Thousands of people are making insurance claims after heavy rain and flooding in the north of New Zealand, especially in Auckland. Insurance lawyer Peter Woods has worked on property claims for earthquake damage in Canterbury and Marlborough.. He has also been an Independent Specialist Adviser to the government. Peter talks to Lisa Owen.
Rick Wentz is a Chartered geotechnical engineer originally from Northern California who has lived in New Zealand since 2011 - coming here in response to the Christchurch earthquakes. Rick talks to Mark about seismic risk - what it means for the general community and the role of a geotechnical engineering in helping to manage it.
National says campaign on track despite focus on Key; Radio New Zealand political editor discusses campaign; Don Brash says his leadership is solid; Pike River anniversary service 'will be non-political'; Auckland protesters may receive trespass notices today; Martin Johnson quits as England rugby coach; Earthquake documentary opens in Christchurch cinemas.
As the feature length documentary When A City Falls about the Christchurch earthquakes goes on general release in New Zealand, One in Five recalls a programme from earlier in the year when Mike Gourley sneaks inside the Christchurch cordon to meet up with red zone resident, Frank Film's Gerard Smyth.
A new Bill looks to make life easier for people affected by major disasters, following the human disaster created by shortcomings of the Earthquake Commission in its response to the Christchurch earthquakes.
Christchurch poet Jeffrey Paparoa Holman whose new collection Shaken Down 6.3 looks at the impacts and aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. It's published by Canterbury University Press.
Part of the Kiwi brain drain to Australia, Christchurch artist Mike Hewson prepares to show his new countrymen the impact of the earthquakes on his hometown and his art.
Full coverage of the budget and the cuts to kiwisaver, working for families and student loans. Plans to raise between 5 and 7 billion dollars from partial asset sales and a new Earthquake Kiwi Bond to raise money for Christchurch.
International Red Cross Manager Bob McKerrow talks with Deborah Nation about his long career spent helping others. Bob is no stranger to disaster but it's a new experience to see the sufferings of his earthquake-hit home-town of Christchurch.
The Australian Rugby Union is supporting a call by its New Zealand counterpart for changes to the World Cup cost structure, Canterbury's estimated 30 billion-dollar earthquake rebuild could receive a kick-start from the giant China Development Bank, When it comes to the battlefield of illness and infections, women are far more robust than their male counterparts.
Since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake jolted North Canterbury on Monday, the HMNZS Canterbury has evacuated about 640 people, 9.3 tonnes of baggage, a cat, 17 dogs. And, about 30,000 bees. But South Island beekeepers will face ongoing challenges. John Hartnell, is a Canterbury-based board member of Apiculture New Zealand.
New Zealanders are paying too much for house and contents insurance, according to a new survey. Consumer NZ's price comparison survey shows climate and natural hazard risk is being factored in, and is more expensive than ever. Quotes for a large house differed by more than $3,000 across Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and there's a more than $2,000 difference between the cheapest and most expensive policies on offer for a standard-sized house. If you live somewhere with a higher chance of earthquakes - such as Wellington or Christchurch - you'll be charged more for insurance. The cost of house and contents insurance has risen by 5.6% this year, over the past ten years it's gone up 150%. Kathryn is joined by Consumer NZ's Gemma Rasmussen and Katrina Shanks Chief Executive of Financial Advice New Zealand, which represents independent and professional financial advisors.
Topics - A new two million dollar fund has been launched to urgently help community groups to meet increased demand after Canterbury's earthquakes. The Need Help Now Fund is part of a special 25 million dollar earthquake allocation set up (last year) by the Canterbury Community Trust. The Mana Party leader Hone Harawira is prepared to lose senior party figures such as founding member Sue Bradford over a proposed link with Kim Dotcom's Internet Party. And what about Gareth Morgan's idea of a Universal basic income? John Minto is proposing a universal basic income paid to every New Zealander, out of government tax revenue.
As Wellington debates the future of its earthquake-damaged central library, and Christchurch enjoys its new high tech one, it's the perfect time to really think about libraries of the future.
Between demolition and rebuild stands a time of opportunity in the earthquake ravaged city of Christchurch. Greening the Rubble and Gap Filler are temporary pockets of enterprise which began as early responses and have built in momentum to define the new city.
A review of the week's news including... The bill to fix botched EQC repairs from the Canterbury earthquakes is now four times what the previous Government predicted just two years ago, immigrants are being computer profiled, MPs are told that medicinal cannabis should be legalised for more people, Middlemore Hospital's woes continue, the Government orders a compulsory recall of 50 thousand vehicles with faulty airbags, Auckland drivers face a double tax hike under proposed sweeping changes to transport funding, Parliament changes the law so New Zealand men with historical homosexual convictions can have them wiped, a bus company wants to recruit more than 100 drivers from overseas because it can't find enough people to do the job here, Dunedin has its biggest weekend ever in terms of money spent thanks to Ed Sheeran, first it was closing - now it's not, Kaikohe's Warehouse is to stay, it all comes together for the New Zealand cricket team against England, an international consortium reaches a verbal agreement to buy the New Zealand Warriors and the woman who was RNZ's Washington correspondent for more than 20 years has died.
Almost a hundred homes north of Christchurch are declared unsafe to live in, 86 people who worked at Kaiapoi's New World supermarket are now jobless after Saturday's earthquake destroyed the store and a top defence official quits following allegations he lied on his CV.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, New standards for earthquake prone buildings in Christchurch, Some schools reopen, while others face permanent closure, PM says Defence Force's role to check CV, Plans to burn the Koran on hold not cancelled, Chances of magnitude aftershock hitting rapidly decreasing.
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.
A review of the week's news including... An immigration lawyer says 'paying for jobs' is so rampant in New Zealand there needs to be a fresh look at powers available to officials, criminals are using sex to blackmail Indian male students, Auckland lays out its plan to spend 83 billion dollars on transport, the electrified section of the main trunk line between Auckland and Wellington could be mothballed, frustrated advocates are calling for better reporting of suicides committed by current and former members of the military, doctors say making voluntary euthanasia legal would involve many complex and difficult decisions and New Zealand should avoid it, the Morning Report Wellington mayoral candidates debate, a Maori fisheries body wants the Maori Party to abandon its support for the Government if plans for a Kermadec ocean sanctuary go ahead unchanged, Maori representation becomes a virtual no-go area for those vying for public office in New Plymouth, Colin Craig denies ever sending his former press secretary explicit text messages, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child raises concerns about the naming of the new children's ministry, MPs hear emotional pleas from the family of soldiers killed in action and buried in Malaysia for the government to bring their remains home, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform in Christchurch on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Canterbury earthquakes this summer and Prince Charles praises New Zealand soldiers who fought at the Somme at a centennary ceremony in Northern France.
To Canterbury now where the recent earthquakes have reignited interest in civil defence. Katy Gosset drops in on a major training exercise where there's no shortage of fresh blood.
Christchurch and its surrounding towns are slowly starting to be rebuilt after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Our political editor Brent Edwards has been in Christchurch to find out whether the rebuild debate will dominate the election campaign in the city.
The EQC has got the green light to start settling the claims of thousands of Christchurch people whose homes became more at risk of flooding after the earthquakes.
A lawyer for the Earthquake Commission has told the High Court there are major holes in the case brought by a Christchurch couple to have their home rebuilt.
Kiwi director Christopher Dudman on his television documentary The Day that Changed My Life, which features those who survived in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, 22 February 2011.
When the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes created a city-wide outdoor research laboratory, UC Civil Engineering Professor Misko Cubrinovski gathered as much information as possible. This work has been recognised by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which is presenting him with the 2019 Ralph B. Peck Award for "outstanding contributions to the geotechnical engineering profession through the publication of several insightful field case histories"
The Earthquake Commission has settled with a Christchurch homeowner, just days before their test case was due to be heard at the High Court. Jamie Gibling used his KiwiSaver to buy his first family home in New Brighton after the quakes, believing it had been properly repaired. He later learned the repairs were botched and would cost $300,000 to fix. His "onsold" test case was supposed to be heard on Monday to clarify who was liable. But today EQC announced it had reached a settlement with the family and that agreement would provide a framework for the 54 other claimants also with Shine Lawyers. Finance and EQC Minister Grant Robertson last week announced an "onsold" settlement kitty of $300 million for the next 12 months but legal experts working with claimants have told Checkpoint it could cost taxpayers much much more. EQC's Deputy Chief Executive is Renee Walker. On Thursday she came into the studio and Lisa Owen asked her if the Giblings got what they asked for and if the 54 others who signed up to the class action would get the same.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel has experienced her fair share of earthquakes as a resident, MP and then Mayor. She joins Checkpoint.
The EQC says it has enough staff and money in the kitty to respond to the latest earthquakes, despite still having work to do in Christchurch - five years after on.
Farmers in North Canterbury say the earthquake is another blow to a region which has battled drought and volatile lamb and dairy markets