The 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes, which involved widespread damage during the February 2011 event and ongoing aftershocks near the Christchurch Central Business District, left this community with more than $NZD 40 billion in losses (~20 % GDP), demolition of approximately 60 % of multi-storey concrete buildings (3 storeys and up), and closure of the core business district for over 2 years. The aftermath of the earthquake sequence has revealed unique issues and complexities for the owners of commercial and multi-storey residential buildings in relation to unexpected technical, legal, and financial challenges when making decisions regarding the future of their buildings impacted by the earthquakes. The paper presents a framework to understand the factors influencing post-earthquake decisions (repair or demolish) on multi-storey concrete buildings in Christchurch. The study, conducted in 2014, includes in-depth investigations on 15 case-study buildings using 27 semi-structured interviews with various property owners, property managers, insurers, engineers, and government authorities in New Zealand. The interviews revealed insights regarding the multitude of factors influencing post-earthquake decisions and losses. As expected, the level of damage and repairability (cost to repair) generally dictated the course of action. There is strong evidence, however, that other variables have significantly influenced the decision on a number of buildings, such as insurance, business strategies, perception of risks, building regulations (and compliance costs), and government decisions. The decision-making process for each building is complex and unique, not solely driven by structural damage. Furthermore, the findings have put the spotlight on insurance policy wordings and the paradoxical effect of insurance on the recovery of Christchurch, leading to other challenges and issues going forward.
A photograph of a projector set up in the Avonhead Baptist Church. The room is to be used as a temporary lecture theatre for the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, as lecture theatres on campus are inaccessible following the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A view of part of the former Canterbury Public Library complex after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. On the left the 1870s section is visible. It has been red-stickered and the ground around it has been spray painted with the words, "Danger, wall". The building on the right is the former Librarian's House, which was built in 1894. It has been enclosed in a safety fence, and a section of masonry from its gable has collapsed. Containers have been stacked between the buildings to reinforce their walls.
A photograph of the rebuilt Blackwell's Department Store on the corner of Williams Street and Raven Quay in Kaiapoi. The department store was rebuilt after the previous building was damaged in the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. This photograph was modelled off an image taken by BeckerFraserPhotos in September 2010.
A photograph of staff from the Department of Physics and Astronomy examining the rubble of the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. Scaffolding around the tower has also collapsed and is amongst the rubble.
A photograph of the rubble from the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. Scaffolding constructed around the tower has also collapsed and is amongst the rubble. The roof of the tower and a ladder can also be seen.
A photograph of the base of the Townsend Telescope, still attached to a piece of rubble. The rubble is from the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake and the rubble spilled into the courtyard in front. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building.
A photograph of staff from the Department of Physics and Astronomy from the University of Canterbury recovering parts of the Townsend Telescope from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of staff from the Department of Physics and Astronomy from the University of Canterbury recovering parts of the Townsend Telescope from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Earthquake victims wrapped in blankets at the medical centre set up in Latimer Square. A tent in the background has been set up for shelter, and stretchers and medical supplies are stacked up beside it. Avove, a helicopter can be seen carrying a monsoon bucket filled with water to put out fire at the Canterbury Television building.
Welcome to the first Recover newsletter from the Marine Ecology Research Group (MERG) at the University of Canterbury. Recover is designed to keep you updated on our MBIE funded earthquake recovery project called RECOVER (Reef Ecology, Coastal Values & Ecosystem Recovery). This first issue provides a summary of some of the big changes we’ve seen. In the next issue we’ll be profiling some of the current research as well as ways you can get involved!
The Taiwanese Search and Rescue team being farewelled at the Christchurch International Airport after helping out with the emergency response to the Canterbury Earthquake. To the left is Rob Saunders from the New Zealand Fire Department, centre, Kao Wei Liang, Team Leader of the Taiwan USAR team, and right, the Taiwanese ambassador.
Prime Minister John Key talking to Al Dwyer, the leader of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. John Key is visiting to thank DART for their efforts in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Canterbury Recovery Minister Jerry Brownlee is standing beside him.
Prime Minister John Key talking to Al Dwyer and members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. John Key is visiting to thank DART for their efforts in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Canterbury Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee is standing behind him.
Prime Minister John Key talking to Al Dwyer, the leader of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. John Key is visiting to thank DART for their efforts in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Canterbury Recovery Minister Jerry Brownlee is standing behind him.
A wreath from the Singapore Contingent lying on a table in the memorial tent at the Botanic Gardens. The tent was set up for people who wanted to make a tribute to those who lost their lives during the Canterbury earthquakes. A note on the wreath reads, "The Singapore Contingent wishes to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of Christchurch, New Zealand and all who have lost their lives during the 22nd February 2011 earthquake. Our hearts and thoughts are with you. From the men and women of the Singapore Contingent assisting with rescue and relief efforts in Christchurch".
The paper examines community benefits provided by an established community garden following a major earthquake and discusses possible implications for community garden planning and design in disaster-prone cities. Recent studies show that following extreme storm events community gardens can supply food, enhance social empowerment, provide safe gathering spots, and restorative practices, to remind people of normality. However, the beneficial role played by community gardens following earthquakes is less well known. To fill this gap, the study examines the role played by a community garden in Christchurch, New Zealand, following the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquakes. The garden's role is evaluated based on a questionnaire-based survey and in-depth interviews with gardeners, as well as on data regarding the garden use before and after the earthquakes. Findings indicate the garden helped gardeners cope with the post-quake situation. The garden served as an important place to de-stress, share experiences, and gain community support. Garden features that reportedly supported disaster recovery include facilities that encourage social interaction and bonding such as central meeting and lunch places and communal working areas.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the old Registry Building on the corner of Worcester and Montreal Streets. The masonry of the Worcester Street gable has crumbled and is lying on the street in front. Wire fencing has been used to cordon off the building.
Successful urban regeneration projects generate benefits that are realised over a much longer timeframe than normal market developments and benefits well beyond those that can be uplifted by a market developer. Consequently there is substantial evidence in the literature that successful place-making and urban regeneration projects are usually public-private partnerships and involve a funder, usually local or central government, willing to contribute ‘patient’ capital. Following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes that devastated the centre of Christchurch, there was an urgent need to rebuild and revitalise the heart of the city, and increasing the number of people living in or near the city centre was seen as a key ingredient of that. In October 2010, an international competition was launched to design and build an Urban Village, a project intended to stimulate renewed residential development in the city. The competition attracted 58 entrants from around world, and in October 2013 the winning team was chosen from four finalists. However the team failed to secure sufficient finance, and in November 2015 the Government announced that the development would not proceed. The Government was unwilling or unable to recognise that an insistence on a pure market approach would not deliver the innovative sustainable village asked for in the competition brief, and failed to factor in the opportunity cost to government, local government, local businesses and the wider Christchurch community of delaying by many years the residential development of the eastern side of the city. As a result, the early vision of the vitality that a thriving residential neighbourhood would bring to the city has not yet been realised.
A PDF copy of The Star newspaper, published on Friday 10 August 2012.
At 00:02 on 14 November, 2016 a destructive 7.8 Mw earthquake struck the North Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island. Prior to and following the earthquake, natural and social scientists conducted a significant amount of research on the resilience processes and recovery efforts in North Canterbury. This thesis examines community resilience in Kaikōura, a small town and district greatly impacted by the earthquake. Community resilience has been widely used in disaster risk reduction research, policy, and practice to describe how a group of individuals within a boundary respond to events, hazards, and shifts in their everyday life. Using exploratory inquiry, this thesis adopts qualitative research methods including document analysis, 24 semi-structured interviews, and participant observation to explore the idea that the recent scholarly emphasis on resilience has come at the expense of critical engagement with the complexities of communities. I draw on the idea of ‘collectives’ (comprising community-based organisations or less formal social networks with a shared purpose) as a lens to consider how, when unexpected life events happen, collectives can be regarded as a resource for change or constancy. The examination of collectives following a disaster can lend insight into the many elements of community as they bring people together in collaboration or drive them apart in conflict. This thesis therefore contributes to an enhanced practical and theoretical understanding of both community and resilience.
A view down Colombo Street of a team of Fire Service and Search and Rescue personnel using a crane to check the Forsyth Barr building for people trapped by the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Behind them the broken tower of the Christ Church Cathedral can be seen.
Prime Minister John Key talking to Al Dwyer, the leader of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team Leader (DART), outside the US headquarters in Latimer Square. John Key is visiting to thank DART for their efforts in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Canterbury Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee is standing beside him.
A photograph of the rubble from the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. Scaffolding constructed around the tower has also collapsed and is amongst the rubble. A car and the bumper of another car can be seen under the rubble.
A photograph of the rubble of the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. Scaffolding constructed around the tower has also collapsed and is amongst the rubble. In the background is the damaged tower with a tarpaulin draped over the top.
A photograph of the rubble of the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake and a digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. Scaffolding constructed around the tower has also collapsed and is amongst the rubble. In the background is the damaged tower with a tarpaulin draped over the top.
A photograph of three drawings stuck to a bus timetable in the Christchurch central city. The drawings depict Roger Sutton, the CEO of CERA, with a band-aid over his mouth; Warwick Isaacs, the Deputy Chief Executive of CERA, with hearing protection over his ears; and Gerry Brownlee, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, with a blindfold over his eyes.
University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr addressing students inside the UCSA's "Big Top" tent. The tent was erected in the UCSA car park to provide support for students in the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The students have spent the day clearing liquefaction from Christchurch properties as part of the Student Volunteer Army.
A photograph of a paste-up depicting Roger Sutton, the CEO of CERA, with a band-aid over his mouth; Warwick Isaacs, the Deputy Chief Executive of CERA, with hearing protection over his ears; and Jerry Brownlee, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, with a blindfold over his eyes. The paste-up has been stuck on a bus stop timetable.
A sign on the wire fencing in front of the Ground Culinary Centre on the corner of London and Canterbury Streets. The sign reads, "Ground has moved to Dublin Street at the Four Ships/Top Club & takeaway food in caravan outside Portico". The background, the original store can be seen, damaged severely after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.