Football turf has now gone and the area fenced off again.
20130911_8095_EOS M-33 Another one ready to leave Another salvaged house from the Bexley (Pacific Park) red zone is on the truck and may start it's journey to a new location overnight. #4204
8 Velsheda Street, Bexley, Christchurch, across the road from my house was demolished a week or so ago, just one of many demolitions of Red Zone properties at the moment. This house was about ten years old and suffered land damage during the 4th September 2010 and 22nd February 2011 earthquakes. The same fate awaits my house later in the year o...
During 2010 and 2011, a series of major earthquakes caused widespread damage in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The magnitude 6.3 quake in February 2011 caused 185 fatalities. In the ensuing months, the government progressively zoned residential land in Christchurch on the basis of its suitability for future occupation (considering damage from these quakes and future earthquake risk). Over 6,000 homes were placed in the ‘red-zone’, meaning that property owners were forced to sell their land to the Crown. This study analysed patterns of residential mobility amongst thirty-one red-zone households from the suburb of Southshore, Christchurch. Drawing on interviews and surveys, the research traced their experience from the zoning announcement until they had moved to a new residence. The research distinguished between short (before the zoning announcement) and long term (post the red zone ‘deadline’) forms of household relocation. The majority of households in the study were highly resistant to short term movement. Amongst those which did relocate before the zoning decision, the desire to maintain a valued social connection with a person outside of the earthquake environment was often an important factor. Some households also moved out of perceived necessity (e.g. due to lack of power or water). In terms of long-term relocation, concepts of affordability and safety were much more highly valued by the sample when purchasing post-quake property. This resulted in a distinct patterning of post-quake housing location choices. Perceived control over the moving process, relationship with government organisations and insurance companies, and time spent in the red-zone before moving all heavily influenced participants’ disaster experience. Contrary to previous studies, households in this study recorded higher levels of subjective well-being after relocating. The study proposed a typology of movers in the Christchurch post-disaster environment. Four mobility behaviours, or types, are identified: the Committed Stayers (CSs), the Environment Re-Creators (ERCs), the Resigned Acceptors (RAs), and the Opportunistic Movers (OMs). The CSs were defined by their immobility rather than their relocation aspirations, whilst the ERCs attempted to recreate or retain aspects of Southshore through their mobility. The RAs expressed a form of apathy towards the post-quake environment, whereas, on the other hand, the OMs moved relative to pre-earthquake plans, or opportunities that arose from the earthquake itself. Possibilities for further research include examining household adaptability to new residential environments and tracking further mobility patterns in the years following relocation from the red- zone.
More information on the earthquake zones in Canterbury has been revealed, and some people will soon be told they won't have to abandon their properties.
A member of the New Zealand Army stands outside a cordon check point on Hereford Street.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "West side of Manchester Street between Tuam and St Asaph Streets".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Detail of Grand Chancellor Hotel viewed from Manchester Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Peaches and Cream, 132 Manchester Street viewed from Bedford Row".
A graphic giving the status of Freeville Primary School.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Peaches and Cream, 132 Manchester Street viewed from Bedford Row".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 6 March 2011 entitled, "Cordon Confusion".
A story submitted by Shelley to the QuakeStories website.
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 18 January 2012 entitled, "Dampening the Dust".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 20 March 2012 entitled, "Shaking and Shattering".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Orari Road, Bexley. Plywood cladding has replaced the brick cladding".
The riverbank walkway along New Brighton Road, flooded at high tide due to ground subsidence.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A view looking east along Cashel Street from Colombo Street".
Damage to the Kenton Chambers building. Part of the brick wall has collapsed, exposing the interior.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "164 Gloucester Street, The Marque Hotel/Pacific Tower building".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "St Paul's Church, Cashel Street, demolished and removed".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Detail of Trinity Church, 124 Worcester Street (corner of Manchester Street)".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A big Australian sucker truck in Newport Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Copthorne Hotel, 335 Durham Street, viewed from Kilmore Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Christchurch Casino, at the intersection Peterborough and Durham Streets. Looking west".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The staircases removed from the Forsyth Barr Building - Armagh Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Taken from the corner of Salisbury and Durham Streets".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Central Police Station, 48 Hereford Street viewed from Cambridge Terrace".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The staircases removed from the Forsyth Barr Building - Armagh Street".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A bell from the ChristChurch Cathedral".