More than a houndred people with businesses in Christchurch's CBD have stormed a cordon into the Red Zone, in frustration at still not being allowed access to their buildings - one month on from the earthquake.
Some residents in one of Christchurch's worst affected suburbs doubt a new government agency will help their earthquake recovery. An announcement about a new department is expected within days but some of those still severely affected question the setting up of a new bureaucracy.
A memorial service to remember those who lost their lives, and to reflect on the devastating impact of the February 22nd earthquake on our city and its people.
A memorial service to remember those who lost their lives, and to reflect on the devastating impact of the February 22nd earthquake on our city and its people.
Christchurch has been shaken by another strong aftershock. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit ten kilometres east of Lyttleton harbour.
Members of the building industry say a serious skills shortage is looming as the Government releases new estimates of the number of homes seriously damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes.
The removal of rubble from the earthquake-stricken centre of Christchurch will start again today, once the worst of the ice in the central city melts.
Christchurch has unveiled an ambitious $2 billion plan to re-create the central city as a green, people friendly, low rise zone, inside a garden. Almost six months on from the destructive February earthquake most of the centre still sits cordoned off, and half the buildings need to come down.
The inquest into many of the deaths in the Christchurch earthquake will today hear evidence about the more than 60 language students who perished in the Canterbury Television building.
Political Editor Brent Edwards reports live from parliament on the implications of the rising costs of the Christchurch earthquake for the EQC and the Government's finances.
Concern about the demolition process of heritage buildings in Christchurch. With Anna Crighton - Chairperson of the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund Trust, which raises money, matched by the government, to save quake-damaged heritage buildings.
The woman who fought the odds to regain her mobility after being trapped and crushed in her collapsed work place, the PGC building, when Christchurch was devastated by the earthquake of February 22. She is now helping other quake victims, especially the children of injured parents some of who have had long periods of separation.
The Christchurch City Council has been questioned over whether it was playing russian roulette with its citizens with its rules on earthquake prone buildings.
Many people in this city are, yet again, cleaning up after a major earthquake. An increasing number of householders, especially in the badly hit eastern suburbs, say they're close to hanging up their spades and shipping out.
In Christchurch, 75 police officers from across the country remain on the beat, bolstering the local contingent following February's earthquake.
A billboard on the side of the Christchurch Town Hall advertises a performance by Santana on Tuesday 22 March 2011. The photographer comments, "Due to the earthquake the previous month Carlos Santana cancelled the concert. He did return though for a concert on 17 March 2013".
A report covering the effect of the Christchurch February Earthquake upon Aquatic Invertebrates.
A motion-blurred photograph of houses, with the Port Hills in the background. The photographer comments, "This I hope gives you a feel of what it feels like in an earthquake. When you spend your whole life thinking that you and your home are built on solid ground, it can be quite a shock when you find it is not. You can feel the house shaking like a dog with a toy, rising up violently underneath you or the most gentle form which is when the ground moves gently like a wave moving under a rowing boat. It is not just the movement, you often get a rumbling sound which can precede a violent shake or can result in no movement at all. This means that some vehicles can sound like the rumbling initially and in the early days would get your heart racing. Another form of stress is when big excavators as heavy as a tank move as you can feel the ground shake from streets away, but you do not always hear the engine. For most of us the problem when the shaking starts, is wondering if this is the start of an extremely violent earthquake or will it peter out".
Liquefaction in North New Brighton. The photographer comments, "This was the liquefaction pouring out of a split in the road where it joins the side-walk. The quakes felt pretty violent, but the damage was less severe than the February one. Unlucky for me the epicentre was only 9.6km away and smaller aftershocks were a lot closer".
One black, red and white plastic-backed fabric uniform badge commemorating the 22 February 2011 earthquake; the words 'Christchurch 6.3 Quake' are embroidered in red along the top along with '22-2-2011' and '12.51pm'; Along the bottom are the words 'In Memory'; In the centre is a map of New Zealand in green with a red embroidered star over Cante...
Disasters can create the equivalent of 20 years of waste in only a few days. Disaster waste can have direct impacts on public health and safety, and on the environment. The management of such waste has a great direct cost to society in terms of labor, equipment, processing, transport and disposal. Disaster waste management also has indirect costs, in the sense that slow management can slow down a recovery, greatly affecting the ability of commerce and industry to re-start. In addition, a disaster can lead to the disruption of normal solid waste management systems, or result in inappropriate management that leads to expensive environmental remediation. Finally, there are social impacts implicit in disaster waste management decisions because of psychological impact we expect when waste is not cleared quickly or is cleared too quickly. The paper gives an overview of the challenge of disaster waste management, examining issues of waste quantity and composition; waste treatment; environmental, economic, and social impacts; health and safety matters; and planning. Christchurch, New Zealand, and the broader region of Canterbury were impacted during this research by a series of shallow earthquakes. This has led to the largest natural disaster emergency in New Zealand’s history, and the management of approximately 8 million tons of building and infrastructure debris has become a major issue. The paper provides an overview of the status of disaster waste management in Christchurch as a case study. A key conclusion is the vital role of planning in effective disaster waste management. In spite of the frequency of disasters, in most countries the ratio of time spent on planning for disaster waste management to the time spent on normal waste management is extremely low. Disaster waste management also requires improved education or training of those involved in response efforts. All solid waste professionals have a role to play to respond to the challenges of disaster waste management.
Much of the CBD will be cordoned off and without power (as you should be able to spot) for quite some time as a result of the damage caused by February's deadly earthquake.
Showing Ruben Blades (top-right section of image) on the corner of Lichfield and Manchester Streets after the 6.3 quake hit Christchurch 22 February 2011 and the building being demolished along with many others. This image also shows the remains of the very heavy snow fall we had on Monday 25 July 2011. The centre of the city is still cordoned o...
The old Christchurch Railway Station Clock Tower was damaged during the 7.1 magnitude quake on 4 September 2010 and was braced by the wooden sleeve until repaired. However, although the sleeve did its job during the 6.3 magnitude quake on 22 February 2011, the lower part of the tower started to break away.
This winter-eve is warm, Humid the air! leafless, yet soft as spring, The tender purple spray on copse and briers! And that sweet city with her dreaming spires, She needs not June for beauty's heightening, Lovely all times she lies, lovely to-night!— From "Thyrsis: A Monody" by Matthew Arnold 1822–1888
Much of the CBD will be cordoned off and without power (as you should be able to spot) for quite some time as a result of the damage caused by February's deadly earthquake.
Revisiting some of my images coming up to our one year anniversary of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch 6.3 earthquake. Blue Jean Cuisine (Old Sydenham Post Office) built in 1911 was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes was demolished 2012.
Sadly the Chapel has been badly damaged in the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that hit Christchurch 22 February 2011. See below. The Rose Historic Chapel formerly St Mary’s Convent Chapel is the sole survivor of a group of heritage buildings in Christchurch that once comprised the St Mary’s Convent complex for the Sisters of Mercy in North Colombo St...
Much of the CBD is still cordoned off and without power (as you should be able to spot) as a result of the damage caused by February's deadly earthquake. This photo clearly shows the extent of the lean that the Hotel Grand Chancellor is now on. Apparently it is out by 1m at the top leaning east. Demolition will start about mid June and is expec...
Sadly the days are numbered after the 6.3 quake that hit Christchurch 22 February 2011! You can see the blue streel strengthening on the tower from the earthquake on 4 September 2010. Also if you look closely you can see the cracks that have determained its fate! Press L.