Chch City Council and govt hammer out deal

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch City Council and the Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, have hammered out a compromise deal over setting the council's long term spending priorities.

Christchurch author says insurance industry has failed city

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Two years on from the Christchurch earthquakes, a local author says the insurance industry has failed in its response to the disaster.

City council could lose power to authorise building consents

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch City Council has received a strong warning from the Earthquake Recovery Minister to speed up its processing of building consents or lose its power to authorise consents.

New Chch City Council has first meeting with EQ Minister

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The newly elected Christchurch City Council had its first meeting with the Earthquake Recovery Minister last night, and councillors say it was the beginning of a much better working relationship.

Brownlee, Christchurch council compromise on housing

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch City Council says it has reached a compromise with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, and voted unanimously to support a plan to intensify housing in the city.

City Mission says there's a 'new level of poor' in Christchurch

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch catering company has joined forces with the City Mission to tackle what is being described as a new era of poverty after the Canterbury earthquakes.

Christchurch council refuses to consider asset sales

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Despite Government pressure on the Christchurch City Council to sell off some of its assets to help fund its 40% share of the city's earthquake repairs, the council has instead decided to raise rates, and rents.

Earthquake Recovery Minister gives Chch council strong warning

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister says this is a final warning for the Christchurch City Council.

Christchurch councillors want CERA to talk about power handover

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch city councillors wants to know what the Earthquake Recovery Authority's plan is to hand back power to the council.

Brownlee's list of post-quake achievements received poorly

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch residents are pouring cold water on the Earthquake Recovery Minister's efforts to celebrate post-quake recovery in the city.

Brownlee defends the way the government has dealt with crisis

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, has defended the government's handling of the Christchurch City Council's consenting crisis in Parliament this afternoon.

Academic is concerned Chch will struggle to fully recover

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A professor studying the economics of disasters says Christchurch will struggle to ever fully recover from the earthquakes that have devastated the city.

Brownlee to meet with Chch mayor over consenting today

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee says it would be an absolute disaster for Christchurch, if the City Council stopped issuing building consents next week.

Community groups upset about wastewater rebuild plans

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Some Christchurch community groups say a programme to rebuild the city's wastewater and storm water systems to a pre-earthquake equivalent isn't good enough.

Christchurch earthquakes unveil window into past

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury earthquakes succeeded in all but destroying modern-day Christchurch, but from the rubble has emerged a surprising bonus - an insight into the city's history.

Brownlee gives council one last chance on land plan

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister is giving the Christchurch City Council until this morning to approve a major land development plan otherwise he'll force it through himself.

Community groups homeless after quake-prone facility closed

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Two years after the Christchurch earthquakes, the city council has only finished detailed assessments of about half its community facilities, and nasty surprises are still cropping up.

Not everybody in Chch excited about Council approvals

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister says the Christchurch City Council has wasted an opportunity in deciding to save the Town Hall, instead of building a new performing arts precinct.

Brownlee threatening to step in and override CCC

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister has given the Christchurch City Council until this morning to approve a development plan, or else he says he'll do it for them.

Council staff given hurry up over quake repairs

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch City Council staff have been given the hurry up from councillors over the length of time it is taking to repair or replace earthquake-damaged council housing.

Midday News for 22 November 2013

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has backed off on his threats to the Christchurch City Council and one of the New Zealand Greenpeace activists is freed from a Russian detention centre.

Christchurch councillor won't resign over 'woeful' record

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch City councillor in charge of council housing says he accepts trenchant criticism from the Earthquake Recovery Minister that the council has been woeful in fixing its quake-damaged housing stock.

Residents fear they have lost say in CBD rebuild

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Nearly two years' after Christchurch's February earthquake and almost 6 months after the blueprint for the city centre was revealed, many questions remain about how much it will cost and who will pay for it.

Christchurch mayor defends council's performance

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says officials have tried for months to help the Christchurch City Council but it's consistently failed to make the necessary improvements and is still taking far too long to process applications.

Fiona Farrell: Writing the Quakes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Fiona Farrell has been awarded the $100,000 Creative New Zealand Michael King Writer's Fellowship to research and write twin books, one fiction and one non-fiction, inspired by her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes and the rebuilding of the city.

School closures driven by need to reduce number of schools

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It's been revealed earthquake damage was only one factor considered by the Ministry of Education when it decided to close schools in Christchurch and that it was just as much to do with reducing the overall number of schools in the city.

'I was using six watts when you Received me...'

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Maddie Leach and Jem Noble, collaborators on I was using six watts when you Received me... The broadcast of sounds that are special to the city but were lost after the earthquakes are part of the SCAPE Public Art Biennial which starts in Christchurch this Friday.

Spectrum for 26 May 2013

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Since the Christchurch earthquakes propelled Paul Fleming from his Chancery Lane shop in central Christchurch, he has begun a business called 'Happy Tours' featuring an immaculate Austin Seven called Myrtle. Myrtle takes Spectrum's Deborah Nation into Christchurch's central city Red Zone. Christchurch poet Helen Jacobs also tours in Myrtle.

Southern Story for 7 March 2013 - A Multi-Cultural Face

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch is home to many diverse ethnic groups whose voices have sometimes gone unheard in the aftermath of the earthquakes and the city's rebuild plans. Katy Gosset visits a gathering in Christchurch's battered eastern suburbs to hear their thoughts on post-quake life and the future of their adopted home.

Southern Story for 8 August 2013 - Mark van Roosmalen

Audio, Radio New Zealand

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.