter Jessica Horne is at her home in Christchurch, which has sunken into the ground.
Christchurch jazz vocalist performing with many other artists as part of Earthquake fundraising concert in Wellington this weekend.
The Defence Force's deployment in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake is the military's biggest ever domestic operation.
The number of people injured in the earthquake in Christchurch more than two weeks ago is still unknown.
The Government is promising the new authority set up to lead Christchurch's rebuilding will listen to local people.
Scientists are calling for more ground testing to be carried out before reconstruction starts in earthquake devastated Christchurch.
A new slew of Christchurch businesses are in limbo after Merivale mall was closed because of earthquake risks.
Arts Voice Chrischurch is planning to create a 'river of arts' as part of Christchurch's post-earthquake rebuild.
Colleagues of a Christchurch man killed in February's earthquake today relived the frightening moments when the quake struck.
A Christchurch MP is challenging earthquake-recovery agencies to clean up the suburb of Sydenham within a week.
A lawyer is claiming five victims of February's Christchurch earthquake died because of inept search and rescue efforts.
A lawyer is claiming five victims of February's Christchurch earthquake died because of inept search and rescue efforts.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee flew down to Christchurch from Wellington when he heard about the quakes.
Volunteers in Christchurch are collecting a huge amount of earthquake data with mini-seismometers and their home computers
The Christchurch City Council and the Earthquake Commission are devising a wholesale solution to the city's flood protection.