30.08.11. Quake cracked pavement by sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, medical bldg, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake. The bldg would be demolished
Over the past months, post Feb 22 Killer Qake, other red zone, CBD niches had opened too. But public were still banned red zone access, public safety & guarding property excuses, guarded by cops & NZDF soldiers at variable cordon checkpoints, although the National State of Emergency was long gone.
30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger, quake demolition site, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake
CERA guarded the red zone CBD, opening it little by little, after demolitions. It didn't need much brain nor time to demolish quake broken bldgs. Why did it take so long for CERA demolishers to open the CBD red zone niche between Lichfield St & Tuam St?
30.08.11. Quake damaged pavement by sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Oxford Tce view, Cambridge Tce, quake damaged bldg, post June 13 quake
Tue 30.08.11. I parked my car near Christchurch Hospital & trekked to the western red zone niche, snapping quakescapes along sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce.
Lichfield St:Empty Red zone, silent, USAR / TF graffitied ghosts, steel mesh fences & shipping container cordons. Steel mesh fence cordon sign:
NO THROUGH
TRAFFIC
PROPERTY
ACCESS
ONLY
Beyond a parking garage, behind Lichfield St steel mesh fence cordon, an orange digger demolished a bldg in clouds of dust. I tied my scarf round my mouth & nose, fearing asbestos pollution.
30.08.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Recently opened CBD red zone niche, Lichfield St, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, USAR / TF graffitied bldg, red zone, Lichfield St, post June 13 quake
Between Lichfield St & Tuam St, behind a steel mesh fence cordon, 2 orange diggers were parked on empty demolition sites. Post quakes, about half of Christchurch CBD bldgs would be demolished.
30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger demolition of quake trashed bldg, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake
At the side of Lichfield St St steel mesh fence cordon, I trekked through a fence opening into a carpark by recently reopened business bldgs. I snapped more pics of the demolition & empty demolition sites between Lichfield St & Tuam St to Colombo St. I didn't know then, the area would become the temporary bus exchange, then Hoyts EntX. The new Bus Interchange would be built across Colombo St.
30.08.11. Lichfield St view, quake damaged high rises: Hotel Grand Chancellor left, Westpac middle, Holiday Inn right, red zone, Christchurch CBD, post June 13 quake. The 3 high rises would be demolished
Backdrop multi-storey ghosts: Hotel Grand Chancellor; Westpac; Holiday Inn (all would be demolished). Colombo St ghost shops. Multi-storey, old Council ghost, Tuam St, would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange.
30.08.11. Post quake demolition sites, west side Colombo St, post June 13 quake. Backdrop: east side, old Colombo St shops & old Council bldg. Shops & Council bldg would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange
Demolishers had sanitized quake destruction, leaving Colombo St a clean movie set: Colombo St east side, ghosts awaited demolition. Men in hard hats & orange, Hi-Vis vests wandered empty demolition sites behind the steel mesh fence cordon: staring at ruins; taking snaps; nattering in groups; hanging around in a crane box; wandering a deserted parking garage, 4th floor; an orange digger demolishing in clouds of dust. I counted 2 orange diggers, 2 orange cranes, 1 white crane behind a steel mesh fence cordon. Only 1 orange digger did any work, waste of time, money.
30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger, post quake demolition of quake trashed bldg, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Two orange diggers, 2 orange cranes, 1 white crane, post quake demolition sites & quake damaged parking garage, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Post quake demolition sites & Colombo St east side, quake damaged bldgs, post June 13 quake. Old Council bldg backdrop. East side shops & Council bldg would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange
While I snapped by a steel mesh fence cordon, a chinless, buck-toothed lady in orange, Hi-Vis vest, sans hard hat & wearing joggers, pointed at my jandals & twice barked, "This is not a public area!"
"You're talking nonsense!" I said. "Where's your hard hat & hard cap boots?" She shut up & left. Why Hi-Vis vest Fools wanted to boss public around post quakes was beyond me?
30.08.11. Business carpark view, post quake demolition sites & Colombo St east side bldgs awaiting demolition, post June 13 quake. Backdrop: Quake damaged Holiday Inn left & old Council bldg right. Both bldgs would be demolished
Her steel mesh fence cordoned carpark was behind empty demolition sites (soon to be the new, temp Bus Exchange) & other steel mesh fence cordons closer to Colombo St. Both ends of her steel mesh fence cordoned patch were open, with no official, access restriction notices from Lichfield St side, nor Tuam St side. Her carpark had a couple of skips filled with rubbish. Cardboard boxes & blue pallets were strewn by the steel mesh fence cordon.
30.08.11. Tuam St view, post quake demolition sites (soon to be the new, temp Bus Exchange) & parking garage. Central Police bldg behind left would be imploded 31.05.15. New Council bldg behind
30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake survivor, Council bldg, would become Tuam Library in 2012
Southwards down Colombo St, 15 people were killed by the Feb 22 Killer Quake, old bldg bricks falling on 7 killed pedestrians & 8 people killed in the Sumner 702 (updated number 3) red bus.
I still got angry, questioning why those lethal old, brick bldgs weren't condemned & demolished post Sept 4 Darfield Quake? Dithering authorities, hounded by Heritage hailers, had more than enough time to demolish unreinforced, old, brick bldgs, as aftershock warnings had continued between Sept 4 Darfield Quake & Feb 22 Killer Quake.
Lichfield St - Tuam St: Bldgs in the red zone niche still had USAR / TF graffiti on ghost shop windows & doors. Behind the steel mesh fence cordon, a bldg's first floor, red cnr was nylon strapped against aftershocks.
30.08.11. Nylon strapped, quake damaged bldg, Tuam St red zone, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. ROAD CLOSED. Tuam St, steel mesh fence cordoned, red zone, post June 13 quake. Old Council bldg left would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange
30.08.11. Tuam St / Colombo St, post June 13 quake: 8 people were killed in the Sumner 702 (updated number 3) red bus, masonry falling from old, unreinforced bldgs nr Mollett St junction
30.08.11. Tuam St / Colombo St, post June 13 quake. The orange, Hi-Vis vested man faced where someone was killed in the Feb 22 quake. Old Council bldg, Tuam St beyond would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange
30.08.11. Tuam St, steel mesh fence cordon view, quake damaged, CBD, red zone bldgs, Colombo St & beyond, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Former CBD red zone, Tuam St business, post June 13 quake. Cordon closed for 6 months post Feb 22 quake
Tuam St: Snapped more ghost shops, USAR / TF graffitied: Mastertrade Plumbing, Drake Leisure Co Ltd, S.I. McHarg Print Finishers... Through Lighthouse shop windows, I snapped broken lamps & chandeliers, 6 months post Feb 22 Killer Quake. USAR / TF graffiti marked C - Clear no bodies.
30.08.11. Quake damaged, Lighthouse shop, Tuam St, closed for 6 months post Feb 22 quake, in CBD, steel mesh fence cordoned, red zone
Returned to my car, past an orange digger loaded on a truck, ready for another demolition. Passed Antigua Boat Shed, by sewage polluted Avon River, then passed quake damaged, Christchurch Hospital.
How long would CERA take to open more CBD niches in the red zone? How many more Hi-Vis vested Fools would order public around? National govt declared States of Emergencies had enabled cops, soldiers, Hi-Vis vested Fools to order citizens around, causing an "us & them" ethos.
Mar 2013. More than 2 years post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, Christchurch CBD would still be red zoned, CERA occupied / NZDF cordoned, citizens banned. When I'd lived in apartheid SA, cops, SADF soldiers, threat signs, fenced areas symbolized SA's fascist state. Post quake Christchurch was symbolized by cops, NZDF soldiers, Hi-Vis vested Fools, threat signs, fenced areas, CERA.
30.08.11. Green portaloo, Tuam St / Durham St Sth, former red zone, post June 13 quake
30.08.11. Orange digger on truck, ready for another post quake demolition, Tuam St, post June 13 quake
*Trekked Oxford Tce, Lichfield St, Tuam St. 49 snaps.
Wed 31.08.11. Aftershocks while I worked on blog pics:
1.15pm, M4.00, depth 5km, within 5km of Lyttelton.
1.30pm, M4.7, depth 11km, 20km SW of Christchurch. Jolted & rumbled our house while I uploaded pics.
2.26pm, M3.4, depth 12km, 20km SW of Christchurch. (GeoNet).
31.08.11. Christchurch Mail: "As of yesterday, we have had a staggering 2 684 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 or higher batter our region."
Regarding insurance: "The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has received more than 388 000 claims for the Canterbury earthquakes, since September last year...
The Canterbury and Christchurch earthquakes are likely to rank globally as the fourth most costly for insurers since 1970 - after Northbridge, California, in 1994, the [M]9.0 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan in March this year, and Kobe, Japan in 1995."
Coda:
Fri 02.09.11. 3.29am, M4.9, depth 6km, 10km E of Lyttelton. (GeoNet).
Sat 03.09.11. Weekend Press. EQC's incompetence since the 04.09.10 Darfield Quake a year before:
"STATS...
All events include aftershocks.
No of claims 383 501
Open 324 336
Closed 59 165
Total paid to date $1 321 980 700"
After 1 year, EQC's successfully closed payouts, just 15%. NZ National govt said EQC's liability to quakes had increased by $4 billion to about $7 billion.
Sun 04.09.11. Sunny spring afternoon. Anniversary of the 04.09.10 Darfield Quake. City circuit drive, CBD, eastern suburbs:
Rolleston Ave: CBD sanitized zone. Busy scene, citizens, tourists viewed outside photo-poster exhibition, on the pavement by Christ's College & Canterbury Museum. Drawing people back into the CBD. Citizens, tourists strolled Worcester Blvd past Arts Centre ghost.
Hereford St / Cambridge Tce: CBD sanitized zone, by old, brick Library Chambers ghost, steel mesh fence cordoned, awaiting demolition.
Cambridge Tce: CBD sanitized zone. Citizens, tourists, rubberneckers viewed red zone, ghost CBD, across sewage polluted Avon River: cordoned ghost restaurants, ghost high-rises, ghost streets. Bridge of Remembrance, steel mesh fence cordoned across middle, pulsed with rubberneckers, cameras. Cordoned Cashel Mall ghost, demolition sites.
New normal, post quake scene: South Library, Colombo St. Citizens enjoyed coffee, reading books, magazines, newspapers, selecting books, DVDs. Citizens watched plasma screen TV & worked on computers. South Library was more crowded due to Central Library closure & closures of many other Council libraries.
Later on, South Library, south wall would be steel braced, staying open for the public. Pre-quakes, it was built too close to Heathcote River & would need post quake strengthening.
New normal, E suburbs: Drove past Bromley sewage ponds / sewage works, undergoing post quake repairs.
Estuary Rd, South New Brighton: Many orange, plastic, road cones, due to pipe excavations in road. (Cut to night view of New Brighton Pier, purple lit along pier length. Bar boozers at seaside bars. Bowhill Rd... Bower Ave... New Brighton Rd... still potholed, bumpy.)
Breezes Rd, Wainoni Rd: Scabby, patch repairs. Quake damages / repairs to houses.
Damaged east suburbs, unchanged over the last few months, post Feb 22 Killer Quake. Bumpy, shingled Avonside Dr by Porritt Park. Shingle stopbank. Red zone, ghost houses. Grey, quakemire dust.
Drove along bumpy, shingled, Kerrs Rd detour, past steel mesh fence cordoned, Avonside Dr by Kerrs Reach / sewage polluted Avon River. Ghost houses. Grey, quakemire dust.
Drove the bumpy detour along Torlesse St to Avonside Dr. Some shingle repairs to Torlesse St. Grey, quakemire dust.
Drove along shingled, bumpy, red zoned Avonside Dr to Avonside Girls HS ghost, by sewage polluted Avon River. Shingle stopbank. Desolation: trashed road, trashed pavements, red zone, ghost houses, cracked, damaged. Some houses lived in, some mowed grass. Avonside Dr ghost houses, unsanitized, gardens overgrown. Grey, quakemire dust.
Looked across shitty Avon River, to River Rd ghost houses, desolate or months. Grey, quakemire dust.
Stanmore Rd: Borderland between E, quake trashed, suburbs; red zone CBD & cleaner W suburbs.
Stanmore Rd / London St: Richmond Working Mens Club demolition side wall, tidied with black plastic, after weeks of demolition.
London St / Fitzgerald Ave: Blue National election fence poster of grinning, PM Key & election slogan: BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE.
Sun 04.09.11. Evening, 04.09.10 Darfield Quake anniversary:
TV1 news farce. Minister of Earthquake Recovery, Brownlee sat on a white, plastic chair in the CBD red zone, steel mesh fence cordon, viewing sanitized Lichfield St, Colombo St, Tuam St niche. Brownlee wore his red CERA jacket, apologizing to red zoners for his gaffe about payments for home improvements. Slow insurers & slow EQC needed ass kicking by Brownlee, who would do lots of public apologizing for CERA's zoning delays over the next few years.
TV1 news, evening. Male news reader, dressed in undertaker black suit, jabbered by Christ Church Cathedral ghost.
Cut to dog-collared, Christ Church Cathedral dean, oinking inanities, like his post quake TV ads. (The dean would soon resign, becaming a councillor, briefly).
Cut to Christ Church Cathedral choirboys in red cassocks, in CBD red zone. They sang by ruined Christ Church Cathedral at night. Solo sung by a curly, red haired boy. Choirboys also wore orange, Hi-Vis vests & plastic, hard hats. Red back-lighting shone on Christ Church Cathedral quake rubble. Little, blonde girl, sucking her cheeks in, wore a plastic, hard hat & yellow, Hi-Vis vest, switching on white (actually blue) lights of hope, two blue, light columns gyrating in the night sky above quake Christ Church Cathedral ghost, till Feb 23. (Reminiscent of 1930's, Nazi architect Speer's Cathedral of Light columns in the night sky for Hitler's Nuremberg Rally). What was Brownlee thinking?
Sun 04.09.11. 7.41pm, M4.4, depth 7km, 20km W of Christchurch (GeoNet). Disturbed our Fathers Day supper.
Early Mon morn, 05.09.11. Starry night sky, spoilt by blue light columns gyrating above, like fascist search-lights.
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See EQC
See Building a Brighter Future, NZ National party
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