An electronic copy of the December 2013 edition of the Diamond Harbour Herald.
A photograph of people playing handmade instruments at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
A photograph of people playing handmade instruments at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
A photograph of a musical instrument created from street signs, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a musical instrument created from PVC pipes, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
Christchurch prepares for a challenging anniversary - two years on from the devastating earthquake that killed 185 people. Our correspondent there, Katy Gosset, hears the stories of local baristas who were in the CBD that day.
Many of you will probably have heard of Baxter’s Lung Preserver, a local Christchurch product created in the 19th century and still sold today. Bottles of Baxter’s, with the name of the product embossed on the sides, are common finds … Continue reading →
This report focuses on the Waimakariri District Council's approach to earthquake recovery which was developed as an Integrated, Community-based Recovery Framework. This approach has been held up as exemplary in a number of fora and has received a great deal of interest and support both nationally and internationally. It has evolved as a result of the September earthquake and the thousands of aftershocks that have followed, along with the regulatory changes that have impacted on building safety and land availability since, but it builds on a set of pre-existing competencies and a well-established organisational culture that focusses on: * Working with communities and each other; * Keeping people informed; * Doing better everyday; * Taking responsibility; * Acting with integrity, honesty and trust. The report identifies, and speaks to, three themes or tensions drawn from either the disaster/emergency management literature or actual cases of recovery practice observed here in Canterbury over the last 2 years. These themes are the: 1. unique position of local government to undertake integrated or ‘holistic’ recovery work with community at the centre, versus the lack of clarity around both community and local government’s role in disaster recovery; 2. general consensus that good local government-community relationships are crucial to recovery processes, versus the lack of practical advice on how best to engage, and engage with, communities post-disaster; and 3. balancing Business as Usual (BaU) with recovery issues.Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.
A photograph of a musical instrument created from empty fire extinguisher canisters, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of children playing musical instruments made out of PVC pipes, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a child playing a musical instrument made out of PVC pipes, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of children playing a musical instrument constructed from empty fire extinguisher canisters, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Coralie Winn (right) and a young girl playing a large drum at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
A photograph of a young person wearing a jester hat, playing a large drum at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
A photograph of Coralie Winn (right) and a young girl playing a large drum at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
A photograph of Coralie Winn (right) and a young girl playing a large drum at the launch of Sound Garden, during FESTA 2013. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials.
- Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown’s School Days, 1857 It’s hard to picture what many of Christchurch’s buildings looked like before the earthquake. For many locals the torn down remains of a building or an empty lot remind them of a … Continue reading →
This research examines a surprising partner in emergency management - a local community time bank. Specifically, we explain the role of the Lyttelton Time Bank in promoting community resiliency following the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. A time bank is a grassroots exchange system in which members trade services non-reciprocally. This exchange model assumes that everyone has tradable skills and all labour is equal in value. One hour of any labour earns a member one time bank hour, which can be used to purchase another member’s services. Before the earthquakes struck, the Lyttelton Time Bank (TB) had organised over 10% of the town’s residents and 18 local organisations. It was documenting, developing, and mobilising skills to solve individual and collective problems. This report examines the Lyttelton Time Bank and its’ role before, during, and after the earthquakes based on the analysis of over three and a half years of fieldwork, observations, interviews, focus groups, trading activity, and secondary data.
A photograph of a young person playing a musical instrument created from street signs, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a young person playing a musical instrument created from street signs, at Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Suzanne Vallance, Chair of the Greening the Rubble Trust, at the Sound Garden site. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials and launched as part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a man playing a musical instrument created from empty fire extinguisher canisters, at the launch of Sound Garden. Sound Garden was a Greening the Rubble project created by local artist-musicians from recycled materials. It was launched as part of FESTA 2013.
Provincial towns and rural communities around the country say they will be financially ruined under proposals to strengthen buildings following the Christchurch earthquakes. Dale Williams is Mayor of Otorohanga, Dave Cull is Mayor of Dunedin and Lawrence Yule is Mayor of Hastings and president of Local Government NZ.
A series of earthquakes has forced Christchurch to re-plan and rebuild. Discussions about rebuilding strategies have emphasized the intention of making it a city for the future, sustainable and vibrant. This paper discusses the relationship between microclimate and urban culture in Christchurch based upon the concept of urban comfort. It explores the relationships between environment, people and culture to help understand the local requirements for urban landscape design. In this paper we claim that cultural requirements also should be taken into account when looking for sustainable strategies. A distinctive feature of this research is its focus on the way people are adapting to both surviving prequake and new post‐quake environments. Preliminary findings from the first year of field work using participant observation and 61 in‐depth interviews with Christchurch residents are presented. The interviews were carried out in a variety of urban settings including: established sites (places sustaining relatively little damage) and emerging sites (those requiring rebuilding) during 2011‐2012. Evidence from the interviews highlight future challenges regarding sustainability and urban comfort issues. Post‐quake Christchurch presents a remarkable opportunity to design an urban landscape which provides environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability. However, to achieve successful outcomes it is fundamental to respond to the local culture. Field data suggest that the strong connections between urban and rural settings present in local culture, lifestyle and landscape generate a particular aesthetic and recreation preference for urban spaces, which should be considered in the urban landscape design strategies.
An intermittent collaboration between the Centre of Contemporary Art and a series of local artists looking to present new work which explores the realities of the post-earthquake cultural landscape in Christchurch. The artworks by Ed Lust, Sam Eng, and Robyn Wester each utilise the empty window space of the window and carport of the damaged COCA building which is awaiting repair.
On the day the the government and council jointly announced who will fund what, for the Christchurch rebuild, a rainbow appears over the rebuild of the Latimer Hotel. For the central city the figures are: NZ$4.9 billion with $2.9 billion coming from central government and $1.9 billion coming from the local city council (us ratepayers in Christc...
As far as suburbs with bad reputations go, Aranui in Christchurch often seems to dominate local public perceptions. High crime, high unemployment, low incomes, run-down state houses and uncared-for neighbourhoods have been the key words and phrases used over many decades. This reputation achieved national standing over the same period and in 2001 Aranui gained the dubious distinction of becoming the pilot project for the Labour Government’s state housing Community Renewal Programme initiated in 2001. It is common to read “Don’t buy or rent here” comments on websites and blogs advising prospective immigrants on where to live. One of the dispiriting moments in Aranui’s history came in September 2009 with the discovery of two bodies under the floorboards of a Hampshire Street property and the subsequent charge of double-homicide and conviction of local resident Jason Somerville for the murder of his wife Rebecca Chamberlain and neighbour Tisha Lowry.
A small house is shown on an enormous foundation block labelled 'Rate$'. The cartoonist's comment is 'Like for like for the house...Total dislike for the foundation!' In Christchurch there were prospects of large rises in householders' rate to help finance the Christchurch Rebuild project. In view of the damage to housing, rate increases may be badly disproportionate. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A couple in a red-zoned dog kennel, completing the dwelling census. Their accommodation has one room;, their only heating is by body heat and burning furniture; their rent is $1000 per week. Two years after the earthquakes, the living conditions of many in the 'red zones' of Christchurch was poor, owing to local body, government and insurance companies' tardiness. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
When I was a kid this bit of land in the foreground was level and extended at least three times further out, but after the earthquakes you can see the angle that land near the river slumped. We used to catch a lot of herrings (yellow -eyed mullet) here when I was a kid, hence the local name of Herring Bay. Across the river is the Bexley Wetlands.