EQC picks holes in case against it

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A lawyer for the Earthquake Commission has told the High Court there are major holes in the case brought by a Christchurch couple to have their home rebuilt.

Minister refuses to intervene to overturn logburner ban

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The minister for Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, is refusing to intervene and force the Canterbury regional council, to loosen rules around log burners in Christchurch.

Chch council workers on standby incase of more flooding

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch city council says today's flooding would have been much worse had it not been for post-earthquake upgrades to the storm water system.

Police in Canterbury are honoured

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Police officers and staff in Christchurch, who have been called the heroes of the February 2011 earthquake, have been honored today for their actions including a daring crane rescue.

Grand Chancellor deconstruction underway in weeks

Audio, Radio New Zealand

As for the demolition of the building, The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority deconstruction manager, Warwick Isaacs, says while it will be managed carefully, it is still risky.

Preparation work paid off - ex Civil Defence controller

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A former Civil Defence controller for Canterbury says years of planning to reduce the impact of a major earthquake in Christchurch has proven its worth.

Christchurch residents angered by plan to create dump

Audio, Radio New Zealand

There were angry scenes at a Christchurch meeting last night as residents tried to stop a dump for earthquake debris being built in their suburb.

Canterbury schools to lose teachers because rolls have fallen

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Christchurch schools will lose the equivalent of 167 teaching jobs next year as the government removes support for schools that lost pupils after February's earthquake.

Minister says recovery process from quake moving quickly

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Minister for Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, says the recovery process from Canterbury's earthquake is moving quickly, despite strong aftershocks yesterday setting back repair work.

Earthquake Hit Canterbury Farmers

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The support has been outstanding for those with damaged homes, buildings and farm infrastructure, but some are still too shattered to really know what to get the keen helpers to do.

02 Joy Reid | The Christchurch Quake

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Joy Reid nearly gave up journalism while struggling with PTSD after covering the Christchurch earthquakes, but went on to her dream role as the Europe correspondent for TVNZ.

Quake hearing told 300 more would have died

Audio, Radio New Zealand

An additional 300 people could have died in the February 22nd earthquake in Christchurch, if it wasn't for the earlier quake in September.

Labour accuses Government of underfunding skills training

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Labour Party has accused the Government of sitting on money set aside to provide skills training needed for the Canterbury earthquake rebuild.

Earthquakes expose hidden artefacts in central Christchurch

Audio, Radio New Zealand

When the Canterbury earthquakes brought about the destruction of almost all of the buildings in central Christchurch, it created a unique opportunity for an insight into the past.

EQC chief responds to highly critical report

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A new report says the Earthquake Commission was ill-prepared for a major earthquake and had to use inexperienced staff to respond to the Canterbury earthquakes.

Andy Buchanan - timber and earthquakes

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Professor of Timber Design at the University of Canterbury, who is playing a key role in the international resurgence in the use of timber for large-scale buildings.

Restoration of Arts Centre reveals hidden gems

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The repair of Christchurch's earthquake damaged arts centre has revealed details hidden from view for forty years including a badminton court and the site of an old swimming pool.

Signs positive Chch Cathedral will be restored, group says

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The new Cabinet is reportedly considering a rebuild plan for the Christchurch Cathedral, damaged in the 2011 earthquake. Supporters of restoring the cathedral say the signs are promising.

Earthquake survivor says Wgtn must cordon around unsafe sites

Audio, Radio New Zealand

A woman crushed to within milimetres of her life in the Christchurch earthquake says it is murderously cavalier for Wellington's council not to cordon off weak or prone buildings.

CERA could take over running of Chch within days

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Responsibility for dealing with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake could pass from Civil Defence to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority within a matter of days.

Brownlee to meet with Chch mayor over consenting today

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee says it would be an absolute disaster for Christchurch, if the City Council stopped issuing building consents next week.

Concerns highlighted about high costs of dumping quake rubble

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Record fines for two companies and a director who illegally dumped contaminated demolition material has highlighted problems with the costs of dumping earthquake rubble from Christchurch.

EQC respond to claims of inadequate assessments

Audio, Radio New Zealand

EQC's manager for the Canterbury home repair programme, Reid Stiven, respondes to claims of misleading estimates of damage to household foundations from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

Tower insurance admits seeking cheapest option

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Tower Insurance has increased the amount it is willing to pay towards repairing an earthquake-damaged Christchurch home, but is still refusing to pay for a more expensive rebuild.

Liability fears hinder the assessment of quake-prone buildings

Audio, Radio New Zealand

The president of the Structural Engineers' Society, John Hare, says since the Christchurch earthquakes, engineers have been too conservative in evaulations for fear of liability.

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.

Work begins replacing lost rest home beds

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Health officials in Christchurch have today begun work on a recovery plan for how they will replace hundreds of beds lost in rest homes because of the recent earthquake.

Royal Commission into quakes won't investigate liability

Audio, Radio New Zealand

People caught up in February's earthquake in Christchurch want to know why a Royal Commission of inquiry isn't going to apportion any blame for building collapses.

Royal Commission excludes liability issues

Audio, Radio New Zealand

Survivors of February's devastating earthquake in Christchurch are astounded the Royal Commission won't investigate whether anyone should be held liable for the collapse of so many central city buildings.

Chambers at 241

Audio, Radio New Zealand

From the ashes of the earthquakes which have destroyed so much of Christchurch over the past year, are starting to rise new venues and new opportunities for artisits.