
A video of an interview with Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Frank Delli Cicchi, the Grand Central Group Australian and New Zealand general manager, about the demolition of the Hotel Grand Chancellor. The Grand Chancellor is the tallest building in Christchurch, and was severely damaged during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Fletcher Construction have been chosen to demolish the building.
Damage to The Bone Dude's Bone Carving Studio and Cultured Gallery on Fitzgerald Avenue. The brick wall is cracked, and the guttering has fallen. The photographer comments, "This building was damaged in the September earthquake in Christchurch. It was the Bone dude's bone carving studio. The motto on the wall was 'Carve your own' and it looks like the earthquakes did just that".
Bricks have fallen from the walls of the former Princess Cinema in New Brighton, exposing the interior. The photographer comments, "Back of the old Princess Cinema in New Brighton after the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand on 22 February. In this picture you can see inside the old cinema curtains. This building has now been knocked down as it was so dangerous".
An aerial photograph of the Christchurch CBD. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This photograph shows the many tall CBD buildings, with the Hotel Grand Chancellor under demolition in the centre of the photograph. The street in the foreground running up the photograph from left to right is Lichfield Street with the old Bus Exchange clearly visible".
Workers operate a drilling rig, sampling soil as part of EQC's geotechnical investigation of TC3 land. The photographer comments, "The work of getting 'soil' samples from all the areas marked as green/blue zones in Christchurch. These areas may be susceptible to liquefaction if a major earthquake occurs. The soil samples were a failure as all they found was sand".
A building on St Asaph Street has been demolished, exposing the interior structure of the adjoining building. The photographer comments, "The building that this one was part of has been demolished and the join looks very much like the exterior walls of an Anglo-Saxon house. It has been exposed due to the demolition of damaged buildings after the Christchurch earthquake".
Two men chat on a beach about what the new year will bring. Out at sea is the container ship 'Rena' in two halves and the rain pours down. Context: 2011 was a year of disasters in New Zealand with new earthquakes in Christchurch and the 'Rena' running aground on the Astrolabe Reef off the Tauranga coast. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows two images of cars nose-down in ditches, the first is caused by 'liquifaction' and the second by 'stupifaction'. Context: there was another large aftershock on Boxing Day in Christchurch which resulted in quite a lot of liquefaction. There is always concern over the Christmas holidays about drinking while driving. Other Titles - Liquefaction Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
20130325_1112_EOS M-25 Water water everywhere! (Day 84/365) While the whole of the North Island is under drought conditions and parts of the South Island likely to follow suit, I doubt it will happen in Christchurch. With hundreds of earthquake road, water and sewer repairs underway many are spilling hundreds of litres of water per minute, like...
A month after the 1st anniversary of the deadly Christchurch earthquake (22/02/11) a road cone lies on New Brighton Road, alongside the Avon River. Part of the earthquake 1st anniversary remembrance was for people to place flowers in road cones (and there are hundreds of thousands in the city). Many had flowers in them, as this one did. Photo ...
Christchurch city experienced a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on September 4 at 4:35 am. The epicentre was 40 km west of the city. It was the most damaging earthquake in New Zealand since the Hawke's Bay earthquake in 1931, but there was no loss of life. It was fortunate the earthquake occurred when the central city streets were deserted, as there w...
Today (04/09/14) marks the fourth anniversary since the first earthquake rocked the city and greater Christchurch area. That first quake was magnitude 7.1, and luckily there was only one fatality (possible a heart attack). Since then we have had over 14,000 quakes, most very small in magnitude, but well over 500 of magnitude 4 or greater. 5...
On Tuesday 22 February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city. The ‘earthquake’ was in fact an aftershock to an earlier 7.1 magnitude earthquake that had occurred on Saturday 4 September 2010. There were a number of key differences between the two events that meant they had dramatically different results for Christchurch and its inhabitants. The 22 February 2011 event resulted in one of New Zealand’s worst natural disasters on record, with 185 fatalities occurring and hundreds more being injured. In addition, a large number of buildings either collapsed or were damaged to the point where they needed to be totally demolished. Since the initial earthquake in September 2010, a large amount of building-related research has been initiated in New Zealand to investigate the impact of the series of seismic events – the major focus of these research projects has been on seismic, structural and geotechnical engineering matters. One project, however, conducted jointly by the University of Canterbury, the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand and BRANZ, has focused on the performance of fire protection systems in the earthquakes and the effectiveness of the systems in the event of post-earthquake fires occurring. Fortunately, very few fires actually broke out following the series of earthquake events in Christchurch, but fire after earthquakes still has significant implications for the built environment in New Zealand, and the collaborative research has provided some invaluable insight into the potential threat posed by post-earthquake fires in buildings. As well as summarising the damage caused to fire protection systems, this paper discusses the flow-on effect for designing structures to withstand post-earthquake fires. One of the underlying issues that will be explored is the existing regulatory framework in New Zealand whereby structural earthquake design and structural design for fire are treated as discrete design scenarios.
Photographically reproduced postcard shows a semi-humorous illustration by J L Martin of the Provincial Government buildings in Christchurch, seen looking southeast from across the intersection of Durham and Armagh Streets, imagined as warped and twisting in the Murchison Earthquake of 1929. Speech bubbles come from the mouths of some small figures: "Women & children first", "Order please", "Oh for the wings of a dove", "Stop that jazzing up there", "Wheres my puff box". The title below the picture is: "The camera cannot lie". The artist J L Martin has handwritten a message on the verso. In 1928, this building was occupied by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Receiver of Land Revenue, the Registrar of Deeds, the Lands Transfer Office and the Lands & Survey Department (See Wises directory 1928, page 214) Other Titles - Christchurch, Christmas Inscriptions: Verso - centre - With kind remembrances / From yours sincerely / J L Martin Quantity: 1 Other printed ephemera item(s). Physical Description: Photograph on postcard, 88 x 137 mm. Provenance: Ms McLean was the granddaughter of Arthur John Wicks, the Chief Draughtsman, Head Office, New Zealand Lands & Survey Department. He had worked with Crown Lands in Blenheim before moving to Wellington in 1917. The artist J L Martin sent the card to Mr Wicks.
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.
When the devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, at 12.51pm on 22nd February 2011, the psychological and physical landscape was irrevocably changed. In the days and weeks following the disaster communities were isolated due to failed infrastructure, continuing aftershocks and the extensive search and rescue effort which focussed resources on the central business district. In such moments the resilience of a community is truly tested. This research discusses the role of grassroots community groups in facilitating community resilience during the Christchurch 2010/11 earthquakes and the role of place in doing so. I argue that place specific strategies for urban resilience need to be enacted from a grassroots level while being supported by broader policies and agencies. Using a case study of Project Lyttelton – a group aspiring towards a resilient sustainable future who were caught at the epicentre of the February earthquake – I demonstrate the role of a community group in creating resilience through self-organised place specific action during a disaster. The group provided emotional care, basic facilities and rebuilding assistance to the residents of Lyttelton, proving to be an invaluable asset. These actions are closely linked to the characteristics of social support and social learning that have been identified as important to socio-ecological resilience. In addition this research will seek to understand and explore the nuances of place and identity and its role in shaping resilience to such dis-placing events. Drawing on community narratives of the displacement of place identity, the potential for a progressive sense of place as instigated by local groups will be investigated as an avenue for adaptation by communities at risk of disaster and place destabilisation.
Damage to buildings along Norwich Quay in Lyttelton. To the left is the Lyttelton Hotel with a crumbled top. Bricks have fallen on the awning and all along the footpath. To the right is a cafe that was damaged severely in the earthquake. The front wall of the top storey has crumbled onto the street, crushing a car. Wire fencing and road cones have been used to create a cordon around the buildings.
A photograph of street art on the wall of a building on Colombo Street. The artwork is by Otis Frizzell and depicts police officer Constable Nao Yoshimizu comforting the grieving relative of an earthquake victim. Constable Yoshimizu acted as liaison officer for the families of Japanese victims of the earthquake. The mural was commissioned by the New Zealand Police as a recruitment advertisement.
A man reads a newspaper report about dung beetles being imported to process organic waste. In the second frame someone in one of a row of three portaloos wonders whether dung beetles would be better at it than the Council. Refers to the need for portaloos in the Canterbury region after the 4th September earthquake that damaged much plumbing infrastructure. Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
The city of Ōtautahi/Christchurch experienced a series of earthquakes that began on September 4th, 2010. The most damaging event occurred on February 22nd, 2011 but significant earthquakes also occurred on June 13th and December 23rd with aftershocks still occurring well into 2012. The resulting disaster is the second deadliest natural disaster in New Zealand’s history with 185 deaths. During 2011 the Canterbury earthquakes were one of the costliest disasters worldwide with an expected cost of up to $NZ30 billion. Hundreds of commercial buildings and thousands of houses have been destroyed or are to be demolished and extensive repairs are needed for infrastructure to over 100,000 homes. As many as 8,900 people simply abandoned their homes and left the city in the first few months after the February event (Newell, 2012), and as many as 50,000 may leave during 2012. In particular, young whānau and single young women comprised a disproportionate number of these migrants, with evidence of a general movement to the North Island. Te Puni Kōkiri sought a mix of quantitative and qualitative research to examine the social and economic impacts of the Christchurch earthquakes on Māori and their whānau. The result of this work will be a collection of evidence to inform policy to support and assist Māori and their whānau during the recovery/rebuild phases. To that end, this report triangulates available statistical and geographical information with qualitative data gathered over 2010 and 2011 by a series of interviews conducted with Māori who experienced the dramatic events associated with the earthquakes. A Māori research team at Lincoln University was commissioned to undertake the research as they were already engaged in transdisciplinary research (began in the May 2010), that focused on quickly gathering data from a range of Māori who experienced the disaster, including relevant economic, environmental, social and cultural factors in the response and recovery of Māori to these events. Participants for the qualitative research were drawn from Māori whānau who both stayed and left the city. Further data was available from ongoing projects and networks that the Lincoln research team was already involved in, including interviews with Māori first responders and managers operating in the CBD on the day of the February event. Some limited data is also available from younger members of affected whānau. Māori in Ōtautahi/Christchurch City have exhibited their own culturally-attuned collective responses to the disaster. However, it is difficult to ascertain Māori demographic changes due to a lack of robust statistical frameworks but Māori outward migration from the city is estimated to range between 560 and 1,100 people. The mobility displayed by Māori demonstrates an important but unquantified response by whānau to this disaster, with emigration to Australia presenting an attractive option for young Māori, an entrenched phenomenon that correlates to cyclical downturns and the long-term decline of the New Zealand economy. It is estimated that at least 315 Māori have emigrated from the Canterbury region to Australia post-quake, although the disaster itself may be only one of a series of events that has prompted such a decision. Māori children made up more than one in four of the net loss of children aged 6 to 15 years enrolled in schools in Greater Christchurch over the year to June 2011. Research literature identifies depression affecting a small but significant number of children one to two years post-disaster and points to increasing clinical and organisational demands for Māori and other residents of the city. For those residents in the eastern or coastal suburbs – home to many of the city’s Māori population - severe damage to housing, schools, shops, infrastructure, and streets has meant disruption to their lives, children’s schooling, employment, and community functioning. Ongoing abandonment of homes by many has meant a growing sense of unease and loss of security, exacerbated by arson, burglaries, increased drinking, a stalled local and national economy, and general confusion about the city’s future. Māori cultural resilience has enabled a considerable network of people, institutions, and resources being available to Māori , most noticeably through marae and their integral roles of housing, as a coordinating hub, and their arguing for the wider affected communities of Christchurch. Relevant disaster responses need to be discussed within whānau, kōhanga, kura, businesses, communities, and wider neighbourhoods. Comprehensive disaster management plans need to be drafted for all iwi in collaboration with central government, regional, and city or town councils. Overall, Māori are remarkably philosophical about the effects of the disaster, with many proudly relishing their roles in what is clearly a historic event of great significance to the city and country. Most believe that ‘being Māori’ has helped cope with the disaster, although for some this draws on a collective history of poverty and marginalisation, features that contribute to the vulnerability of Māori to such events. While the recovery and rebuild phases offer considerable options for Māori and iwi, with Ngāi Tahu set to play an important stakeholder in infrastructural, residential, and commercial developments, some risk and considerable unknowns are evident. Considerable numbers of Māori may migrate into the Canterbury region for employment in the rebuild, and trades training strategies have already been established. With many iwi now increasingly investing in property, the risks from significant earthquakes are now more transparent, not least to insurers and the reinsurance sector. Iwi authorities need to be appraised of insurance issues and ensure sufficient coverage exists and investments and developments are undertaken with a clear understanding of the risks from natural hazards and exposure to future disasters.
National MP Gerry Brownlee says it's a great tragedy that the former chairman of government insurer Southern Response has been treated the way that he has. Ross Butler resigned on Tuesday night after a State Services Commission inquiry found Southern Response had broken its code of conduct and possibly the law, when it used private investigators to secretly record meetings of earthquake victims. The Minister for Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods says Mr Butler was aware of what was going on, as was Mr Brownlee when he was a Minister.
There are hopes an earthquake simulation in Porirua might result in homes being better prepared for a big shake. Houses on Christchurch's Port Hills suffered more damage than houses in other areas during the Canterbury Earthquakes - even though the ground shaking was roughly the same. Now the Earthquake Commission is on a mission to find out why that was - and prevent the same level of damage in a future quake. Checkpoint reporter Logan Church and video journalist Dom Thomas start their report up on a hilly farm above Wellington.
The interior of the octagonal corner section of the Cranmer Court building, which housed Plato Creative from March 2008 to November 2009. The photograph showcases the building's intricate wooden ceiling and high windows. A stained glass crest is visible at the bottom of one of the windows reading, "Est. 1874. The spirit of this building lives on". Although designed to house a book depot, this section was used as the principal's office while Christchurch Normal School was operating from the building.
The interior of the octagonal corner section of the Cranmer Court building, which housed Plato Creative from March 2008 to November 2009. The photograph showcases the building's intricate wooden ceiling and high windows. A stained glass design is visible at the center of the windows with a motto underneath reading, "The spirit of this building lives on". Although designed to house a book depot, this section was used as the principal's office while Christchurch Normal School was operating from the building.
University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr conferring with former Chancellor Rex Williams, 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. Around them students have gathered to watch a local musician play. The student have spent the day clearing liquefaction from Christchurch properties as part of the Student Volunteer Army.
A damaged brick building on Tuam Street. Bricks have fallen from the wall exposing the interior, where a wooden structure can be seen to have collapsed. The photographer comments, "This is the damage caused by the numerous earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. It closely resembles a face and the round blob in the square hole at the top of the nose is a pigeon".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch CBD was 'yarn-bombed' during the weekend using yarn and fabric pieces to brighten public areas and earthquake-affected spaces. Visitor Ann Rees and her husband Bernard from South Wales said when looking at the yarn-bombed busts at the Arts Centre (from left: Diana Isaac, Elisie Locke, Charles Luney and Margaret Mahy) that it didn't appear like the work of vandals, but looked quite homely and warm".
Highlights from Radio New Zealand National's programmes for the week ending Friday 7 December. This week ...... not everyone was keen on The Hobbit world premiere party, measuring and assessing innovation, expecting excellence of all students in education no matter what race they are, a world wide gathering of "Dobson's" tour ancestral South Island locations, The Christchurch Fiasco - what is going on with insurance companies post earthquakes, getting touchy feely with art and reggae star Jimmy Cliff on his spiritual life and learnings
A review of the week's news including the aftermath of Auckland's killer Tornado, the pros and cons of the castration of serial sex offenders, the current state of the property market, the RNZAF's first revamped Orion on show, a Penthouse posing teacher's registration is revoked, Rugby World Cup opportunities for NZ business, a heroic ship wreck rescue remembered 80 years on and a true story of 'the show must go on' in the aftermth of the Christchurch earthquake.
A review of the week's news including the aftermath of Auckland's killer Tornado, the pros and cons of the castration of serial sex offenders, the current state of the property market, the RNZAF's first revamped Orion on show, a Penthouse posing teacher's registration is revoked, Rugby World Cup opportunities for NZ business, a heroic ship wreck rescue remembered 80 years on and a true story of 'the show must go on' in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.