EQC settles with homeowner on quake's 7th anniversary

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Canterbury woman has finally settled an insurance claim seven years to the day her family home was damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.  

Memorial Garden for CTV victims opens in Christchurch

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The cleared site, where 115 lost their lives in the February 22, 2011 earthquake, has been turned into a memorial garden, which is intended to be a place for reflection and rememberance.

Progress made on 'dirty 30' derelict Christchurch CBD buildings

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Four years ago Christchurch City Council vowed to get tough on the owners of 30 central city buildings left derelict since the 2011 earthquake. A wander through central Christchurch shows many of the buildings, nicknamed the dirty 30, still look unchanged. There are boarded up windows, tarps covering gaping holes, and containers keeping bricks from falling on passers by. But council says progress is finally being made on most Rachel Graham has more.

CTV engineer says he's been treated unfairly

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The man who designed the CTV building that collapsed in the Christchurch earthquake has effectively scuttled any investigation into him by the Institution of Professional Engineers.

EQC considering legal action against Fletcher Construction

Audio, Radio New Zealand

EQC CEO Sid Miller says the agency is currently defending 316 legal cases over the Christchurch earthquakes, and is considering legal action against Fletcher's for its project management of the repairs.

Much beloved Victoria square re-opens in Christchurch

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Victoria Square, the slightly less famous cousin of nearby Cathedral Square was re-opened today following $7.5 million worth of earthquake repairs.

EQC Chch scopes 'weren't 100% accurate'

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A former works manager for Fletcher EQR says assessors didn't check behind walls or under floors to examine the true extent of damage caused by the Christchurch earthquakes because there wasn't enough time.

Further claims of spying by Thompson and Clark

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Thompson and Clark hasn't just been paid by the government to spy on Greenpeace and earthquake claimants in Christchurch. It's also been monitoring the activities of another three activist groups, including Oil Free Wellington.

Canterbury mayors luke warm on new rate for stadium

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury mayors say their ratepayers are already paying for earthquake recovery, roading, water and storm water infrastructure, so a shiny new Christchurch stadium is way down the priority list.

Southern Response quake claimants close to settling

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It is understood 26 Christchurch earthquake claimants who took class actiona against Southern Response are close to reaching an out of court settlement.

EQC accused of ignoring true extent of damage to Chch homes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch man says EQC misled him about the earthquake damage to his home and deliberately under-scoped the repairs that were needed. David Townshend said his warnings were ignored.

On-sold nightmare: EQC offers $48,000 despite $260,000 repair bill

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Georgina Hanafin says EQC has offered her $48,000 to fix her house, which has a repair bill of $260,000. She also has a mortgage of $300,000 for the house she purchased after the Christchurch earthquakes.

Chch homeowners waiting for repairs 7 years after quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It's been more than seven years since the fatal 6.3 earthquake broke thousands of Christchurch homes, and yet many homeowners are still waiting for repairs, re-repairs, or to settle with EQC.

Gerry Brownlee acted 'unlawfully' over uninsured land, court rules

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The former Earthquake Recovery Minister's decision to exclude uninsured Canterbury landowners under the Recovery Plan was unlawful, the Court of Appeal has ruled in an interim judgement.

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.

Govt invests $59 million in "blue skies" research

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Does religion make you less scared of death, what can liquefaction in Christchurch tell us about earthquakes, and can autism be treated with zinc?

Ombudsman report details inefficiencies at EQC

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An earthquake community group in Canterbury says a damning report on the ineffectiveness of the Earthquake Commission highlights the frustration of getting information on their own homes.

3 years on quake homewners are still wrangling with insurers

Audio, Radio New Zealand

On the third anniversary of the first major earthquake to hit Christchurch thousands of people with the most badly damaged homes are still wrangling with their insurance companies over rebuilds.

50 year old message in a bottle found in Chch

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A message in a bottle, hidden under the floor of a Christchurch home for over fifty years, has been discovered during earthquake repairs and its writer's been tracked down.

Christchurch flooding caused by earthquake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Fifteen hundred people in Christchurch are without power tonight and more than a hundred homes evacuated after a 'once in a hundred year flood'.

Sign of the Kiwi re-opens in Christchurch - locals delight

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Built in June 1917, the popular 'Sign of the Kiwi' heritage building in Christchurch's Port Hills has re-opened today after being closed for six years due to earthquake damage.

Quake-hit North Canterbury farmers in need of accomodation

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Many farmers' homes have been red-stickered after the Kaikoura earthquake, but they say they can't leave because their farms aren't just their homes, they're their livelihoods

North Canterbury locals struggling after Kaikoura quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Thirty properties are unlivable while another 170 have restricted access following the Kaikoura earthquake last year. RNZ reporter Conan Young reports from a town meeting.

Truck drivers quit over safety fears

Audio, Radio New Zealand

More than five people have died on crashes on SH1 between Picton and Christchurch since it became a main arterial route following the Kaikoura earthquake.

PM announces fundraiser appeal for Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The government is crowdsourcing the cyclone recovery bill. It has launched an international fundraising effort, modelled on the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal - which raised almost $100 million. A separate special Lotto draw will also be held on March 18 with all proceeds going to affected communities. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has urged New Zealanders to get behind the effort. He defended asking people to chip in when the cost-of-living is so high.

PM pledges $301m boost for rebuild of Christchurch schools

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today announced an additional three hundred and one million dollar boost for the rebuild of earthquake damaged Christchurch schools, and said the programme in Christchurch may be a template for repairing flood damaged schools in the North Island. Some schools are still waiting to be repaired more than a decade after the devastating quakes. On his first visit to Christchurch since becoming Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins visited one of the schools still in the midst of its rebuild process, and to celebrate the progress being made. Our reporter Rachel Graham and videographer Nate McKinnon went along. 

Milestone for Christchurch Cathedral rebuild with stabilisation

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A huge milestone in the rebuild of the Christchurch Cathedral. Twelves years since the Canterbury earthquakes caused extensive damage to the building, community leaders and project managers have gathered inside the cathedral this morning for the first time since the quakes. It also marks the completion of stablisation phase of the project. Our reporter Adam Burns went along.

Chch's Cardboard cathedral may be sold to restore original

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Anglican church is considering whether to sell Christchurch's cardboard cathedral to plug a shortfall in the budget for restoring the original descimated in the earthquakes. The church leadership will discuss the future of the cardboard building during meetings at the weekend. It opened opposite Latimer square in 2013 as a temporary place of worship, but soom became popular with tourists too. Meanwhile a 2017 estimate put the cost of restoring the actual Cathedral at just over $100 million, but that's since ballooned to north of $155 million. Harcourts real estate agent, Mark O'Loughlin, speaks to Lisa Owen from Christchurch. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6336786667112

Icon of Lyttelton set to re-open after years of being quake damaged

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An icon of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour is set to re-open tomorrow, after being damaged in the Canterbury Earthquakes. The Governors Bay jetty, locally known for its extraordinary length and unofficial jetty jump competitions, has been closed since 2015. Now, it's back to its former glory, just in time for summer. Niva Chittock went for a sneak peek ahead of the official opening. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338047392112

Complaint brought against engineer of CTV building

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Twelve years after the CTV building collapsed during the Christchurch earthquake, families of the victims killed inside have told an engineering disciplinary hearing they want justice and accountability. 115 people died when the six-storey building came down in February 2011. A complaint against an engineer whose firm designed the building is being heard by an Engineering New Zealand disciplinary committee. Dr Alan Reay lost a High Court bid to stop the hearing. Anna Sargent reports.