Business leaders happy with plan for Christchurch rebuild

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The creation of a new unit within the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to oversee the rebuilding of central Christchurch is being welcomed by business leaders.

Quake claimants band together to take on insurers

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Frustrated Christchurch residents are banding together to take on their insurance companies, who they say are taking too long to process their earthquake damage claims.

Anger at Earthquake Authority's communications budget

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Community leaders in Christchurch are angry to learn the Earthquake Recovery Authority spent more than three-and-a-half million dollars on communications in the past financial year.

Christchurch MPs want inquiry into possible CTV fraud

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission says it will not re-open its inquiry into the CTV building collapse, despite fresh allegations against the building's construction manager.

Midday Business News for 4 September 2012

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Tower's profit is expected to be hit by the Christchurch earthquakes. Movie star legend Bruce Willis is reportedly eyeing up legal action against Apple and the stockmarket rises.

Economics ensures a high level of Chch rubble recycling

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A year and a half after the February Earthquake, economics has ensured much of the waste material coming out of Christchurch's central city has been recycled.

Social impact of Chch quakes similar to Hurricane Katrina

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Canterbury's health officials say an increase in binge drinking, not taking medicines, and domestic violence are signs of the ongoing effect of the region's earthquakes.

A doctor's bravery during the February quake is recognised

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The doctor who is about to receive a bravery award for his work during Christchurch's February earthquake, says the images from that day are still with him.

Midday News for 3 January 2012

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch Mayor says the city council will meet with GNS scientists to get some answers about the current sequence of earthquakes, which have sparked anxiety among residents.

Commission witnesses questioned about Cashel Street building

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Witnesses before the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission have been questioned about why a building known to be earthquake prone was allowed to reopen, despite several red flags.

Christchurch businesses beaten but unbowed one year on

Audio, Radio New Zealand

We are here broadcasting from Christchurch, as the city remembers the devastating earthquake that claimed 185 lives, and forever changed the city for those who survived.

Trapped

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Martin van Beynen is an award-winning journalist with the Christchurch newspaper The Press. His book, 'Trapped: Remarkable Stories of Survival from the 2011 Canterbury Earthquake' documents the experiences of 23 survivors.

Carpenter Chris Nutfield recieves bravery award

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch carpenter Chris Nutfield rescued three women from the collapsed PGC building. He's one of the many to receive a bravery and heroism award one year after the February 2011 earthquake.

Councillor says Wellington quake report highlights problems

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A new report says a major earthquake in Wellington would leave a bill of nearly 40 billion dollars, almost twice as much as that of the Canterbury quakes.

Engineers defend expertise at Earthquake Commission

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Two engineers who prepared a critical report on the CTV building spent much of the day yesterday defending their expertise and credentials at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.

Key witness in CTV Building collapse refuses to give evidence

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The man in charge of the construction of the Canterbury Television Building is continuing to refuse to give evidence at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

Families reflect on first week of evidence about CTV collapse

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission hearing into the collapse of the Canterbury Television Building has ended for the week after four days of compelling evidence.

Head of firm that designed CTV building accepts responsiblity

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The head of the structural engineering firm that supervised the design of the Canterbury Television building appeared yesterday at the Royal Commission into the Canterbury Earthquakes.

Vertical shaking from February earthquake not unique

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An earthquake engineer has told the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission that the intense vertical shaking during the February 2011 earthquake wasn't unique and was similar to events overseas.

Insurers will go as fast as they can in Canterbury

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Insurance Council says it can give Cantabrians a guarantee that insurers will go as fast as they can to settle earthquake-related claims.

CTV design company faces more criticism at Royal Commission

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An engineer who worked for the company that designed the CTV building, has criticised the attitude of his former boss at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.

Badly hit Sydenham aims to become revitalised quarter

Audio, Radio New Zealand

One of the Christchurch suburbs badly hit in the Canterbury earthquakes is being rebranded as the Sydenham Quarter - a future haven for artists, artisans and industrialists alike.

Bereaved husband rejects CTV designer's apology

Audio, Radio New Zealand

For the first time Alan Reay, whose firm designed the collapsed CTV building, has apologised to the families of the 115 people killed in the Christchurch earthquake 18 months ago.

Frustration at lack of answers on foundations

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Some Christchurch residents are frustrated at the time it's taking to work out what sort of foundations their homes will require when earthquake repairs are carried out.

CERA says new labelling needed for building safety

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority says the language describing building safety is unhelpful and is worrying people needlessly. The Authority's CEO, Roger Sutton, joins the programme.

Chch Cathedral should be rebuilt says visiting expert

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An international expert in earthquake recovery who's touring New Zealand says it's inconceivable to think that a building as magnificent as Christchurch Cathedral won't be rebuilt.

Christchurch people gather to protest earthquake response

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Several hundred people gathered in central Christchurch yesterday to voice their anger at a growing list of complaints about local and central government's response to the earthquake.

Elizabeth Ackermann Photograph 307

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a quilt on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The quilt was created by members of the public who sent squares to The Breeze radio station in Auckland to be part of the 'Quilt for Christchurch'.

Lawyer hopes inquest will highlight problems with rescues

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A lawyer for the husband of a woman who died in the Christchurch earthquake says a coming inquest will show rifts within the Fire Service did hamper rescue efforts.

Too little too late for displaced Christchurch retirees

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Retired Christchurch people affected by the earthquakes are disappointed they have been left out of new rules aimed at giving people in retirement villages better payouts after natural disasters.