More than 10,000 winter heat installations have been completed in greater Christchurch, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
Mr Brownlee said the Earthquake Commission’s (EQC) project manager Fletcher EQR has now installed 7172 heat pumps and repaired or installed nearly 2835 solid fuel burners.
“Fletcher EQR has worked hard to ensure the people in most need have been attended to.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett have announced that temporary accommodation assistance is available for Cantabrians in the residential red zone.
From today Temporary Accommodation Assistance (TAA) will be available for Christchurch residents who own homes within the residential red zone.
“This will help earthquake-affected residents who’ve had to move out of their own home and have extra accommodation costs to cover,” says Mr Brownlee.
The government has developed further details of its offer to buy the properties of insured Canterbury homeowners in the residential red zone, including legal support and generous deposit rates, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
“The package includes a $3.83 million contribution to the legal costs of homeowners’ in the residential red zone who chose to accept the government’s offers to purchase their property.
Interest in the government's offer to purchase homes in the residential red zone in Canterbury is high, with 2824 consent forms returned by the end of July, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
On 23 June the government announced that around 5000 properties were in the residential red zone because their land was unlikely to be suitable for residential occupation for a considerable period of time.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says speculation by The Christchurch Press and others that a decision about orange zoned land in Kaiapoi is due next week is irresponsible.
“Publishing pure speculation shows no sensitivity to the people living in the area. They want a well considered and robust decision, not something rushed to meet a headline’s expectation,” Mr Brownlee said.
“As a homeowner in an orange zone I know the deep frustration, and at times despair, the uncertainty waiting for land information brings.
The contract to demolish the Copthorne Hotel in Durham Street has been awarded, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
“The contract has been awarded to local company Leighs Engineering Ltd and the job is expected to be completed within three months,” Mr Brownlee said.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has been working closely with the building owner and Millennium and Copthorne Hotels NZ, whose hotel chain Copthorne had the lease to occupy the building, in awarding the demolition tender.
All of the Selwyn District and large parts of the Waimakariri District have now been reclassified from the white zone to the green zone, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
"When the Government announced on 23 June that all of greater Christchurch had been mapped into four residential zones, these areas were in the white zone as they had been unmapped by geotechnical engineers," Mr Brownlee said.
Prime Minister John Key today welcomed the announcement that Christchurch businesses, community groups and children are set to receive funding in the latest round of disbursements from the Government’s Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.
“Since the Appeal was set up in February, people from around the country and the world have dug deep to help Christchurch recover. That generosity has given the Appeal the opportunity to assist a wide variety of worthy projects which will help make a difference to Christchurch.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has welcomed the release of economic indicators showing some promising areas of economic activity in Canterbury, but he notes that most of the data is pre-June, so doesn’t show the affect of the major quakes which hit on June 13.
“The indicators released today by the Ministry of Economic Development are consistent with recent Treasury, Infometrics and NZIER reports which show business confidence levels in the Canterbury region are holding up,” Mr Brownlee said.
People living in the greater Christchurch area are being asked by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) to provide their views on what should be done to help the region recover from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
The information gathered will be used by CERA in producing a Recovery Strategy for the region by the end of this year, in keeping with the requirements of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011.
Education Minister Anne Tolley has confirmed that Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School in Christchurch will temporarily return to their home sites for up to two years.
“I have to emphasise that this is a temporary measure, and that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has only agreed to the sites being used for up to two years,” says Mrs Tolley.
“Their return also depends on there being no more adverse events that might affect the safety or viability of these sites.”
Efforts are being stepped up to support quake-stricken Cantabrians with more resources being channelled into mental health services, says Associate Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman.
Extended GP consultations, increased counselling support and a new specialist earthquake response team has been established to help people cope with the on-going effects of the series of major earthquakes and aftershocks in the region.
$6 million in lottery funding has been allocated to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, the Minister of Internal Affairs Nathan Guy has announced today.
“In total $154 million in lottery allocations will be pumped back into the community this year, from the proceeds of games like Lotto, Instant Kiwi and Daily Keno.
“The $6 million grant will go to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, following a grant of $8.2 million raised by a special Lotto draw earlier this year.
The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has paid out more than $1 billion in claims for earthquake damage to residential property since 4 September last year, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
EQC has received nearly 370,000 claims for the 13 separate events since September, including more than 22,000 for the aftershock on 13 June.
“This shows significant amounts of money flowing to claimants,” Mr Brownlee said.
The rating valuation systems for two Canterbury councils have been changed from 30 June 2011 following the devastating earthquakes that have struck the region, Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson said today.
The next general revaluation for Christchurch City Council has been extended to 1 December 2013 and 1 December 2012 for Waimakariri District Council. The July 2012 date for Selwyn District Council remains unchanged.
Government legislation also amends the circumstances for altering rating values between general revaluations.
The Government has pledged a special payment of up to $16 million to Canterbury District Health Board for earthquake related costs in the 2010/11 financial year ending today.
Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "Before the earthquakes, Canterbury DHB was projecting a break even at the end of this financial year. This additional payment will ensure they do break even and earthquake costs to date are covered.
"This is being paid for from unallocated and unspent funding within the Health budget.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced the make-up of the community forum to provide him with information and advice on earthquake recovery matters.
The forum will consist of 38 members from a wide cross-section of the Canterbury community representing business and ethnic interests, as well as residents associations and groups.
Prime Minister John Key today welcomed ANZ’s $1 billion dollar commitment of special mortgage lending to help Christchurch homeowners relocate.
ANZ today announced it has committed $1 billion in new residential mortgage lending, with a low interest rate, to help residents relocate from the residential red zone.
“This announcement is welcomed by the Government,” says Mr Key.
“It shows that despite the earthquakes, there is business confidence in Christchurch and Canterbury.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the announcement today of zones of land damage in greater Christchurch is the most up-to-date information that can be provided.
"The government will continue to provide the public with timely and accurate information on the state of the land and what it means for residents," Mr Brownlee said.
All greater Christchurch land has been mapped into four zones – red, orange, green and white.
RED ZONE
Prime Minister John Key and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee on today's announcement concerning earthquake land recovery options.
Prime Minister John Key today announced the next step in the government's ongoing work to give people of greater Christchurch a clearer picture of what their future holds following a series of major earthquakes and aftershocks in the region.
Mr Key and Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee today released a map of the areas of greater Christchurch where the land is unlikely to be able to be rebuilt on for a considerable period of time.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the government will give an initial update on the state of land in greater Christchurch at a media briefing at 1:30pm tomorrow in Christchurch.
"As part of this announcement, the government will be presenting options for homeowners with insurance in some of the worst affected areas," Mr Brownlee said.
The government has agreed to prepare an order in council changing Christchurch City Council’s annual planning and accountability responsibilities, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide announced today.
"The primary goal of this order in council will be to condense the public consultation period for the council's draft 2011/12 annual plan so they can focus on getting on with the recovery process in Canterbury," Mr Brownlee said.
