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Audio, Radio New Zealand

'Rekindle' is an initiative started since the earthquakes in Canterbury which provides purposeful work for young people by giving them the opportunity to design and fashion furniture from waste wood. Spectrum's Deborah Nation explores 'Rekindle'.

Research papers, Victoria University of Wellington

Located on the edge of two tectonic plates, New Zealand has numerous fault lines and seismic risk across the whole country. The way this risk is communicated affects whether people prepare effectively or at all. Research has shown that perceptions of risk are affected by slight changes in wording, and that probabilities commonly reported by experts and media are often interpreted subjectively based on context. In the context of volcanoes, research has found that given a certain probability of a volcano in a specific time window, people perceive risk as higher in later time intervals within that window. The present study examines this pattern with regard to earthquakes and aftershocks in the New Zealand context. Participants in both Wellington (N = 102) and Christchurch (N = 98) were presented an expert statement of earthquake risk within a given time window in Wellington and aftershock risk in Christchurch, and asked to rate their perception of risk in specific intervals across the time window. For a Wellington earthquake, participants perceived risk as incrementally higher toward the end of the 50 year time window whereas for a Christchurch aftershock, risk perception increased slightly for the first three intervals of the 12 month time window. Likelihood of preparing was constant over the time windows, with Wellington citizens rating themselves more likely than Christchurch citizens to prepare for either an earthquake or aftershock, irrespective of current level of preparedness. These findings suggest that people view earthquakes as more likely later toward the end of a given time window and that they view aftershocks very differently to scientific predictions.

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

At the start of an archaeological investigation we often consult historical documents to learn as much as we can about a site’s past. Such research can identify the buildings that were once present, the people associated with the site through … Continue reading →

Articles, Christchurch uncovered

Bedlam. That’s how most people think of 19th century hospitals for the mentally unwell. The phrase ‘lunatic asylums’ – which was how such institutions were known at the time – doesn’t conjure up much better images. But what if the … Continue reading →

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video of a protest against the Ministry of Education's proposed school closures and mergers in Christchurch. More than a thousand people marched from the CBS Arena to the Ministry of Education office on Princess Street as part of the protest.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Ethics in the engineering profession is under scrutiny following the Christchurch earthquakes and Pike River disaster. We hear from Professor John Uff, an international arbitrator specialising in professional negligence. He has led many public inquiries including the Southall Rail Crash in London which killed 7 people and injured 150.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A new exhibition is simply called " 37". The show is by the photographer Doc Ross, features 37 Christchurch people captured on film using a 37 second exposure. The aim: to reflect the length of time their city shook during February 2011's devastating earthquake. Katy Gosset hears some of the stories behind the exhibition and hits the streets to record her own take on the 37 second concept.

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video of members of the public burning the 'Temple for Christchurch' art piece at the Motukara Raceway. The art piece was designed by artist Hippathy Valentine to provide a mechanism for emotional healing alongside the physical rebuilding of Christchurch. People were encouraged to visit the temple and to write stories and leave memorabilia. The piece is being burned to signify the release of these stories.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Topics - Hundreds of people have lost their lives in Egypt overnight, and it's expected the death toll will continue to rise. This comes after the military over threw the democratically elected leader last month, and has now forcibly closed down protester camps. Power company Orion - owned by Christchurch City Council and Selwyn District Council - is looking to hike its prices until 2019, to help recover revenue lost because of the Canterbury earthquakes.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Topics - appalling stories of Christchurch families living in garages and tents - even a couple renting a wash-house - are continuing to surface almost two years on from the February 2011 earthquake. Youth crime is described as "steadily falling" in New Zealand, with rates of police apprehensions and prosecutions of young people at record lows. Auckland Grammar has employed the services of a private investigator to check on parents trying to cheat on school zone boundaries.

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

Aerial footage of a site in Avondale where several liquefaction remediation options are being tested. Gelignite explosives have been buried throughout the site. These will be set off to simulate liquefaction caused by an earthquake. The result, if successful, will help EQC protect people's houses from future earthquakes, and settle land claims. The video was recorded using a drone aircraft.

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video about C1 Espresso's pneumatic tube food delivery system. The video includes an interview with café owner Sam Crofskey about his decision to install the pneumatic tubes. It also includes an interview with chef Richie Ward, who demonstrates how the tubes work. Mini burgers will be stacked inside tubes and then placed in the pneumatic system. The tube will then be sent through the café at 140 km/h to appear at people's tables.

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video about the ten most influential people in The Press 2013 Power List. The top ten are Prime Minister John Key, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee, Kaiwhakahaere of Te Runanaga o Ngai Tahu Mark Soloman, EQC Chief Executive Ian Simpson, Environment Canterbury Chairperson Dame Margaret Bazley, CERA Chief Executive Roger Sutton, The Press Editor Joanna Norris, IAG Chief Executive Jacki Johnson, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, and Minister of Education Hekia Parata.

Research Papers, Lincoln University

A series of earthquakes has forced Christchurch to re-plan and rebuild. Discussions about rebuilding strategies have emphasized the intention of making it a city for the future, sustainable and vibrant. This paper discusses the relationship between microclimate and urban culture in Christchurch based upon the concept of urban comfort. It explores the relationships between environment, people and culture to help understand the local requirements for urban landscape design. In this paper we claim that cultural requirements also should be taken into account when looking for sustainable strategies. A distinctive feature of this research is its focus on the way people are adapting to both surviving prequake and new post‐quake environments. Preliminary findings from the first year of field work using participant observation and 61 in‐depth interviews with Christchurch residents are presented. The interviews were carried out in a variety of urban settings including: established sites (places sustaining relatively little damage) and emerging sites (those requiring rebuilding) during 2011‐2012. Evidence from the interviews highlight future challenges regarding sustainability and urban comfort issues. Post‐quake Christchurch presents a remarkable opportunity to design an urban landscape which provides environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability. However, to achieve successful outcomes it is fundamental to respond to the local culture. Field data suggest that the strong connections between urban and rural settings present in local culture, lifestyle and landscape generate a particular aesthetic and recreation preference for urban spaces, which should be considered in the urban landscape design strategies.

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Topics - Twelve charges laid against the former Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall in relation to the 2010 disaster at the mine have been dropped. In a shock development in the Christchurch District Court today, the Crown said that after an extensive review it was "not appropriate to continue with the prosecution against Mr Whittall''. More than half of the 2.15 million KiwiSaver members are either not contributing to the retirement scheme or not saving enough to collect the $521 annual tax credit from the Government, according to the Inland Revenue Department. The number of people with dire needs on Housing New Zealand's waiting list has tripled since the Christchurch earthquakes.