The Royal Commission into the Canterbury earthquakes has been told illegal building techniques are being used in the Christchurch rebuild because the engineering profession is in crisis.
Why is the Royal Commission into Building Collapses in the Christchurch Earthquake not apportioning blame? Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron represented the victims of the Cave Creek Tragedy.
The Earthquake Commission has already received about 7,000 claims from last week's Kaikoura quake. EQC expects the number of claims to be fewer than in Christchurch.
Some Canterbury homeowners say their houses have dropped in value because the damage to their properties was inadequately assessed by the Earthquake Commission after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Independent land surveyor, Adrian Cowie, and a Burwood homeowner affected by the quakes, Selwyn Stafford, talk about the issues facing them.
The man who received Earthquake Commission files detailing claims by 83,000 Christchurch people says he's appalled the slip-up has become a political football.
The man in charge of the construction of the Canterbury Television Building is continuing to refuse to give evidence at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission hearing into the collapse of the Canterbury Television Building has ended for the week after four days of compelling evidence.
Christchurch and Canterbury suffered significant housing losses due to the earthquakes. Estimates from the Earthquake Commission (EQC) (2011) suggest that over 150,000 homes (around three quarters of Christchurch housing stock) sustained damage from the earthquakes. Some areas of Christchurch have been declared not suitable for rebuilding, affecting more than 7,500 residential properties.
A lack of building inspections and the engineers to carry them out has come under further scrutiny at the Royal Commission of inquiry into the Canterbury earthquakes.
The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission says it will not re-open its inquiry into the CTV building collapse, despite fresh allegations against the building's construction manager.
The head of the structural engineering firm that supervised the design of the Canterbury Television building appeared yesterday at the Royal Commission into the Canterbury 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.
A structural engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission that illegal building techniques are being used in the Christchurch rebuild because the engineering profession is in crisis.
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.
The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has heard the property manager of the Pyne Gould building did not organise detailed engineering assessments after the first quake in September.
A spokesperson for the families of the victims of the Christchurch earthquake says without legal representation their voice will not be heard during the Royal Commission.
Page 1 of Section A of the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 15 September 2012.
Page 2 of Section C of the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 15 September 2012.
Aerial image of the Christchurch central city taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission. The Hotel Grand Chancellor can be seen.
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.
As a result of the Christchurch Earthquake that occurred on 22nd February 2011 and the resultant loss of life and widespread damage, a Royal Commission of Enquiry was convened in April 2011. The Royal Commission recommended a number of significant changes to the regulation of earthquake prone building in New Zealand. Earthquake prone buildings are buildings that are deemed to be of insufficient strength to perform adequately in a moderate earthquake. In response to the Royal Commission recommendations the New Zealand Government carried out a consultative process before announcing proposed changes to the building regulations in August 2013. One of the most significant changes is the imposition of mandatory strengthening requirements for earthquake prone buildings on a national basis. This will have a significant impact on the urban fabric of most New Zealand towns and cities. The type of traditional cost benefit study carried out to date fails to measure these impacts and this paper proposes an alternative methodology based on the analysis of land use data and rating valuations. This methodology was developed and applied to a small provincial town in the form of a case study. The results of this case study and the methodology used are discussed in this paper.
Page 3 of Section A of the Christchurch Press, published on Thursday 6 September 2012.
An infographic showing the causes of the CTV building collapse.
With Tom Love - A principal of consulting firm Sapere Research Group, who was commissioned by the Canterbury District Health Board, to examine the population impact of February's earthquake.
An Earthquake Commission policy of covering over asbestos in quake-damaged Canterbury houses and not making that information publicly available, is being described as shortsighted and potentially harmful.
Christchurch owners worst affected by October's quake remain uncertain about their future, despite reassurance by the Earthquake Commission that many of the properties are safe to rebuild on.
The cartoon shows an enormous ball of red tape and all around frustrated workers carry away their ladders and tools. Context - Three months after a quake that scored a direct hit under Christchurch, many residents are struggling with mountains of paperwork required to get their homes repaired and rebuilt. Reference numbers, codes and Pin numbers permeate our daily living now as we deal with the aftermath of two major earthquakes in six months. People feel they are lucky that they have the EQC pot to draw on, but there are a lot of complexities, anomalies and frustrations. (BBC News 21 May 2011) Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
The Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp, disembarking from the HMNZS Otago. The ship travelled to Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to help in the relief effort.
The Earthquake Commission says claims from Canterbury homeowners are pouring in with 45,000 recorded so far, and 100,000 expected by the time the dust settles.
An interested passerby assumes that a builder will be keen to get some EQC work fixing up Christchurch but the builder replies 'Are you kidding?! Not while EQC is paying us $4500 a week to do its assessments!' Context - The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has employed 414 contractors to carry out the assessments on its behalf, Radio New Zealand reported. Contractors carrying out property inspections of quake-damaged Christchurch homes are being paid about $4000 a week. Contractors are paid $75 an hour, while the builders, who inspect the damage, receive $60 an hour, the broadcaster said. (8 June 2011) Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).