Christchurch Press 18 July 2011: Section A, Page 1 (South Island Edition)

Articles, UC QuakeStudies

Page 1 of Section A of the South Island edition of the Christchurch Press, published on Monday 18 July 2011.

New Zealand Defence Force photograph 592

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Aerial image of Cathedral Square taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission. The damaged Press Building can be seen.

Grant Cameron

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Why is the Royal Commission into Building Collapses in the Christchurch Earthquake not apportioning blame? Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron represented the victims of the Cave Creek Tragedy.

Lack of engineering assessments investigated

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A lack of building inspections and the engineers to carry them out has come under further scrutiny at the Royal Commission of inquiry into the Canterbury earthquakes.

Quake families say lack of legal help leaves them without voice

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A spokesperson for the families of the victims of the Christchurch earthquake says without legal representation their voice will not be heard during the Royal Commission.

New Zealand Defence Force photograph 588

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Aerial image of the Christchurch central city taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission. The Hotel Grand Chancellor can be seen.

The Panel with Sir Bruce Slane and David Slack (part 1)

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Naval blockade: Greenpeace say its activists are willing to get arrested over their protest against a Brazilian oil company surveying off East Cape. Royal Commission: Legal experts are in agreement ... the purpose of the Royal Commission into February's earthquake in Christchurch is to investigate - not to incriminate.

Photograph by Paul Corliss 0995

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a notice on the fence of a house on Marine Parade in North Brighton. The notice reads, "Public Notice, EQC and other parties have declared this property stable and of no threat to the safety of any other parties. Dated 15/03/11. Please keep out".

Photograph by Paul Corliss 0994

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a notice on the window of a house on Marine Parade in North Brighton. The notice reads, "Public Notice, EQC and other parties have declared this property stable and of no threat to the safety of any other parties. Dated 15/03/11. Please keep out".

Body, Guy Keverne, 1967-:'Unfortunately, this is a North Canterbury collap…

Images, Alexander Turnbull Library

A man representing 'EQC' (Earthquake Commission) talks to a couple outside their collapsed house. He says 'Unfortunately, this is a NORTH Canterbury collapse - so you'll only get your first $100,000 back.' Context: This refers both to the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company and to the problems that people are having with insurance companies in North Canterbury after the first Christchurch earthquake on September 4th 2010. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

PGC property manager defends lack of detailed assessment

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has heard the property manager of the Pyne Gould building did not organise detailed engineering assessments after the first quake in September.

Post quake exodus from Christchurch unlikely

Audio, Radio New Zealand

With Tom Love - A principal of consulting firm Sapere Research Group, who was commissioned by the Canterbury District Health Board, to examine the population impact of February's earthquake.

BeckerFraserPhotos February 2011 photograph 216

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A sign attached to the fence post of a property on Avonside Drive reading, "23/9/10, EQC". This was the date Earthquake Commission personnel inspected the property.

Quake hearing told building in use despite yellow placard

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A property manager has been questioned at the Royal Commission investigating the Canterbury earthquakes about why he didn't tell tenants the building they worked in was unsafe.

New Zealand Defence Force photograph 555

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp, disembarking from the HMNZS Otago. The ship travelled to Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to help in the relief effort.

PGC building owner says he did all he could to make it safe

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Pyne Gould building tenants in Christchurch have told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Canterbury Earthquakes hearing they didn't feel safe there after the September quake.

Plumbers say EQC paying bills too slowly

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Plumbers industry body says some plumbers helping Christchurch quake victims are struggling to stay afloat, because the Earthquake Commission is not paying out fast enough for emergency repairs.

EQC deploys rapid assessment teams in Canterbury

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Rapid assessment teams are being sent out across quake hit Canterbury with the Earthquake Commission promising that up to 180-thousand homes will be inspected within the next eight weeks.

Overseas expert shocked at design of PGC building

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An American engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission he was shocked at the failure of builders to properly fix the floors of the PGC building to its walls.

EQC set to help Christchurch plumber sort unpaid bills

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch plumber owed tens of thousands of dollars by the Earthquake Commission says the EQC has appointed a case manager to sort out the money it owes him.

Evans, Malcolm Paul, 1945- :"How are things in the building game?" Tough!"…

Images, Alexander Turnbull Library

An interested passerby assumes that a builder will be keen to get some EQC work fixing up Christchurch but the builder replies 'Are you kidding?! Not while EQC is paying us $4500 a week to do its assessments!' Context - The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has employed 414 contractors to carry out the assessments on its behalf, Radio New Zealand reported. Contractors carrying out property inspections of quake-damaged Christchurch homes are being paid about $4000 a week. Contractors are paid $75 an hour, while the builders, who inspect the damage, receive $60 an hour, the broadcaster said. (8 June 2011) Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).

Officials put barriers in way of strengthening building - owner

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch businessman has told the Earthquake Royal Commission the city council was a nightmare to deal with when he was trying to strengthen his building before the September quake.

Role of engineer in inspecting Chch building under spotlight

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A structural engineer who ordered a building green stickered though he'd failed to do another thorough check on it has defended his inspections at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.

Evans, Malcolm Paul, 1945- :Christchurch re-build red tape. 24 May 2011

Images, Alexander Turnbull Library

The cartoon shows an enormous ball of red tape and all around frustrated workers carry away their ladders and tools. Context - Three months after a quake that scored a direct hit under Christchurch, many residents are struggling with mountains of paperwork required to get their homes repaired and rebuilt. Reference numbers, codes and Pin numbers permeate our daily living now as we deal with the aftermath of two major earthquakes in six months. People feel they are lucky that they have the EQC pot to draw on, but there are a lot of complexities, anomalies and frustrations. (BBC News 21 May 2011) Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).

New Zealand Defence Force photograph 164

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Aerial image of a residential area of Christchurch taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission. Porritt Park is visible on the right of the photograph.

Expert says developers should be required to submit soil rpts

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A geotechnical expert from the United States has told the Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes, developers should be required to submit soil reports before building on land prone to liquefaction.

GNS questioned on amount of warning given prior to quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The warnings, or lack of them from the government's scientists about the likely size of aftershocks following the first Canterbury earthquake have been a focus of the Royal Commission into the quakes.

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.

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.

Photograph by Neil Macbeth 120

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Attendees of the 2011 United States New Zealand Partnership Forum conferring with a member of the Earthquake Commission outside the Christchurch Art Gallery. In the background, members of Civil Defence have gathered after an aftershock hit during one of their briefings. The Christchurch Art Gallery served as the headquarters for Civil Defence after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.