Quake inquiry recommends tougher concrete and steel standards

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury earthquakes is recommending toughening the standards for concrete buildings and structural steel.

The latest from the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An earthquake engineer says designing buildings to resist earthquakes is as much an art as it is a science and you can never make a structure completely quake-proof.

CHCH may have regional holiday for quake anniversary

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury may have a regional holiday to mark the anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake.

Quakes Commission checks on responsibility for cordon

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has tried to determine exactly who should have put a cordon around a central Christchurch building identified as an earthquake risk.

Council questioned at Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A man whose wife was killed when the CTV building collapsed says the council's inspections after the September quake were in a mess and signage put on some buildings sent the wrong message that they were safe to occupy.

Councillor says Wellington quake report highlights problems

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A new report says a major earthquake in Wellington would leave a bill of nearly 40 billion dollars, almost twice as much as that of the Canterbury quakes.

Radio NZ presenter honoured at quake ceremony

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Radio NZ's Vicki McKay among those honoured at an awards ceremony in Christchurch for heroism, service or acts of kindness by organisations and individuals during the Canterbury earthquakes.

Seismologists say new information answer questions about quakes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Seismologists studying the Canterbury earthquakes say aftershocks from the September 2010 quake were so unusually strong because of the type of rocks along the faultline.

Quake inquiry looks at whether heritage outweighed safety

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Witnesses before the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission have been questioned over whether preservation of heritage buildings was given more consideration than preserving human lives.

Research shows quakes produced millions of tonnes of waste

Audio, Radio New Zealand

New research shows the Canterbury earthquakes generated eight million tonnes of waste - forty times what would normally come from local households in a year.

Social impact of Chch quakes similar to Hurricane Katrina

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury's health officials say an increase in binge drinking, not taking medicines, and domestic violence are signs of the ongoing effect of the region's earthquakes.

Two years after first quake, many still finding their feet

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It all started two years ago today at 4:36 in the morning, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Canterbury.

Town close to first quake epicentre getting back to normal

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It was just a little under an hour and a half ago, two years today, that a seven-point-one magnitude earthquake shook Canterbury.

CTV building not inspected by engineer after Boxing Day quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Two separate chances to inspect the Canterbury Television building were missed before the February earthquake saw it pancake to the ground last year, killing 115 people.

Heritage order may have contributed to the deaths

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has heard evidence that a heritage order on a row of dangerous buildings may have contributed to the deaths of a dozen people in the February quake.

Christchurch schools two years on from the Sept 4 quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Schools are an important part of any community, and two years on from the start of the earthquakes in Canterbury many are still coping with damage to classrooms, and with dramatically reduced rolls.

Top Stories for Friday 17 February 2012

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A new report says the financial cost of a major earthquake in Wellington would be much bigger than the Canterbury quakes. Opposition parties attack the asset sales plan after Bill English's "it's just a guess" comment and cuts to jobs, services, and profits, hard times at Qantas.

Question Time for 9 February 2012

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Questions to Ministers 1. GARETH HUGHES to the Minister for Primary Industries: Will he extend the Taranaki set net ban after the recent death of a Maui's dolphin in a fishing net? 2. DAVID BENNETT to the Minister for Economic Development: What actions is the Government taking to boost economic linkages with China? 3. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that his hour-long show on Radio Live on 30 September 2011 was an "election free zone"? 4. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Minister of Health: What improvements, if any, have been made to the Government's national health targets? 5. Hon LIANNE DALZIEL to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Did he discuss with the Christchurch City Mayor reported claims that there had been overtures from within The Treasury that there was scope for the city's rates to be increased or for assets to be sold to pay for the quake recovery, and that this could be done under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act before he called him a clown; if not, why not? 6. JACQUI DEAN to the Minister of Local Government: What reports has he received on increases in local government council debt since the Local Government Act 2002 was enacted? 7. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by her statement that the new minimum wage announced yesterday "strikes the right balance between protecting low paid workers and ensuring that jobs are not lost."? 8. PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA to the Minister of Consumer Affairs: What recent announcements has the Government made on protecting consumers from loan sharks? 9. CLARE CURRAN to the Minister of Broadcasting: Is he aware that Stephen McElrea is part of a working group within NZ On Air, which includes a representative of MediaWorks, and which is determining details of a documentary about Whānau Ora? 10. TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector: What recent announcement has she made in her portfolio that will benefit communities? 11. HOLLY WALKER to the Minister for Social Development: Does she consider low family incomes to be a major contributor to childhood vulnerability? 12. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he still have confidence in all his Ministers?