Cera head reflects on two years of Christchurch rebuild
Audio, Radio New Zealand
Listening to that was the Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton.
Listening to that was the Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton.
Our Christchurch reporter Rachel Graham travelled to Japan, with the support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, to find out.
The jury's still out on whether changes at the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority represent a winding back of the government's involvement in the rebuild of Christchurch or simply a shift in its focus.
Donations to the Canterbury earthquake fund now total about $11 million. It comes as the Government announced early details of a recovery plan for people wanting money to fix their damaged homes or start rebuilding.
In the two hours following the earthquake, the St John Ambulance service in Christchurch took more than 353 calls. That compares to just 250 calls it usually receives during a standard 24-hour period. St John's Ambulance operations director, Michael Brook, joins us from Christchurch.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, says he's nearing the end of his tether with the Christchurch City Council.
A proof-reading error from the Earthquake Recovery Minister's office has caused ructions at the Christchurch City Council today.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says Christchurch will be a better city.
Christchurch city councillors wants to know what the Earthquake Recovery Authority's plan is to hand back power to the council.
February 22 marks 13 years since Christchurch's devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake, and the urban recovery is still in progress.
The Dean of the Christchurch Cathedral says he's stepping down so he can better serve the city during the earthquake recovery.
The chief executive of the Christchurch City Council says there's no pressure from Treasury officials or the Earthquake Recovery authority to sell assets.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says officials have tried for months to help the Christchurch City Council but it's consistently failed to make the necessary improvements and is still taking far too long to process applications.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister has revealed the rebuild of Christchurch's damaged sewage and water pipes will be quite a bit more expensive than predicted.
In Christchurch, almost two weeks after the earthquake, there are more stories coming out which suggest the recovery effort will be lengthy and difficult.
The Goverment has offered to pay out five thousand home owners in Christchurch of the most severely quake damaged properties.
The former Christchurch East Labour Party MP, Lianne Dalziel, is now the Mayor of Christchurch and, as such, is set to work much more closely with her former political foe, Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee.
The Christchurch City Council says it has reached a compromise with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, and voted unanimously to support a plan to intensify housing in the city.
The Christchurch couple told they can't use part of their property because the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) might need access to it.
The company that has the main contract for repairing houses in Christchurch, Fletcher Earthquake Recovery, is assuring taxpayers it's doing everything it can to avoid any fraudulent behaviour.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has confirmed land zoned red in Christchurch has no legal status.
The Minister for Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, has been accused in the High Court in Christchurch of abusing his powers and doing deals which allowed councils and Christchurch Airport to get their own way over zoning decisions.
A prominent Christchurch property investor says the Government's anchor projects meant to help rebuild the city faster, has instead slowed it down. After the 2011 earthquake, the Government launched a recovery plan for the CBD, which had 16 anchor projects designed to spur on the rebuild. However, many have been plagued by delays and are still unfinished. Property investor Antony Gough told RNZ reporter Anan Zaki that unlike the Government, it was the private sector which ploughed ahead with the rebuild.
As Auckland and Northland brace for more atrocious weather, city leaders are calling for funding to repair the city's broken infrastructure to be along the lines of the help given to Christchurch after the quakes. Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson says that the damage so far is equivalent to the biggest non earthquake event the country has ever had and should be treated accordingly. The Opportunities Party says the "alliance" model established after the earthquakes, was effective and would work for Auckland's rebuild, because it provides a structure that the Central Government can fund directly. ToP leader Raf Manji was a Christchurch councillor after the quakes and closely involved in the rebuild. He tells Kathryn Ryan it is vital to ensure water and transport infrastructure is repaired quickly and efficiently, especially with a view to future extreme weather events - and there is much to learn from the post-quake rebuild.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister says he's instructed government agencies to prosecute any fraudulent activity during the Christchurch rebuild, to the full extent of the law.
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.
New assessment guidelines are reclassifying houses which were previously written off as being repairable, leaving owners up to $180,000 worse off. Kathryn talks to Leanne Curtis, spokesperson for the Canterbury Community Earthquake Recovery Network, and Renee Walker, spokesperson for IAG New Zealand.
One of the Christchurch suburbs worst hit in the Canterbury earthquakes is on the way to recovery.
The head of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Roger Sutton, flew over the quake-hit city after today's first shake.
The Government is considering introducing a state of emergency after a series of powerful earthquakes in Christchurch this afternoon.