Damaged in the earthquakes, now with more bends and not level as it was before. Selected for Explore. #306 12/05/13
A photograph of an Explore More campervan in Hagley Park.
A photograph looking inside an Explore More campervan in Hagley Park. Many more campervans are parked around it.
During 2010 and 2011, a series of major earthquakes caused widespread damage in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The magnitude 6.3 quake in February 2011 caused 185 fatalities. In the ensuing months, the government progressively zoned residential land in Christchurch on the basis of its suitability for future occupation (considering damage from these quakes and future earthquake risk). Over 6,000 homes were placed in the ‘red-zone’, meaning that property owners were forced to sell their land to the Crown. This study analysed patterns of residential mobility amongst thirty-one red-zone households from the suburb of Southshore, Christchurch. Drawing on interviews and surveys, the research traced their experience from the zoning announcement until they had moved to a new residence. The research distinguished between short (before the zoning announcement) and long term (post the red zone ‘deadline’) forms of household relocation. The majority of households in the study were highly resistant to short term movement. Amongst those which did relocate before the zoning decision, the desire to maintain a valued social connection with a person outside of the earthquake environment was often an important factor. Some households also moved out of perceived necessity (e.g. due to lack of power or water). In terms of long-term relocation, concepts of affordability and safety were much more highly valued by the sample when purchasing post-quake property. This resulted in a distinct patterning of post-quake housing location choices. Perceived control over the moving process, relationship with government organisations and insurance companies, and time spent in the red-zone before moving all heavily influenced participants’ disaster experience. Contrary to previous studies, households in this study recorded higher levels of subjective well-being after relocating. The study proposed a typology of movers in the Christchurch post-disaster environment. Four mobility behaviours, or types, are identified: the Committed Stayers (CSs), the Environment Re-Creators (ERCs), the Resigned Acceptors (RAs), and the Opportunistic Movers (OMs). The CSs were defined by their immobility rather than their relocation aspirations, whilst the ERCs attempted to recreate or retain aspects of Southshore through their mobility. The RAs expressed a form of apathy towards the post-quake environment, whereas, on the other hand, the OMs moved relative to pre-earthquake plans, or opportunities that arose from the earthquake itself. Possibilities for further research include examining household adaptability to new residential environments and tracking further mobility patterns in the years following relocation from the red- zone.
Demolition of the relatively new seven-storey Waters Edge Apartments in Ferrymead continues. CERES Environmental NZ are doing the job for CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority). Some will be pleased to see this block go as there was lot of resentment to it being built on the site of the old Ferrymead Tavern, Selected for Explore, #347...
A statue of Antarctic explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott was broken in the earthquake.
An image used as a profile picture on the All Right? Facebook page. The image reads, "What makes you feel all right? Reading or exploring your local library".
The aim of this study is to explore the main contributors and obstacles to employee learning in the context of an alliance using the framework of a complex embedded multiple-case study. The two participant alliance partner organisations (APOs) are natural competitors that have joined to respond to urgent community needs of the city of Christchurch following the major earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011. At the moment of the in-depth interviews, it had been about four years since those events occurred. There are continuous, unexpected circumstances that still require attention. However, the alliance has an expiry date, thus reinforcing the uncertain work environment. The main enablers found were participative, collaborative learning encouraged by leaders who embraced the alliance’s “learning organisational culture”. Employees generated innovations mostly in social interaction with others, while taking on responsibility for their learning by learning from mistakes. The main obstacle found is competition, as inhibitor of collaboratively sharing their knowledge out of fear of losing their competitiveness.
Another house has gone from Seabreeze Close, Pacific Park, Bexley, leaving just the concrete base, a few floor tiles and the smashed toilet (throne). Houses are being demolished (85%) or deconstructed/shifted (15%) as a result of land damage in the major earthquakes of 4th September 2010, 22nd February 2011, 13th June 2011 and 23rd December 2...
German born colonist, Sir Julius von Haast, was an explorer specialising in geology. Amongst his many achievements was the founding of the Canterbury Museum. Born Johann Franz von Haast in 1822, in…
An image designed for use as a sticker for the All Right? Winter Survival Kit. The image reads, "What makes you feel all right? Reading or exploring your local library".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam (9) and Emmaleigh (4) Bowen explore cracks in Raven Quay in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam (9) and Emmaleigh (4) Bowen explore cracks in Raven Quay in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. Damage in Richmond. Locals explore extreme lateral spreads in River Road".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Nick Wright (9) explores a huge crack in the earth in Charles Street, Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, " Nick Wright (9) explores a huge crack in the earth in Charles Street, Kaiapoi".
Group case study report prepared for lecturers Ton Buhrs and Roy Montgomery by students of ERST 635 at Lincoln University, 2013.The New Zealand Government’s decision to establish a unitary authority in the Auckland Region has provided much of the context and impetus for this review of current governance arrangements in the Canterbury region, to determine whether or not they are optimal for taking the communities of greater Christchurch into the future. A number of local governance academics, as well as several respected political pundits, have prophesised that the Auckland ‘Super City’ reforms of 2009 will have serious implications and ramifications for local governance arrangements in other major cities, particularly Wellington and Christchurch. Wellington councils have already responded to the possibility of change by undertaking a series of reports on local governance arrangements, as well as a major review led by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, to investigate options for governance reform. Alongside these developments, the Christchurch earthquakes beginning in September 2010 have raised a myriad of new and complex governance issues, which may or may not be able to be addressed under the status quo, while the replacement of Regional Councillors’ with centrally-appointed Commissioners is suggestive of government dissatisfaction with current arrangements. With these things in mind, the research group has considered local government in Canterbury and the greater Christchurch area in the wider governance context. It does not limit discussion to only the structure of local government in Canterbury but rather, as the brief (Appendix 1) indicates, considers more broadly the relationship between central, regional, and local tiers of government, as well as the relationship between local government and local communities.
An image designed for use as a sticker for the All Right? Winter Survival Kit. The image reads, "Get your free Winter Survival Kit today! What makes you feel All Right in Winter? Reading or exploring your local library".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam Bowen (9) explores the huge cracks in the road surface in Raven Quay, Kaiapoi".