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Audio, Radio New Zealand

A lawyer acting for Christchurch home-owners short changed in earthquake settlements says a new plan announced by the government is likely to run into trouble. Last year in a landmark case, the High Court found the government's claim settlement agency, Southern Response, misled and deceived Karl and Alison Dodds. It ordered the government to pay the couple nearly $180,000. The government has now set up a package for other Southern Response claimants who settled before October 2014. Its estimated about 3000 people will be eligible to benefit. But most of them are already taking part in a class action led by Brendan and Colleen Ross. Their lawyer Grant Cameron speaks to Corin Dann.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A scathing inquiry into the Earthquake Commission's handling of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes could mean huge change for how it handles claims. The Government says it's committed to implementing all of the recommendations from the inquiry, including improving its communication, planning and preparedness and dispute resolution. John Goddard, an insurance and employment law barrister who dealt with more than 4000 claims at the time, says repairs were handled poorly and the new recommendations won't cover all the bases. John Goddard and Melanie Bourke of EQC Fix speak to Corin Dann.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The families of those who died in the CTV building's collapse during the Christchurch Earthquake in February of 2011 are vowing to continue their Fight For Justice after The Independent Police Conduct Authority rejected their complaint about the Police Investigation . The Police decided 3 years ago not to lay charges against the building's designer. Yesterday the families announced that the IPCA, the body that advised the Police, had told them that it had no jurisdiction over Crown Law. Families spokesperson, Maan Alkaisi, told reporter Conan Young that they will continue to push for somebody to be held to account. He wants a retired judge to take another look at the decision not to prosecute.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Some of Christchurch's earthquake damaged red-zone land is another step closer to having some long term decisions made about its future. Today the Minister of Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Megan Woods, formally handed over ownership of 70 hectares of land to the Christchurch City Council. The land gifted to the council is in the coastal suburbs of Southshore, South Brighton and Brooklands, where residents have been waiting almost a decade to find out what the future holds for their area. Rachel Graham reports

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The company running the restoration of Christchurch's Anglican Cathedral is confident it will be able to raise the extra $51 million still needed to finish the job, and says potential large donors are already being approached here and overseas. The building has sat derelict since the 2011 earthquake and now the cost to fix it has soared from an original estimate of $104 million to $154 million. Some Cantabrians are finding the price hard to justify. The director of the restoration project Keith Paterson speaks to Corin Dann.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Time is nearly up for owners of on-sold quake damaged properties in Canterbury to apply to claim money for botched repairs. The Government announced last year it would give an ex-gratia payment to home-owners with properties that went over the Earthquake Commission's then cap of $100,000. Today is the last day for applications after the original August deadline was extended due to Covid-19. But there are calls to extend that deadline again, as applications have flooded in over the past month.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Tomorrow will mark four years since a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked North Canterbury. As well as severely damaging homes and roads, it left some hill country farms in the area with up to 40 percent of their land unusable. Four years on, sheep and beef farmers are finding new ways to work. Rural reporter, Maja Burry and cameraman Nate McKinnon have the story.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A school leader says the Ministry of Education of wasted millions of taxpayer dollars over years of earthquake repairs, and was obstructive and misleading. The building budget at Christchurch Girls High School has blown out by 50 percent to $40 million and it's not finished, even after five years of work. Mike Lay, who was chair of the board of trustees for most of those years, until 2018, says the ministry botched the job then targeted him when he tried to hold it accountable. He told Phil Pennington about the school's struggle to get the school re-built properly.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

As the nation prepares for lockdown, Christchurch's leaders says their city is prepared. Over the past ten years Christchurch has dealt with it's fair share of crisis, from earthquakes, Port Hills fires, the March 15 terror attacks, flooding, and a gas explosion. While Covid-19 has a global impact, some Cantabrians say their past experience will help them get through. Eleisha Foon reports.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch woman whose mother died in the 2011 earthquake says an apology from the Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel does not lessen her grief. Yesterday - nine years and one day since the quake killed 185 people - Dalziel invited their families for a private apology. She acknowledged errors made by engineers and the city council in regards to the CTV building. Julie Hibbs lost her mother in the collapse of the building. She speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

About two hundred of those who lost loved ones in collapsed buildings in Christchurch's 2011 earthquake, heard an apology from the city's mayor, Lianne Dalziel yesterday. A royal commission in to faulty buildings found serious errors by engineers and the Christchurch City Council 185 people died during the earthquake on the 22nd of February, 2011. David Selway who lost his sister Susan Selway in the CTV Building, said it was good to hear a heartfelt apology from the mayor for the role her council played in signing off the building as safe.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Education advisors are warning that children could suffer mental health problems for years to come if schools botch their return to the classroom. They say the Christchurch earthquakes and Australian bushfires show teachers should resist the temptation to launch straight back into normal lessons after a major event. Principals are hoping to learn today when they will move into alert level two and how many of their students will be able to return to school. RNZ's education correspondent John Gerritsen reports.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A momentous day in Christchurch as a huge steel frame was installed as part of the stabilisation work for Christ Church Cathedral. Karyn speaks with project director Keith Paterson about the plans to return the famed rose window extensively damage in the 2011 earthquake.