
Located on the edge of two tectonic plates, New Zealand has numerous fault lines and seismic risk across the whole country. The way this risk is communicated affects whether people prepare effectively or at all. Research has shown that perceptions of risk are affected by slight changes in wording, and that probabilities commonly reported by experts and media are often interpreted subjectively based on context. In the context of volcanoes, research has found that given a certain probability of a volcano in a specific time window, people perceive risk as higher in later time intervals within that window. The present study examines this pattern with regard to earthquakes and aftershocks in the New Zealand context. Participants in both Wellington (N = 102) and Christchurch (N = 98) were presented an expert statement of earthquake risk within a given time window in Wellington and aftershock risk in Christchurch, and asked to rate their perception of risk in specific intervals across the time window. For a Wellington earthquake, participants perceived risk as incrementally higher toward the end of the 50 year time window whereas for a Christchurch aftershock, risk perception increased slightly for the first three intervals of the 12 month time window. Likelihood of preparing was constant over the time windows, with Wellington citizens rating themselves more likely than Christchurch citizens to prepare for either an earthquake or aftershock, irrespective of current level of preparedness. These findings suggest that people view earthquakes as more likely later toward the end of a given time window and that they view aftershocks very differently to scientific predictions.
Small, tight-knit communities, are complex to manage from outside during a disaster. The township of Lyttelton, New Zealand, and the communities of Corsair Bay, Cass Bay, and Rapaki to the east, are especially more so difficult due to the terrain that encloses them, which caused them to be cut-off from Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island, barely 10 km away, after the Mw 7.1 Darfield Earthquake and subsequent Canterbury Earthquake Sequence. Lyttelton has a very strong and deep-rooted community spirit that draws people to want to be a part of Lyttelton life. It is predominantly residential on the slopes, with retail space, service and light industry nestled near the harbour. It has heritage buildings stretching back to the very foundation of Canterbury yet hosts the largest, modern deep-water port for the region. This study contains two surveys: one circulated shortly before the Darfield Earthquake and one circulated in July 2011, after the Christchurch and Sumner Earthquakes. An analytical comparison of the participants’ household preparedness for disaster before the Darfield Earthquake and after the Christchurch and Sumner Earthquakes was performed. A population spatiotemporal distribution map was produced that shows the population in three-hourly increments over a week to inform exposure to vulnerability to natural hazards. The study went on to analyse the responses of the participants in the immediate period following the Chrsitchurch and Sumner Earthquakes, including their homeward and subsequent journeys, and the decision to evacuate or stay in their homes. Possible predictors to a decision to evacuate some or all members of the household were tested. The study also asked participants’ views on the events since September 2010 for analysis.
Creative temporary or transitional use of vacant urban open spaces is seldom foreseen in traditional urban planning and has historically been linked to economic or political disturbances. Christchurch, like most cities, has had a relatively small stock of vacant spaces throughout much of its history. This changed dramatically after an earthquake and several damaging aftershocks hit the city in 2010 and 2011; temporary uses emerged on post-earthquake sites that ran parallel to the “official” rebuild discourse and programmes of action. The paper examines a post-earthquake transitional community-initiated open space (CIOS) in central Christchurch. CIOS have been established by local community groups as bottom-up initiatives relying on financial sponsorship, agreements with local landowners who leave their land for temporary projects until they are ready to redevelop, and volunteers who build and maintain the spaces. The paper discusses bottom-up governance approaches in depth in a single temporary post-earthquake community garden project using the concepts of community resilience and social capital. The study analyses and highlights the evolution and actions of the facilitating community organisation (Greening the Rubble) and the impact of this on the project. It discusses key actors’ motivations and values, perceived benefits and challenges, and their current involvement with the garden. The paper concludes with observations and recommendations about the initiation of such projects and the challenges for those wishing to study ephemeral social recovery phenomena.
In the last two decades, the retail sector has experienced unprecedented upheaval, having severe implications for economic development and sustenance of traditional inner-city retail districts. In the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, this effect has been exacerbated by a series of earthquakes in 2010/2011 which destroyed much of the traditional retail precinct of the city. After extensive rebuild activity of the city’s infrastructure, the momentum of retailers returning to the inner city was initially sluggish but eventually gathered speed supported by increased international visitation. In early 2020, the return to retail normality came to an abrupt halt after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses spending and transaction data to analyze the compounding impact of the earthquake’s aftermath, shift to online shopping, and the retail disruption in the Christchurch central retail precinct because of COVID-19. The findings illustrate how consumers through their spending respond to different types of external shocks, altering their consumption patterns and retail mode (offline and online) to cope with an ever-changing retail landscape. Each event triggers different spending patterns that have some similarities but also stark differences, having implications for a sustainable and resilient retail industry in Christchurch. Implications for urban retail precinct development are also discussed.
A photograph of a group of tents set up in Latimer Square next to the USAID tent. The tents were used as temporary accommodation for emergency management personnel after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of a performer suspended in the air by a harness during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in a harness above the base of the Robert Falcon Scott statue, during a rehearsal for a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in the air by a harness during a rehearsal for a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of the base of The Bouffante Cart being unloaded from a flatbed truck in a Re:START mall car park. The cart is part of Canterbury Tales, which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in a harness above the base of the Robert Falcon Scott statue, during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in a harness above the base of the Robert Falcon Scott statue, during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in the air by a harness during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in a harness above the base of the Robert Falcon Scott statue, during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a performer suspended in the air by a harness during a performance titled Angel of History. The performance was part of Canterbury Tales - a carnivalesque procession which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of stencilled words on a footpath on Peterborough Street. The words read, "On Peterborough Street the houses are wonky. The ground has been pulled out from underneath them. The trick worked and the houses stayed up, but they are wonky. If you lived in them you might become wonky too".
A photograph of the base of The Bouffante Cart being unloaded from a flatbed truck in a Re:START mall car park. The cart is part of Canterbury Tales, which was the main event of FESTA 2013.
Red softcover book with a title on the spine and front cover containing the history of the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade together with the stories of the Brigade relating to the 22 February 2011 earthquake; published by the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade, Lyttelton, 2012.
This paper presents a methodology by which both site-specific and spatially distributed ground motion intensity can be obtained immediately following an earthquake event. The methodology makes use of both prediction models for ground motion intensity and its correlation over spatial distances. A key benefit of the methodology is that the ground motion intensity at a given location is not a single value but a distribution of values. The distribution is comprised of both a mean and also standard deviation, with the standard deviation being a function of the distance to nearby strong motion stations. The methodology is illustrated for two applications. Firstly, maps of conditional peak ground acceleration (PGA) have been developed for the major events in the Canterbury earthquake sequence. It is illustrated how these conditional maps can be used for post-event evaluation of liquefaction triggering criteria which have been adopted by the Department of Building and Housing (DBH). Secondly, the conditional distribution of response spectral ordinates is obtained at a specific location for the purposes of determining appropriate ground motion records for use in seismic response analyses of important structures at locations where direct recordings are absent.
The cartoon is drawn as a game of 'Quakeopoly' in which earthquakes, aftershocks, assessment waits, stress etc. allow one to move from one square to the next but players are always forced backwards and can never win. Context - The Canterbury earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and the continuing aftershocks. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
It is night and a man and his wife are lifting their chemical toilet over the garden fence with the intention of emptying it into the neighbour's longdrop. The man confidently tells his wife to relax as the neighbour hasn't a clue they are planning to do this. The neighbour, meanwhile, sits in the outhouse holding a cricket bat at the ready. Context - toilet problems in Christchurch post earthquake 22 February 2011. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
The center of the river has slumped and the two banks have moved about a meter closer together which caused this footbridge to be so twisted. There is a suggestion that this be left as a memorial to the earthquake.
This exhibition, eight years in the planning, had the misfortune to open one week before the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake; the exhibition was immediately taken down and never went up again – the Christchurch Art Gallery has still not reopened. Although in my book Fantastica: The World of Leo Bensemann (NRO1) I covered the whole of Bensemann’s career, in the exhibition I took responsibility for the paintings (portraits and landscapes) , while Dr. Noel Waite (University of Otago) looked after Bensemann’s graphic work, book design and printing. This was the most extensive exhibition of Bensemann’s work ever mounted and together with Fantastica will compel a major reassessment of his place in New Zealand culture. Art New Zealand wrote of it: ‘The exhibition (including more than 100 items) is significant in bringing together what has in the past appeared disparate and unrelated; here Bensemann's entire oeuvre - the output of a painter, illustrator, calligrapher, typographer, designer and publisher is given equal billing. Although this exhibition is an important re-assessment and valuable for a new generation unfamiliar with his work, a national touring show would have precipitated an even greater awareness’.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The Guthrie family on Motuihe Island today where they, along with other disadvantaged earthquake victims from Christchurch, spent the day courtesy of Westpac. From left Cartier (8), Gina, Kahu (4), and Brian Guthrie".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The Guthrie family on Motuihe Island today where they, along with other disadvantaged earthquake victims from Christchurch, spent the day courtesy of Westpac. From left Cartier (8), Gina, Kahu (4), and Brian Guthrie".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Pupils at St Josephs school dressed up as a book character to help raise money for Christchurch earthquake victims. Pictured from the front-left: Ben Cockcroft, Sophie Hogg, Jack Wallace and Luca Davis".