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.

BeckerFraserPhotos September 2011 photograph 274

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking east from Manchester Street. Worcester Street on the right".

Ak Port says strikes, quakes show NZ needs resilient ports

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Ports of Auckland says incidents such as the strikes which crippled its operations and the Canterbury earthquakes which disrupted the Port of Lyttelton's operations shows New Zealand needs a resilient port sector.

Delays rebuilding quake damaged homes four years on

Audio, Radio New Zealand

About 700 people packed Christchurch's Cardboard Cathedral last night to hear from a panel of experts on why, four years after the big earthquake, they're still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt.

Christchurch public consider quake memorial options

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The husband of a woman who died in the CTV building during the February 2011 earthquake is encouraging the public to have their say on a memorial to honour the 185 people who lost their lives four years ago.

Backpacker's family's first visit to Chch for quake memorial

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Rachel Conley's family has flown to Christchurch for the first time for the unveiling of the memorial wall. They are staying with a NZ family, whose son died along with Rachel in the earthquake.

30,000 to watch Springsteen on eve of quake anniversary

Audio, Radio New Zealand

People have been queuing for days for the Bruce Springsteen concert in Christchurch tonight, ahead of the sixth anniversary of the 2011 earthquake. Glenn McCartney is at the front of the queue.

The Great Outdoors - Peter Langlands

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Conservationist, forager, angler and former fisheries observer Peter Langlands talks about the many threats to our lakes and waterways. Lynn Freeman asked the Cantabrian how the earthquakes affected Christchurch birds, as there was talk that they left the city.

Chch's new super school opens in Aranui with a bumper roll

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Haeata is the first public school in Christchurch to cater for all ages, replacing three eastern suburbs schools that were closed after the earthquakes. RNZ joined more than 900 students for the first day.

EQC apologises for handling of Canterbury quake claims

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Commission has offered a formal apology for its handling of quake claims in Canterbury. The apology from its chair, Sir Michael Cullen, is included in its just released annual report. Conan Young reports.

Catharsis as Christchurch quake redzone development opens

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch residents forced away from their redzone homes returned today for the unveiling of the the Avon loop pathway - the first redevelopment, nine years on from the deadly earthquake. Reporter Conan Young went along to hear from them.

Christchurch design challenge

Audio, Radio New Zealand

We cross live to Christchurch to talk to one of the entrants, Roger Dennis, in a 48 hour design challenge to come up with a new look for part of the earthquake hit city's central business district.

Late Edition for 6 June 2013

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Waikato primary school refuses to back down and re-enroll a violent eleven year old and the country's largest general insurer defends changes to home insurance policies in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes.

Roger Sutton says CERA's PR spend is worth it

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has spent more than three-and-a-half million dollars on communications in the past year. The Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive is Roger Sutton.

Christchurch schools two years on from the Sept 4 quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Schools are an important part of any community, and two years on from the start of the earthquakes in Canterbury many are still coping with damage to classrooms, and with dramatically reduced rolls.

A Wish by Amy Huang

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Amy Huang wrote this as a Year 12 student at Rangiruru Girls' School in Christchurch as a response to the earthquake and it was a finalist in a short story competition. For ages 8-18.

Earthquake Recovery Minister on Orion price hike

Audio, Radio New Zealand

More now on Canterbury people having to pay an extra 5 dollars 20 on their monthly power bill from next April with the Commerce Commission telling the Orion lines company it can put up prices.

Christchurch mayor defends council's performance

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says officials have tried for months to help the Christchurch City Council but it's consistently failed to make the necessary improvements and is still taking far too long to process applications.

Man was killed by a falling concrete wall

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Royal Commission investigating the Canterbury earthquakes has heard that the premises where a man was killed by a falling concrete wall was not inspected by structural engineers between the September and February quakes.

Christchurch council refuses to consider asset sales

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Despite Government pressure on the Christchurch City Council to sell off some of its assets to help fund its 40% share of the city's earthquake repairs, the council has instead decided to raise rates, and rents.

Fletchers assures taxpayers over Christchurch rebuild

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The company that has the main contract for repairing houses in Christchurch, Fletcher Earthquake Recovery, is assuring taxpayers it's doing everything it can to avoid any fraudulent behaviour.

EQC privacy breach worse than first reported

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Commission has admitted its privacy breach was almost 10 times worse than it had said, with the details of all 83-thousand clients in its Canterbury Home Repair programme being emailed out.

Engineer points finger at 'widespread malaise' in industry

Audio, Radio New Zealand

It is unlikely engineers involved in the most serious building collapse of the Christchurch earthquake will face any external action, with the profession's administrators telling the Government there's nothing more they can do.

John Key's last speech - funny and sad in equal measure

Audio, Radio New Zealand

John Key farewells Parliament by remembering the funny and the proud moments of being Prime Minister, but also the heartbreak of the Christchurch earthquakes, the Pike River disaster and the deaths of troops in Afghanistan.

Playing Favourites with Peter Marshall

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Peter Marshall is managing director of architectural firm Warren and Mahoney, part of the team selected to carry out the task of the redesign of Christchurch after the earthquakes. (This version of the audio does not include music)

Christchurch shops still feeling effects of quakes 3 years on

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Three years on from the Canterbury earthquakes there is a huge focus on getting the central city back up and running, but some suburban shopping areas are also struggling to attract customers.

Christchurch rebuild largest economic event in NZ history

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The earthquakes in Canterbury may have brought tragedy and economic hardship for many, but Christchurch business leaders say they're now seeing renewed signs of improving business confidence.

Breakdown in communication - unsafe building collapsed in quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission has heard that a breakdown in communication between structural engineers, a property manager and owner led the tenants of a building to wrongly assume their shop was safe.

Royal Commission findings handed to police by Government

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Government has handed the report of the Royal Commission on the Canterbury Earthquakes to the police to look at whether further action could be taken over the construction of the CTV building.

Construction of 35 million dollar bridge to take 2 years

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The construction of the first bridge in Canterbury to be built to the new earthquake design codes is going to take nearly two years and cost over 30 million dollars.