Reopened Latimer Sq: No fanfare like the pre-elections opening of the new, temporary, Bus Exchange & Restart Cashel Mall, shipping container shops, west side of the CBD. CERA perpetuated slower development on the E side of town. Never mind E suburbs shattered by quakes.
CERA's website showed it's demolition powers:
"Background Information: demolition, partial demolition or make safe work.
The earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 caused widespread major damage in Christchurch and Canterbury. Continuing aftershocks in particular those on 13 June 2011, caused further damage.
Works to carry out demolitions, partial demolitions and make safe occurred in different periods.
1) From 22 February to 30 April 2011 a National State of Emergency was in place under the Ministry of Civil Defence Emergency Management (MCDEM). Work to make greater Christchurch safe, particularly commercial buildings in the CBD red zone, after the 22 February earthquake was done under (MCDEM) powers.
Buildings were assessed by engineers. Those determined to be dangerous required full demolition, partial demolition or make safe work.
This work was paid for by the Government (via MCDEM). Reimbursement of the costs was sought by the building owner and / or owner's insurance company. [Martial Law demolitions by Civil Defence].
2) From 1 May to 12 July 2011 a transition period occurred. CERA emergency management measures continued under section 85 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011 (CERA Act). This includes demolitions initiated under MCDEM. During this period full demolition, partial demolition and make safe work also continued.
Much of this work was carried out by CERA in agreement with the building owner. The building owner and / or building owner's insurance company was invoiced.
The 13 June aftershock required many buildings, particularly in the CBD red zone, to have urgent work carried out. This is because the buildings presented an immediate danger. This work was carried out by CERA. Building owners were invoiced. CERA recommended building owners contact their insurance companies as early as possible to meet invoice payment deadlines."
CERA relied on engineers' advice for demolitions. Engineers had already proved to be denialists, blame shifters, Don't-Blame-Me squealers at the Royal Commission of Inquiry regarding PGC multi-storey collapse. Engineers would continue denials when the Royal Commission investigated why CTV multi-storey collapsed. CERA would prove to be good at demolitions but mediocre at rebuilds.
Sat 17.12.11. Cold, overcast afternoon: I trekked Latimer Sq for the first time since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Like-minded citizens wandered too. Couple of cyclists did the shrunken, red zone fence cordon a bit faster. That afternoon, I counted 12 demolition sites around Latimer Sq, not counting several more demolition sites behind them.
Most CBD ghosts I saw would be demolished by CERA over the next few years. CBD demolitions went on for 28 months behind red zone, steel mesh fence cordons, guarded by NZDF checkpoints, citizen banned. Once NZDF soldiers retreated, CERA demolitions would continue in the CBD for years.
2015, CERA demolitions would still continue...
Drove down Barbadoes St & turned down Chester St East towards red zone CBD. Old Fire Service HQ, battered, wall panels peeled off. Behind the Fire Service fence, a demolition site, concrete steps going nowhere, amongst weedy flowers.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed Fire Service HQ, Chester St East
17.12.11. Stairs going nowhere, demolition site behind Fire Service HQ, Chester St East
Chester St East / Madras St: Red zone, steel mesh fence cordon curved across Madras St from Crighton B & B, a heritage house, towards Edmonds Clock Tower & Avon River. Behind the steel mesh fence cordon, The Poplars demolition site was naked. Battered, 2 Storey, Crighton House stood next to a house demolition site, filled with foundation rubble & weedy flowers, by another battered, 2 storey, wooden house. The demolished, 2 storey, wooden house was a heritage house.
Demolished house's garden wall, bronze plaque:
86-100 Chester Street East
Designed and built by William Widdowson
These four pairs of kauri timbered semi-detached
Victorian town houses were built in 1892.
William Widdowson, an early Canterbury colonist,
lived here with his family until the last surviving
child died in 1961. The houses were then sold and
converted into flats and offices during the 1960s.
The corner house was saved from demolition for road
widening of Madras Street. Their heritage listing and
upgrades ensure their survival as desirable town houses.
Quakes trashed the heritage town houses.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed, Victorian wooden house, Chester St East
Demolition site, steel mesh fence cordon, threat sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
17.12.11. Extreme Danger sign, steel mesh fence cordoned, Victorian house demolition site, Chester St East
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake ruins, demolition site, liquefactioned Victorian house, Chester St East
17.12.11. Liquefactioned driveway, Crighton House, Madras St / Chester St East
17.12.11. Liquefactioned quake ruin, Victorian house demolition site, Chester St East
17.12.11. Quake cracked, concrete-capped well, Victorian house demolition site, Chester St East
17.12.11. Quake ruin, Victorian house demolition site, Chester St East
17.12.11. Quake ruin, Victorian house demolition site, next to Crighton house, Chester St East
Odd sign, as the liquefactioned, back driveway to Crighton House was open. At the back of the house demolition site, a concrete-capped well leaked water across a carpark, into Madras St. The concrete-cap survived the quakes, with some cracks, but the well burst underground, leaking water ever since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Birds enjoyed the bird bath.
Survivor Jake was flooded out of his Waltham Rd flat when a capped well burst in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Besides flood water messing his possessions, he lost his hospitality job & best friend in that quake too. It took him 6 months to recover job & reasonable flat, after 4 crappy flat moves, including a liquefactioned garage "flat" & chemical toilet, no piped water, Cranford St, for 4.5 winter months.
Survivor Luke was dumped off a bus, Moorhouse Ave / Colombo St, bad place during the quake, as we lived in Burnside, NW of the trashed CBD where he was dumped by the bus driver. A few blocks down Colombo St, 16 people were killed by falling masonry, including 8 red bus passengers. Luke got back to Burnside 3 days later, detouring via ravaged E suburbs to his girlfriend's South New Brighton home.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Madras St carpark view, The Poplars demolition site, red zone, nr Oxford Tce & Avon River
17.12.11. Post Feb 22 quake flooding of a Madras St carpark, after a capped well burst
Heritage bldgs were old, wooden, stone, or brick bldgs, mostly unreinforced against quakes. Heritage hailers whined publically post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, diverting authorities from making Christchurch safe against aftershocks. Heritage hailers also diverted Council's demolitions pre Boxing Day Quake & pre 22.02.11 Killer Quake. After 185 quake deaths in the 22.02.11 quake, Heritage hailers would continue whining at protests in 2012. Example:
Ten months later, Oct 2012, Heritage hailers would whine about Cranmer Court demolition, hoping for a stay. Cranmer Court would be demolished. Never mind Heritage hailers' public protests & court case, delaying demolition of trashed Christ Church Cathedral.
Across Chester St East: Oxford Tce Baptist Church, demolition site. Bare. Next door, a boarded house, then another house with garden wall I'd seen months before, spray-painted: WE'RE OK. Oxford Tce Baptist Church would be rebuilt by 2017.
17.12.11. Oxford Tce Baptist Church, demolition site, Madras St, nr Fire Service HQ. Oxford Tce Baptist Church would be rebuilt by 2017
Church ad board, touting a Xmas service:
O COME ALL YE OVERWORKED,
WEARY, BROKE AND HOPEFUL.
17.12.11. Quake damaged, boarded house, Chester St East, nr Oxford Tce Baptist Church demolition site
In past months, trashed, Oxford Tce Baptist Church vicinity was a busy NZDF checkpoint, crawling with cops & NZDF soldiers, guarding contractor access to the CBD red zone. Checkpoint gone. Just a red zone, steel mesh fence cordon remained.
17.12.11. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Steel mesh fence cordon. Former NZDF military checkpoint, Madras St / Chester St East. The Poplars demolition site behind fence. The bldg would be demolished
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Former NZDF checkpoint, southern view, red zone, Madras St, by Chester St East cnr, towards Latimer Sq
Madras St / Oxford Tce: By Avon River, steel mesh fence cordoned, red zone, Edmonds Clock Tower, clock had stopped, 12.51pm, when 22.02.11 Killer Quake hit. Edmonds Clock Tower would be decapitated for repairs.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Edmonds Clock Tower, Oxford Tce / Madras St. The clock stopped 12.5 pm, when the 22.02.11 quake hit. The clock tower would be decapitated for repairs.
From Madras St, I detoured down Barbadoes St, turning into Armagh St, where I parked by an old, wooden, survivor house, surrounded by weedy demolition sites & Wilson carparks.
17.12.11. Armagh St, quake survivor, wooden house view, tombstone high rises in the cordoned, red zone CBD
17.12.11. Armagh St liquefactioned pavement view, red zone, cordoned, Armagh St / Madras St. Trade Union bldg demolition site right
17.12.11. Quake survivor, wooden house, surrounded by demolition sites & carparks, Armagh St
17.12.11. Armagh St, red zone, steel mesh fence cordon, nr house demolition site & Madras St crossing
Armagh St: Across the road, abandoned, 2 storey, Girl Guiding. Next door, abandoned Kindercare, carpark & playground, battered, grey quakemired.
17.12.11. Quake abandoned, Girl Guiding bldg, Armagh St
17.12.11. Liquefactioned, abandoned Kindercare, Armagh St
Behind Crighton House back fence, water leaked from the capped well to Madras St. Crighton House was the only quake survivor on the E side of Madras St, from Oxford Tce to Latimer Sq.
Ghosts Across Madras St: The Poplars demolition site. From Oxford Tce to Latimer Sq, only 2 trashed bldgs left, like Free legal Help / Community Law canterbury. They would be demolished for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark.
Later, CERA's CCDU would call all those demolition sites between Madras St & Manchester St its Blueprint East Frame: a NZ National govt land bank. CCDU's E Frame nodded to Council's City In A Garden, a longitudinal central portion would become Rauora Park, between Manchester St & Madras St, bordered by new apartment blocks both sides of Rauora Park.
17.12.11. Quake trashed bldg, red zone, steel mesh fence cordon, nr Armagh St / Madras St. The bldg would be demolished for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark
Madras St / Armagh St: Red zone. Trade Union gone, demolished, together with an old, wooden house behind it. A yellow digger parked on the demolition site. The bldgs were demolished for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark.
17.12.11. Trade Union bldg demolition site & yellow digger, Armagh St / Madras St. The bldgs were demolished for NZ govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark
Opp cnr: Amicus House gone, demolished months before, together with multi-storeys: Harcourts, Securities House. Demolition sites, all the way down W side Madras St, to Latimer Sq.
17.12.11. Amicus House demolition site, red zone, Armagh St / Madras St. Tombstone high rises behind: Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left was repaired. Forsyth Barr mid right would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct
17.12.11. Demolition sites nr Latimer Sq, left to right: Securities House, Harcourts bldg, Amicus House, red zone Madras St. All red zone bldgs in the pic would be demolished, incl Platinum Sport left. Newstalk ZB right would be imploded, 05.08.12.
Armagh St: Steel mesh fence cordon, another red zone threat sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
17.12.11. Extreme danger, steel mesh fence cordon, red zone, Armagh St / Madras St. Tombstone high rises along red zone Armagh St: Forsyth Barr left would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct
Westwards, red zone, multi-storeys Forsyth Barr, PWC loomed. Forsyth Barr would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC would be demolished for the planned RC Cathedral precinct. CERA planned to open the whole red zone CBD by April 2012, 14 months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake.
Oct 2012. Red zone CBD would still be cordon closed with NZDF checkpoints, citizens banned.
Mar 2013. Red zone CBD would still be cordon closed with NZDF checkpoints, citizens banned.
CERA failed many of its own deadlines. 28 months would pass before CERA left its CBD demolition zone, lifting its NZDF checkpoints. Meanwhile Christchurch CBD choked, citizens banned.
Madras St, east side, Armagh St crossing to Latimer Sq: Empty carparks, weedy demolition sites, including Charlie B's Backpackers demolition site. I trekked the red zone, steel mesh fence cordon from Armagh St to Gloucester St by Latimer Sq.
17.12.11. Demolition site, nr carpark, east side Madras St, nr Latimer Sq
17.12.11. Madras St, red zone, steel mesh fence cordon, N view towards Oxford Tce. The bldgs would be demolished for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark
Around Latimer Sq: Some survivor bldgs, many bldgs gone, demolished. Ghost high-rises in the red zone CBD remained, some still awaiting demolition, others being demolished, like Hotel Grand Chancellor. I snapped around Latimer Sq, a circuit of CERA demolition horrors, N, W S, E:
17.12.11. Latimer Sq, N view along Madras St. Securities House demolition site, Madras St / Gloucester St. The bldgs would be demolished for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark
17.12.11. Latimer Sq / Gloucester St / Madras St, W view, Gloucester St into CBD red zone. Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left would be repaired. Platinum Sport right would be demolished
17.12.11. SE view, Latimer Sq to Worcester St cnr demolition site, with blue, shipping containers & abandoned Park Tower On Latimer
NW Latimer Sq / Gloucester St: Multi-storey, Platinum Sport ghost awaited demolition. Nearby, an orange digger parked on demolition rubble, ghost high-rises behind.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq NW, red zone, abandoned Platinum Sport bldg, awaiting demolition, Gloucester St
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq NW, red zone, demolition site, tombstone high rises: Forsyth Barr left would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct
Latimer Sq / Gloucester St: Steel mesh fence cordoned, old, wooden, 2 storey, ghost shops, later demolished.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq west, red zone, closed, wooden shops, Latimer Sq / Gloucester St. The bldg would be demolished
Next door, demolition site: Saturday afternoon slacking, 3 static, orange diggers, static men in hard hats, orange, Hi-Vis vests. How much weekend overtime did they bill CERA? High-rises, Newstalk ZB, Pacific Tower ghosts loomed behind, while CERA contractors dithered, a DEMOLITION truck waiting for rubble.
Newstalk ZB would be imploded, 05.08.12.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq west, orange digger, red zone, demolition site, backdropped by tombstone Newstalk ZB. Hotel Grand Chancellor, demolition in progress left. Newstalk ZB would be imploded, 05.08.12
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordons. Latimer Sq west, red zone, demolition truck by Latimer Sq demolition site
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq west, red zone, demolition in progress, 2 orange diggers. Cathedral Junction middle, Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel right. Cathedral Junction & Pacific Tower would both be repaired
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone, demolition in progress, 2 orange diggers. Tombstone high rises behind, left to right: Newstalk ZB would be imploded 05.08.12; Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel would be repaired; Forsyth Barr would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel; PWC would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct
Ghosts: Two storey Morley House, next to demolition site, facing Latimer Sq. Behind loomed Newstalk ZB, other ghosts in the red zone. Next to Morley House, The Bicycle Thief & a clinic along Worcester St. All 3 would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park.
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone, abandoned Morley House, awaiting demolition
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone, abandoned The Bicycle Thief, awaiting demolition, Latimer Sq / Worcester St
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone view, Worcester St
Latimer Sq / Worcester St: Abandoned Christchurch Club, part demolished. The rest of Christchurch Club would survive quakes. Latimer Terraces apartments would be built next door, lining E Frame / Rauora Park.
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone, Christchurch Club part demolition site, Latimer Sq / Worcester St
17.12.11. Latimer Sq west, red zone, abandoned, wooden house, next to Christchurch Club part demolition site, Latimer Sq
Latimer Sq / Hereford St: Avonmore House, demolished for Latimer Terraces apartments
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Avonmore House demolition site, red zone, Hereford St. All bldgs behind would be demolished incl Torrens House
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq SW, Avonmore House demolition site. Quake trashed, red zone bldgs & demolition site across Hereford St
Ghosts: Latimer Sq / Hereford St, opp Avonmore House demolition site: Blue & white, 6 storey ghost, boarded windows, demolition sites both sides. Ghosts, westwards down Hereford St, orange digger on demolition rubble. Liverpool Terraces apartments would be built on the demo sites.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq SW, red zone, quake trashed bldgs & demolition site, Latimer Sq / Hereford St. Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition in progress behind
17.12.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq SW, red zone, demolition site & quake trashed bldg, seen from Latimer Sq / Hereford St. The bldg would be demolished for Liverpool Terraces apartments
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq SW, red zone, quake trashed, boarded bldg, Hereford St, opp Latimer Sq. The bldg would be demolished for Liverpool Terraces apartments
Latimer Sq / Madras St / Hereford St: Arrow House demolition site would become part of Liverpool Terraces apartments. Behind, CTV demolition site, where 115 people died in CTV collapse, 22.02.11 quake. Beyond CTV demolition site, across Cashel St, IRD multi-storey ghost. SE Madras St / Cashel St: St Paul's Trinity Pacific Presbyterian Church demolition site.
17.12.11. Hereford St, N view, Latimer Sq to Gloucester St & Madras St
17.12.11. Latimer Sq, red zone, S view, Madras St to Port Hills. St John's Anglican Church demolition site left. Red zone, CTV bldg demolition site & IR bldg right. Holden Blackwells left awaited demolition
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq, red zone, S view, Arrow House demolition site, CTV bldg demolition site, Madras St & IR bldg, Madras St / Cashel St
17.12.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq / Madras St / Hereford St, W view, red zone Hereford St. Many of the bldgs in the pic would be demolished by CERA. The 3 left bldgs would be demolished for Liverpool Terraces apartments
SW from Latimer Sq, red zone, steel mesh fence cordon blocked access down Madras St to CTV demolition site. Madras St east side, steel mesh fence cordon stopped at Holden Blackwells, by St John's Anglican Church demolition site. (Shigaru Ban's Cardboard Cathedral would be built on site, 2012-2013). Steel mesh fence cordon, SE down Madras St, opp CTV demolition site, resumed the other side of Holden Blackwells. Sounds complicated, but CERA had steel mesh fence cordons all over the CBD, hindering traffic & pedestrians.
17.12.11. St John's Anglican Church demolition site, Latimer Sq / Hereford St / Madras St
Latimer Sq / Madras St / Hereford St: St John's Anglican Church demolition site, quakemired, red zone views of Arrow House demolition site, CTV demolition site, Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition in progress. Church carpark wall, painted sign:
PARISH BUSINESS ONLY!
Only parish business that bleak afternoon: grey, muddy demolition site, salvaged church stones, CBD red zone ghosts.
17.12.11. PARISH BUSINESS ONLY! St John's Anglican Church, carpark view, steel mesh fence cordon, Latimer Sq, Hereford St / Madras St
Hereford St: Eastwards, St John's demolition site extended to Hereford House, muddy demolition site, brick bldg gone, CERA demolition.
17.12.11. St John's Anglican Church demolition site, Latimer Sq. The Anglican Cardboard Cathedral would be built on site, 2012-2013
17.12.11. Latimer Sq, St John's Anglican Church demolition site view, Hotel Grand Chancellor, demolition in progress, middle
17.12.11. Latimer Sq, St John's Anglican Church, demolition site view, CTV bldg demolition site, Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition in progress. Quake survivor, Les Mills Gym, mid ground
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Madras St / St John's Anglican Church demolition site view, Arrow House demolition site, red zone, abandoned high rises, PWC middle, Newstalk ZB awaiting demolition right. All bldgs in the pic would be demolished. Liverpool Terraces apartments would be built, foreground
By Holden Blackwells back wall, several pallets bore salvaged stones from St Johns Church, including Oamaru whitestone & a couple of broken, white marble, memorial plaques. On one pallet, column capital, plastic-wrapped. On another pallet, baptismal font. Next to a Structex shipping container, an Oamaru whitestone altar awaited church resurrection. Leaded glass windows & wrought iron strewn.
17.12.11. Salvaged St John's Anglican Church whitestones on pallets, by Holden Blackwells back wall, St John's demolition site, Madras St / Hereford St. Holden Blackwells would be demolished
17.12.11. Madras St / Hereford St, St John's Anglican Church demolition site view, Arrow House demolition site, CTV bldg demolition site, Hotel Grand Chancellor, demolition in progress, middle background
Hereford St: By St John's iron fence, another pile of salvaged church stones, some on pallets & several white, plastic bags, filled with church stones, awaiting church resurrection.
17.12.11. St John's Anglican Church, demolition site view, salvaged church stones, Madras St / Hereford St
17.12.11. Latimer Sq, St John's Anglican Church demolition site view, Holden Blackwells bldg left, IR bldg behind, CTV bldg demolition site right, Madras St. Holden Blackwells would be demolished
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq / Madras St, NW view, abandoned bldgs down red zone Hereford St. Most bldgs in the pic would be demolished. Liverpool Terraces apartments would be built, foreground
Latimer Sq / Hereford St: Opp St Johns Church demolition site, Beaufort House, part demolished. It would be fully demolished for flats.
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Part demolished Beaufort House, Hereford St / Madras St / Latimer Sq. It would be fully demolished for flats
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned house, Latimer Sq E, next to Beaufort House. The house would survive the quakes
17.12.11. Madras St, NW view, Latimer Sq. Red zone, tombstone high rises beyond: Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left, Newstalk ZB middle, PWC right, latter 2 would be demolished
Latimer Sq / Madras St east side: Next to Beaufort House, an abandoned house would survive quakes. Also abandoned, Park Tower On Latimer flats. Wall letters fallen, a name:
P-R- TOWE- ON LATI-ER
Park Tower On Latimer would be repaired, 2019. Next door, demolition site, shipping container border, Worcester St cnr.
17.12.11. E side Latimer Sq / Madras St, abandoned Park Tower On Latimer. Repaired 2019
17.12.11. Worcester St, cnr demolition site, blue shipping container cordon, by abandoned Park Tower On Latimer, E side Latimer Sq. Park Tower On Latimer would be repaired 2019
17.12.11. Worcester St view, Latimer Sq to red zone Worcester St. Abandoned Christchurch Club left. Abandoned The Bicycle Thief right, awaited demolition
Latimer Sq / Worcester St east side: Latimer Hotel demolition site, awaited hotel rebuild.
17.12.11. Latimer Hotel demolition site, awaiting rebuild, Latimer Sq / Worcester St
17.12.11. Latimer Sq / Madras St, NW view, Latimer Sq to red zone Gloucester St
Latimer Sq / Gloucester St east side: Another ghost. Opp side of Gloucester St, 2 more demolition sites, including Charlie B's Backpackers.
17.12.11. Latimer Sq N view, weedy, Charlie B's Backpackers demolition site, Gloucester St / Madras St. Trade Union demolition site & yellow digger behind left, Madras St
Trekked N along Madras St to my car. Two little girls played amongst weeds, in Charlie B's Backpackers demolition site, by a Wilson carpark, before joining their their mom & gran in Latimer Sq.
17.12.11. Wilson carpark, Latimer Sq / Gloucester St
17.12.11. Gloucester St, SW view, Latimer Sq to red zone bldgs
17.12.11. Latimer Sq / Gloucester St N view, weedy, Charlie B's Backpackers demolition site, weedy, Wilson carparks, Madras St
Trekked E along Armagh St to Barbadoes St crossing: Ghost houses, red stickered. Two street cnrs, 2 quake demolition sites, one site had a pile of quake rubbish, next to a mural.
17.12.11. DANGER KEEP OUT. White, plastic, tape cordon. Quake trashed, yellow stickered, abandoned house, Armagh St, nr Barbadoes St crossing
17.12.11. Post quake rubbish, mural, shop demolition site, Armagh St / Barbadoes St
17.12.11. Demolition site, quake survivor cafe, Armagh St / Barbadoes St
Armagh St to Fitzgerald Ave crossing: Snapped ghost houses: A wooden house, collapsed chimneys. An A-frame house, 2 storey end wall collapsed, green tarp fallen, exposing bare rooms. Another 2 storey house, steel brace propping a collapsed verandah wall. More ghost houses, brick firewalls gone, papered or boarded over. Some ghost houses, still inhabited. One house, gone, demolished.
Those ghost houses: microcosm of Third World living conditions citizens endured. Citizens were expected to live in their ghost houses, despite NZ National govt & CERA doing nothing about speeding up EQC settlements & repairs & insurer repairs & rebuilds. That slackness by NZ National govt & so-called RECOVERY CERA would cause discontent during future years.
17.12.11. Quake damaged house, Armagh St, chimneys gone, roof trashed, between Barbadoes St / Fitzgerald Ave crossings
17.12.11. Quake damaged house, brick firewall gone, Armagh St, between Barbadoes St / Fitzgerald Ave crossings
17.12.11. Post quake, house demolition site, Armagh St
Three Maori kids jabbered, waving a dog chain, chasing their rottweiler pup, which barked at me. "SHUT UP!" I yelled. One kid's face & arms were burn-scarred.
17.12.11. Armagh St suburban view, red zone, tombstone high rises: Forsyth Barr left would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct
17.12.11. Quake damaged house, boarded window, Armagh St, between Barbadoes St / Fitzgerald Ave crossings
17.12.11. Green tarp. Quake collapsed, house end wall, rooms exposed, Armagh St
17.12.11. Yellow stickered house, Armagh St
17.12.11. Quake collapsed, brick, verandah wall, metal braced, Armagh St
17.12.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake collapsed garage, Armagh St
Ten months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake & 15 months post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, as many Armagh St houses I saw were only part repaired, or abandoned, either the home owners weren't insured, or EQC & insurers were retarding settlement, forcing citizens to live in Third World crap.
As most ghosts along Madras St & around Latimer Sq were demolished months before, why was CERA taking so long releasing Latimer Sq from its red zone clutches?
Meanwhile, Royal Commission of Inquiry hearings, as to why so many CBD bldgs collapsed: Feeble excuses from bldg inspector engineers, bldg owners, EQC, Council.
Despite Christchurch CBD shaken by 4 XL quakes & 1 000s of aftershocks, Council & CERA planned to rebuild the CBD on swampland, recommended by Tonkin & Taylor engineers. Never mind Christchurch Fault under the CBD.
Rebuilding on swampland, Council & CERA would repeat mistakes Victorians made before. Council's & CERA's planning condemned citizens to increased rates, higher insurance costs, future quake tragedies. Authorities would experiment on citizens by rebuilding untried, quake strengthened bldgs on swampland. Only future quakes would tell whether rebuilds could stand or fall.
The Press Tues 20.12.11, reported town clerk Marryatt's salary, after a 14% increase vetted by councillors, as $538,529 p.a, or $10,356 weekly. Marryatts' weekly salary was about a third of Leah's annual salary! The Press also reported EQC's announcement:
"Eighty percent of Canterbury's earthquake-damaged homes in the Government managed repair programme will be fixed within three years..." THREE YEARS! Never mind some of those houses had already waited 15 months for repairs post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake.
As Marryatt's $68 000 pay rise was more that the average wage of $37 970 & his annual salary 14 times more than the average annual income & that Marryatt was invisible in quake aftermath for the last 15 months, his salary & increase was a travesty. As for mayor Parker, deputy mayor Button & councillors who'd voted for Marryatt's increase, their judgement was poor.
In 2012, Marryatt's & Parker's collusion, silences, poor communication with the public would cause public discontent. 2012 would be public protests year.
*Trekked Chester St East, Armagh St, Madras St, Latimer Sq. 185 snaps.
Coda:
Sources: Besides my own snaps & observations, some of my blog content came from the media, like TV1, The Press / Stuff Co, The Star, Nor'west News, Christchurch Mail, News Advertiser, Mainland Press... I sourced GeoNet website for quake data. CERA's Greater Christchurch Recovery Update, posted monthly to home owners & available at local libraries, gave NZ National govt propaganda. CERA website was useful for its demolitions list, land zonings, media releases, which I sometimes quoted. Media often quoted CERA media releases verbatim, not critically analysing CERA's narrative. Quake books slowly became available after quakes, I read them. Their opinions & data sometimes differed from my own.
Censorship: NZ National govt would disestablish CERA, after 5 CERA years of Christchurch occupation. In future, CERA's website info which I'd cited would disappear from the internet after CERA disestablished. (Some of The Press / Stuff Co articles I'd cited would also vanish from the internet). CERA Disestablishment notice on CERA website:
Disestablishment of CERA
This page directs you to the agencies to contact
for information and assistance on the regeneration of
greater Christchurch, along with some useful contacts.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was established as a
government department on 29 March 2011 to lead and coordinate the Government's
response and recovery efforts following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 in
Canterbury.
CERA was disestablished on 18 April 2016 as the Government transitions from
leading the recovery, to establishing long-term, locally-led recovery and regeneration. [Soon post quakes, Why was short-term "locally led recovery" squelched by NZ National govt?]
Agencies performing CERA's
functions
Some of CERA's functions have wound down and other responsibilities are now
carried out by the central and local government agencies below.
The Ministry of Health and Canterbury District
Health Board (CDHB)...
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)...
Otakaro Limited...
Regenerate Christchurch...
The Greater Christchurch Group in the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(DPMC)... [Aha!]
My Property...
CERA Document Archive... [Aha!]
Useful Contacts
Earthquake Support line...
Canterbury Earthquake Temporary
Accommodation Service...
Residential Advisory Service...
EQC (Earthquake Commission)...
Christchurch City Council...
SCIRT (Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure
Rebuild Team)...
Environment Canterbury...
Selwyn District Council...
Waimakariri District Council...
DEPARTMENT OF THE
PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET
The above list gave an idea of the stranglehold CERA had on Christchurch citizens during CERA's 5 years' meddling in Christchurch affairs. NZ National govt PM Key, CERA minister Brownlee, CERA boss Sutton, CCDU boss Isaacs had much to answer for.
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See $70 000 pay boost for council boss (Stuff Co / The Press).
See EQC sets repair target for homes (Stuff Co / The Press).
See Disestablishment of CERA.
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