As Christchurch prepares to mark 10 years since its deadly earthquake, the impact of that day continues to be felt differently. The less affluent eastern suburbs, which bore the brunt of the damage, continue to lag behind the rest of the city in their recovery. The former dean of Christchurch and fellow east sider, Peter Beck, told Conan Young that while government agencies such as EQC often failed people in their hour of need, what did not fail was the willingness of people to help out their neighbours.
Christchurch has been shaken by another strong aftershock. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit ten kilometres east of Lyttleton harbour.
Post-earthquake most people would say it was difficult to find housing in Christchurch. But reports suggest that the market has flattened. And terraced housing and apartments are sitting empty. Christchurch Council finance committee chairman, Councillor Raf Manji, discusses future developments like The East Frame.
Many Christchurch residents have used shipping containers and other temporary structures to store belongings in while repairs were carried out after the earthquakes. But the Christchurch City Council says it's had an increase in complaints from residents about containers and other temporary structures obscuring neighbours' views or obstructing council berms. Chairman of the council's regulation and consents committee David East says if earthquake repairs are completed, the container may have to go.
Voters in Christchurch East say many are still suffering - three years on from the devastating earthquakes and want a new MP who will breathe life into the electorate.
Six years on from the Christchurch earthquakes, one in five residents of the city say the disaster is still taking its toll. The latest wellbeing survey by the Canterbury DHB found people living in north-east and east Christchurch were the most likely to be suffering from issues such as anxiety, from ongoing aftershocks, being in a damaged environment, and surrounded by construction.
The former Christchurch East Labour Party MP, Lianne Dalziel, is now the Mayor of Christchurch and, as such, is set to work much more closely with her former political foe, Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee.
A new temporary housing village for residents with earthquake-damaged homes in Christchurch has opened in the east of the city.
In her valedictory speech to Parliament, the Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel said she would not be leaving Parliament if not for the Canterbury earthquakes.
The Labour Party says its crushing victory in the Christchurch East by-election is an indictment of the National Government's poor response to the earthquakes.
The Rangiora Earthquake Express was the brain child of Brendan Malone and his mate Chris who, on Wednesday last week, came up with an idea to help the citizens of East Christchurch.
After Christchurch's devastating earthquakes, whole areas of the city, particularly out East, are starting from scratch - Aranui is one of them. Today, Lianne Dalziel cut the ribbon on the suburb's new community centre.
The Labour Christchurch East MP Lianne Dalziel says the city council has made a terrible decision about how it organises help for earthquake victims and it needs to be changed urgently.
In the years that have followed the devastating Christchurch earthquake, there have been many stories of the struggles people have faced.
Tonight we bring you the tale of the little school in Christchurch's east that took on Wellington's big decision makers and won.
Redcliffs School finally reopened last year, after spending the best part of a decade battling for its survival.
Our reporter Nick Truebridge and cameraman Nate McKinnon caught up with Redcliffs' principal Rose McInerney to reflect on a tumultuous last 10 years.
Naval blockade: Greenpeace say its activists are willing to get arrested over their protest against a Brazilian oil company surveying off East Cape. Royal Commission: Legal experts are in agreement ... the purpose of the Royal Commission into February's earthquake in Christchurch is to investigate - not to incriminate.
Days after the city of Christchurch was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, This Way Up's presenter Simon Morton traverses the city using the Avon River as his route. Travelling on a bicycle from the source of the Avon in the West to Heathcote Estuary in the East, where the Avon meets the Pacific, everyone has a story to tell.
Days after the city of Christchurch was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, This Way Up's presenter Simon Morton traverses the city using the Avon River as his route. Travelling on a bicycle from the source of the Avon in the West to Heathcote Estuary in the East, where the Avon meets the Pacific, everyone has a story to tell.
Motoko Kakubayashi joins us from Toyko where they are also about to mark a significant anniversary. A few weeks after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the east coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami that destroyed large parts of the coast, including damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. More than 15,000 lives were lost, more than 2000 still remain missing. In one afternoon, half a million people became homeless, and the search for family and friends at evacuation shelters began.
Anna Leask has worked for the New Zealand Herald since 2008 and is currently a senior reporter, covering crime and justice for the daily newspaper as well as for the Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday. Notably she's reported on the re-investigation of Arthur Allan Thomas, 43 years after the double murders for which he served nine years in prison before being pardoned, and the Christchurch 'House of Horrors' murderer Jason Somerville, who killed his wife and buried her under his East Christchurch house a year after doing the same to his neighbour Tisha Lowery. Leask covered the Pike River Mine disaster in 2010, the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, Fiji's Cyclone Winston in early 2016 and travelled to Gallipoli in 2015 to cover the centenary of the Anzac landings. She won a Canon Media Award for crime and justice reporting in 2014. Her first book, Behind Bars: Real-life stories from inside New Zealand prisons has just been released.
A review of the week's news, including: environmental protests against oil exploration off the East cape, changes to Legal Aid, plans to sell the Pike River coal mine, a Labour MP says his party's list is drawn up by"a gaggle of gays", confidence in the economy grows, extraordinary powers given to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, the number of heritage buildings to be demolished after the quake grows, results from faultline mapping in Christchurch to be known within weeks, Mt Ruapehu to be monitored around the clock and Victoria Cross winners are awarded with stamps.
Ngai Tahu's property portfolio has taken a direct hit from the Christchurch earthquake - losing value and suffering damage; A Northland iwi says a decade long battle to protect a large ancient burial cave on Karikari peninsular north east of Kaitaia, has taken its toll on several hapu; A lecturer specialising in Maori criminal law is question the timing of a Maori Party co-leader's attack on the justice system; The Housing Minister, Phil Heatley, says a project to build three three bedroomed houses and two kaumatua flats on the Chatham Islands, will go some way to easing a housing issue for Maori residents.
Topics - Official statistics released today show New Zealand's population has increased by 214,000 people in the seven years since the last census. The census, usually held every five years, was delayed in 2011 due to the Christchurch earthquakes. In what has been described as a "stealthy assault" in Somalia - and also in a raid in Libya's capital - US special forces have struck out against Islamic extremists who carried out terrorist attacks in East Africa. The commandos snatched a Libyan al-Qaida leader allegedly involved in the bombings of US embassies 15 years ago - but aborted a mission to capture a terrorist suspect linked to last month's Nairobi shopping mall attack after a fierce firefight.
Questions to Ministers
1. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Is he satisfied that actions to address the Christchurch earthquake are an adequate response; if not, what are his areas of concern?
2. AMY ADAMS to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the economic impact of the earthquake in Christchurch on 22 February 2011?
3. Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Is he satisfied with the level of support being offered to the people of Christchurch in the wake of the earthquake on 22 February 2011?
4. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What is the Government doing to support Canterbury businesses and employees through the earthquake recovery?
5. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is she confident that the Ministry of Social Development has responded adequately to the Christchurch earthquake?
6. METIRIA TUREI to the Minister of Finance: Has he considered raising a temporary levy on income to help fund the rebuilding of Christchurch; if so, how much could it raise?
7. AARON GILMORE to the Minister for Tertiary Education: What work has been done to help the families of tertiary students and tertiary institutions affected by the 22 February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch?
8. Hon JIM ANDERTON to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Will he ensure that Christchurch homeowners and businesses are able to access insurance cover from existing policies or new cover they require since the 22 February 2011 earthquake?
9. Hon JOHN BOSCAWEN to the Attorney-General: Has he asked the Māori Party to agree to amendments to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill that would make it explicitly clear that customary title holders would not be able to charge individuals for accessing a beach, and require any negotiated settlements to be referred back to Parliament for validation; if so, what response did he receive?
10. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Attorney-General: Does the Government intend to proceed this week with its legislation to replace the existing
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004?
11. RAHUI KATENE to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Did he agree with his spokesman's response to the situation for residents in Christchurch East following the earthquake of 22 February 2011, that, "It is apparent, given the scale out there, that there just wasn't sufficient hardware out there, loos and the like", and what urgent actions have been taken to give priority to communities in the eastern suburbs?
12. COLIN KING to the Minister of Civil Defence: Why was a state of national emergency declared on 23 February 2011?
A selection of the week's news including a former New Zealand cricketer demanding answers over how his name has been linked an investigation into match-fixing, the Act Party leader announces he is quitting as party leader and will leave parliament next year, the biggest drug haul in New Zealand history, the Auditor General apologises to Mangawhai locals for Audit New Zealand's failure to identify a 60 million-plus waste-water debacle, the Labour Party says its victory in the Christchurch East by-election is an indictment of the Government's response to the earthquakes, we hear from the author of a book about the building blocks of our words and literature and the national champion who will proudly represent New Zealand at an international competition in Perth.
A review of the week's news including... Relief after cyclone Cook passes quickly down the North Island with limited damage, questions about what was known about the increasing risk of Edgecumbe stop banks bursting, the man who gave us Fred Dagg has died suddenly, three more former CERA staffers are being investigated after conflict of interests prompted calls for a wider inquiry, a warning more homeless families will be sleeping in cars parks and garages in Auckland this winter, the High Court rules excessive defamation damages against Colin Craig constitute a miscarriage of justice, a verdict in a defamation against the Labour leader Andrew Little, relatives of New Zealand soldiers killed on duty in South East Asia are relieved their family members will be finally returned home, US consumer campaigner Erin Brockovich visits Christchurch homeowners who are trying to settle earthquake insurance claims six years on, three teams have been cut from the Super Rugby competition and a more than 50 year old copper time capsule has been cracked open.
There have been dramatic scenes at the America's cup in Bermuda with Team New Zealand capsizing at the start of its second race of the day against the Bristish team Ben Ainslie Racing. Our America's Cup correspondent Todd Niall was at the Team New Zealand base. Transport Minister Simon Bridges has been caught trying to block an Official Information request for details about a proposed new 50 million dollar Auckland railway line. Kiwirail argued it was legally required to release the information, but the idea of releasing that information was making Mr Bridges 'extremely uncomfortable.' A man believed to be an Algerian student has attacked a police officer with a hammer outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Our correspondent Peter Allen says there is still a heavy police presence. The Labour Party says the government is short changing the health sector to the tune of $2.3 billion. The party's leader Andrew Little says funding hasn't kept up with the growing population and changing demographic. The United States secretary of state Rex Tillerson used a fleeting visit to Wellington yesterday to emphasise the importance of the Asia Pacific region and denying the US is stepping back from involvement here. Foreign affairs minister Gerry Brownlee says the US pulling out of the TPP doesn't prove anything. The immediate aftermath of the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake and its ongoing impact on residents' mental health is being described as a recovery of two halves. The latest wellbeing survey from the Canterbury District Health Board shows that one in five people, predominantly those living in the eastern suburbs, say they experience stress most or all of the time. Nicky Wagner, the Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration, says the city has a good quality of life when compared to the rest of the country, despite a new survey showing one in five people say they experience stress most or all of the time. Ms Wagner, says 82 per cent have a good or very good quality of life in Christchurch, which compares with 81 percent nationwide. She says the east side of the city is very low lying and suffered the most damage and work is still being down in that area.
1. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister of Finance?
2. CRAIG FOSS to the Minister of Finance: How much does the Government expect to spend over the next few years to help rebuild Christchurch in the aftermath of the two earthquakes?
3. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement in regard to hardship assistance that "…I think it proves that the help is there when people need it,"; if so, why?
4. RAHUI KATENE to the Minister of Health: What action, if any, has been taken in light of the study Ethnicity and Management of Colon Cancer in New Zealand: Do Indigenous Patients Get a Worse Deal?, which concluded that Māori New Zealanders with colon cancer were less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy and experienced a lower quality of care compared with non-Māori patients?
5. CHRIS AUCHINVOLE to the Minister for the Environment: What steps is the Government taking to increase renewable electricity generation in light of reports that greenhouse gas emissions from this sector have increased by 120 percent, which is more than any other sector since 1990?
6. Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Finance: Excluding the banks and non-bank financial institutions covered by the deposit guarantee scheme, are there any other companies that might be provided with a government guarantee while the Rt Hon John Key is Prime Minister?
7. JONATHAN YOUNG to the Acting Minister of Energy and Resources: What is Petrobras able to do under the permit granted to it in the Raukumara Basin?
8. DAVID CLENDON to the Acting Minister of Energy and Resources: What environmental protection provisions, if any, did the Government include in the permit granted to Petrobras to explore for oil and drill off the East Cape?
9. Hon TREVOR MALLARD to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all Ministers involved in the Mediaworks frequency payment arrangement?
10. AARON GILMORE to the Minister of Revenue: What has Inland Revenue done to assist the people in Christchurch after the February earthquake?
11. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister responsible for Ministerial Services: Does he stand by his statements in relation to the purchase of 34 BMWs by Ministerial Services, including one with heated seats, that "Yeah I don't know what's in Dunedin" and "It's beyond me, it's not my car anyway"?
12. SHANE ARDERN to the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture: What has been the result of enforcement action taken by the Ministry of Fisheries under Operation Paid and Taskforce Webb?
GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: Does he stand by his statement that the Household Labour Force Survey is "the standard internationally recognised measure of employment and unemployment"?
PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he received on the economy?
Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Does he stand by the answer given by the Minister of Finance to the question "Does he accept that human-induced climate change is real?" that "It may well be…"?
Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Given that unemployment is rising, exports are down, and house price inflation in Auckland and Canterbury is in double-digits, does he agree that after 5 years as Finance Minister he has failed to rebalance and diversify the economy; if not, why not?
JOHN HAYES to the Minister of Trade: What efforts is the Government making to deal with the market effects of the possible contamination of some Fonterra diary exports?
Hon SHANE JONES to the Minister for Economic Development: What action has he taken to ensure high value jobs are retained in Otago, Waikato, Northland, East Coast and Manawatu?
KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Health: Exactly how many of the 21 recommendations to the Minister in the 2010 Public Health Advisory Committee Report The Best Start in Life: Achieving effective action on child health and wellbeing has he implemented?
JACQUI DEAN to the Minister for Food Safety: What update can she provide the public on the safety of infant formula?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he stand by all his statements?
NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for Building and Construction: What reports has he received following the Government's announcement of a new earthquake-prone building policy?
RICHARD PROSSER to the Minister for Primary Industries: What reports, if any, has he received regarding the regeneration of fish stocks in the Snapper 1 fishery?
Dr DAVID CLARK to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he agree with Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull that "Central government needs to understand we can't have a … two-speed economy where Christchurch and Auckland are ripping ahead and the rest of the regions are withering"; if not, why not?
METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for the Environment: Ki Te Minita mō Te Taiao: Ka tukua e ngā paerewa e whakaarohia akehia nei mō te pai ake o te wai i roto i te pūhera Wai Mā, te kaha kē atu, te iti kē iho rānei o te uru atu o te tūkinotanga ki roto i ō tātou awa wai, e ngā mea whakakapi?
Translation: Do the proposed standards for water quality in the Clean Water package allow more pollution or less to enter our waterways than the ones they will replace?
BRETT HUDSON to the Minister of Finance: How much is the Government committing to spend on infrastructure over the next 4 years?
ANDREW LITTLE to the Prime Minister: Given his predecessor told the Pike River families, “I’m here to give you absolute reassurance we’re committed to getting the boys out, and nothing’s going to change that”, when, if ever, will he be announcing the re-entry of the drift?
STUART SMITH to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made recently regarding the Government’s commitment to reinstate key transport links following the Kaikōura earthquake?
JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Children: When was she first notified that the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki, or its predecessor CYF, were placing children and younger persons in a hotel or motel for short-term care without a supervisor, and what was her first action, if any?
MELISSA LEE to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that 55,000 care and support workers will share in the $2 billion pay equity settlement announced on 18 April 2017?
GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Dominion Post editorial that his Government has “singularly failed to answer the pressures of Auckland”; if not, why does he think they would write this?
ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister for Building and Construction: How do the latest reports on the level of building activity in Auckland and nationwide for the month, quarter, and year compare with 2016?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements; if so, how?
PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Transport: Why has the completion of the $2.4 billion Western Ring Route been delayed, and when can Aucklanders expect the new motorway to be open?
EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister of Conservation: Is it Government policy to increase the logging of native forests on West Coast conservation land?
Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration: Does she agree that the first homes in the East Frame will be completed 5 months ahead of schedule?
Questions to Members
CLARE CURRAN to the Chairperson of the Commerce Committee: Does she intend to call for further submissions on the petition of Dame Fiona Kidman before it is reported back to the House, in light of the recently released footage shot inside the drift of the Pike River mine?
