Monday, April 30, 2012

NZQA Copyright Theft, NCEA Level 3, Biology Year 13 Exam

Abstract: NZ Qualifications Authority, NZQA "legally" stole intellectual property & used it in NZ school national exams, without copyright owners' consents. NZQA then claimed copyright ownership of the national exam questions & passed exam papers to ESA Publications, which fenced NZQA stolen intellectual property in Workbooks, sold for profit by ESA Publications.

As a SA trained & very experienced biology teacher, I was disgusted to learn NZQA thought it was perfectly alright to steal copyright biology material from NZ & overseas copyright owners, by using vague wording in NZ copyright law to engage in copyright theft.

NZQA didn't feel it had to ask copyright owners for permission to use copyright material in national biology exams, as the copyright owners may spill the beans about exam questions. That rationale for NZQA copyright theft was insulting & outrageous.

Thus copyright material was stolen by NZQA examiners, moderated by NZQA moderators, used in secret by NZQA - printed in national exam papers, used by students in national exams, marked by NZQA examiners, checked by NZQA moderators & drooled over by teacher invigilators throughout NZ. Without knowledge nor permission from copyright owners. 

Post national exams, without contacting copyright owners, NZQA published the exam paper on the internet, with stolen sources given, but images not published. Never mind the hordes of NZQA typists, managers & executives who were paid by NZ taxpayers to perpetuate copyright theft.  

Adding insult to copyright owner injury, NZQA then secretly gave collections of NZQA exam papers, riddled with copyright thefts, to ESA Publications to publish stolen copyright material in Workbook form to be retailed in bookshops.

NZQA, like Pontius Pirate, then washed its sticky hands of the stolen copyright material, allowing the copyright owner, if ever contacted by ESA Publications, to be co-opted by ESA Publications into being an accessory to the theft of the owners' own copyright material, by agreeing to publication of the copyright material in ESA Publications. Absurd but true!

I found out that my copyright Hebe odorata photo, stolen from my Mt Richardson blog post, had been stolen by NZQA for use in the 2011 NCEA, Biology level 3 exam, when an ESA Publications minion emailed me, asking permission to use my Hebe odorata photo in their forthcoming Workbook publication for students & teachers to do exam revision. ESA Publications initially didn't even offer payment for use of my copyright photo.

What a scam!

The following correspondence gave an idea how NZQA copyright scam worked:

03.04.12. ESA Publications minion email:

"I'd like permission please to reproduce Photo which appeared in the NZQA Level 3 NCEA exam in 2011.

A photograph of the Hebe odorata, shrubby plant with small leathery leaves for which the source is given at http://wozawanderer.blogspot.com/2010/02/mt-richardson-beech-forest.html

The photo  would appear as it is in the exam, black and white, on Page 61 of our book, AME NCEA Level 3 Biology Workbook as attached.

We will print about 2,000 of these workbooks which retails at $24.95 GST inc. and which are used for exam revision and practice for the end of year NCEA exams.

We do not need an original image as we scan directly from an original exam paper.

ESA are happy to acknowledgement any permission given.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks..."

Punctuation & expression errors were ESA minion's. Insulting!

08.04.12. My email to ESA Publications minion:

"Unacceptable use of my Hebe odorata photo.

I am a trained & very experienced biology teacher.

You have not identified "We." At the moment, I do not give permission for use of my Hebe odorata photo, as described by you, in any form or storage.

Without my permission, NCEA [sic NZQA] use of my Hebe odorata photo in the 2011 NCEA Biology [Level] 3 exam is / was unacceptable.

NCEA [sic NZQA] did not ask permission for use of my Hebe odorata photo in the 2011 NCEA Level 3 Biology exam. Your email is the first I have heard of my photo appropriation. That amounts to theft of my intellectual property, as many people obviously benefited from my work, without my permission. The least that can be done is an offer of remuneration for use of my Hebe odorata photo in the 2011 NCEA Level 3 Biology exam.

1. 2011 NCEA Level 3 Biology Exam: Please supply a contact person & address for me to follow up the NCEA [sic NZQA] photo use of my intellectual property & remuneration thereof in the 2011 NCEA Level 3 Biology exam.

2. NCEA Level 3 Biology Workbook Pg 61: As I go to a lot of trouble & personal expense, also hazard, in taking pics, I expect remuneration to be offered, especially as the photo will be used for education purposes, by 1000s of people, to benefit publisher, teachers & students for many years. 

To be fair & not exploitative, please make an offer of remuneration for publication use of my Hebe odorata photo, as described by you. Once a remuneration offer is made, I will reconsider use of my intellectual property for the NCEA Level 3 Biology Workbook, Pg 61.

Thanks..."

10.04.12. ESA Publications minion email:

"Thanks for your message.

Under the Copyright Act, NZQA as the national examining authority are able to take [WTF!] images such as yours without notification/asking you and with no fee payable so long as they use the photo for the purposes of a national exam such as NCEA which they did.

ESA are now wanting to reproduce the exam question for which we have permission and would prefer (though it is not essential) to reproduce your photo to go with the question and to do this we need  copyright clearance from you unlike NZQA. [Copyright owner being co-opted into agreeing to theft of their own intellectual property!]

We offer, you the typical, well established fee for use of your photo which is $40 (+ GST if appropriate). [Disgusting! I had to ask].

Please advise if that is acceptable.

I do not know who you would approach at NZQA but the starting point is presumably their website at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ [Just follow orders. Desk thief huh?]

Thanks..."

10.04.12. My email to ESA Publications minion:

"Your words & risible offer are unacceptable & outrageous. What a scam!

You email a fait accompli, without the courtesy of anyone asking me, nor telling me NZQA & national examining authority would use my Hebe odorata photo for the 2011 Biology Level 3 national exam.

All of my Woza Wanderer blog posts have my email address on top & Copyright warning below, ignored by you & NZQA! There was absolutely no excuse for you nor NZQA not to contact me about use of my intellectual property for the 2011 Biology Level 3 exam. The sneaky manner in which my photo was used is an indictment of NZQA & national examining authority.

That amounts to copyright infringement. Your condonation of NZQA theft of my intellectual property is sickening. You say it's OK for NZQA national examining authority to steal my intellectual property, by law, for use in an exam, then after I ask for remuneration for your Workbook use, you offer $40 for use of my photo in a 2000 Workbook print run, after NZQA examiners, teachers & students have already benefited & used my intellectual property, without my consent. You add insult to injury!

What NZQA, NZ national exam authority & you are doing is morally wrong & stinks to hell!

You certainly DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO USE ANY OF MY BLOG PHOTOS FOR ESA WORKBOOKS AS PROPOSED.

When next you are ripped off, remember your slimy, sleazy words to me.

For your information, the Mt Richardson blog post in which my Hebe odorata photo appeared involved the following:

Return drive, Mt Richardson - Christchurch.
Climb Mt Richardson.
Take photos.
Write up blog content on blog programme.
Load photo, camera to computer programme.
Edit photo on computer, another computer programme.
Upload photo, computer to blog programme.
Caption blog photo.
Biology teacher expertise to identify plant in the wild.

Your risible offer goes nowhere near compensating time, resources & professional expertise involved.

Given the dodgy manner in which NZQA obtained exam photos, examiners were too lazy to take photos for exam questions themselves. They lacked professional integrity. Never mind the professional integrity of exam moderators also going along with examiner slackness & theft of intellectual property!..."

10.04.12. ESA Publications Publisher, Mark Sayes email:

"[Minion] has forwarded your email to me for reply.
I can understand your anger and concern [Nice!] as it happens every other year when ESA seek copyright permissions for material in the NZQA exams. [Thus ESA Publications had processed NZQA theft of intellectual property for years!]
You will need to contact NZQA to follow the matter up with them if that's what you choose to do. [Pass the buck!]
Thanks..."

11.04.12. My email to ESA Publications Publisher, Mark Sayes:

"Good you are not using my photo. Your understanding is no good & callously evil if you are not doing anything about blatant theft of others' copyright intellectual property. Condoning NZ copyright law to "legalize" copyright theft stinks. If you are earning your living doing that you need to polish your morality..."

ESA Publications Publisher, Mark Sayes then phoned our home trying to "understand" my anger & concern, which amounted to whiney, self justification by Mark Sayes for the unjustifiable. My wife took his call.

13.04.12. My letter to NZQA's Chief Executive Dr Karen Poutasi:

"SINCE WHEN WAS THEFT ACCEPTABLE?

I am a SA biology trained and very experienced teacher. I have not taught in NZ due to deafness. Besides teaching, I have worked in the private sector, various jobs in SA, UK, Israel, NZ, including Industrial Relations at De Beers mines in SA.

Until NZQA stole my copyright intellectual property, I have never encountered any organization where theft is / was acceptable. Theft of my copyright intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo and "legally" ratifying its theft is unacceptable and outrageous.

With reference to ESA Publications [minion] initiated emails (see copies), NZQA stole my intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo, by lifting it, without my consent from my Woza Wanderer blog and using it, without my permission, in Question 2, evolution section of the 2011 NCEA Biology level 3 exam paper (90717).

NZQA, examiners, moderators, teachers, students all benefited from NCEA use of my copyright intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo in the 2011 NCEA Biology level 3 exam paper.

Adding insult to injury, with a fait accompli, [minion] asked permission for ESA's use of my copyright intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo, in the forthcoming ESA Workbook publication, 2000 copies @ $24.95 / copy.

After my querying the matter, ESA offered $40.00 for use of my Hebe odorata photo. I did not give permission for its use in the ESA Workbook publication. Their publication derived from NZQA theft is a scam.

What remunerative restitution is NZQA offering for use of my copyright intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo in the 2011 NCEA Biology Level 3 exam paper? [Ignored by NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi].

As copyright theft of my intellectual property, Hebe odorata photo is not acceptable, please reply in writing by 30.04.12..."

24.04.12. NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi's letter reply:

"Copyright material in NCEA examination papers [Ignored theft of intellectual property].

Thank you for your letter dated 13 April 2012 regarding your concern [More than concern Dear!] that New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) used an image for which you own the copyright in the 2011 NCEA Biology level 3 examination paper (90717).

NZQA is permitted by law to use copyright material for examinations. Section 49 of the Copyright Act 1994 states, "Copyright is not infringed by anything done for the purposes of the examination, whether by way of setting the questions, communicating the questions to the candidates, or answering the questions." [Legalized theft].

The image was reproduced, including source (in this case, a URL), in the examination paper, as an illustration of an examination question [Examiners should make their own illustrations]. The examination paper was written on by candidates during an examination session and then handed back to supervisors for marking. The examination paper was not a published document, [Huh? How many examiners, moderators, NZQA bureaucrats, teachers, invigilators, students had access to exam papers Dear? So far, all very secretive & sneaky use of my copyright photo without my consent nor knowledge], but a means of communicating the questions to the examination candidates and providing them with the means to answer the questions. [Never mind 'means' stolen from copyright holders].

Notice was not given to you, as copyright-holder, with respect to including your photo in the exam  paper for two reasons:

(1) No notice is required under Section 49 of the Copyight Act 1994; [Legalized theft] and
(2) Giving such notice would have signalled, at least in part, the contents of the examination paper and would have rendered the examination invalid. [Adding insult to copyright owner injury! Why couldn't examiners make their own illustrations? They were supposed to be professionals with vast teaching & examining expertise?]

Because the image was used [stolen] in a legally prescribed manner, your copyright was not infringed by NZQA and remuneration was not required. [BS! Why did ESA Publications reluctantly offer remuneration?]

The examination paper published [Huh? You've just said, 'The examination paper was not a published document...' See above] on the NZQA website contains the source for the image but not the image itself. Refer http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/nqfdocs/ncea-resource/exams/2011/90717-exm-32111.pdf [A sneaky way of not showing my NZQA stolen copyright photo in a NZQA document published on the internet].

The copyright statement on NZQA's website advises that commercial applicants need to make arrangements with third party copyright owners such as yourself. Refer http://nzqa.govt.nz/about-this-site/commercial-use-of nzqa-material/ . These arrangements do not involve NZQA. [Pass the buck NZQA, like ESA Publications, with copyright owners playing piggy in the middle. NZQA laundered its theft of copyright material to ESA Publications, then NZQA sanctimoniously washed its dirty hands of theft].

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to your concerns. [So what?] I hope this clarified the situation for you..." [Theft is theft, no matter how it's dressed!]

30.04.12. My letter response to NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi:

""NZQA Theft of my Copyright Hebe odorata photo in the NCEA 2011, Biology level 3 exam

Your letter dated 24.04.12 refers:

Your rationale for NZQA theft of my copyright Hebe odorata photo is absurd. As for honesty, fairness, integrity, expedient publishing of photo source & not image & buck passing to 'commercial applicants,' go figure!

Having looked at exam revision booklets retailed in book shops, it is obvious to me that NZQA is stealing from many copyright owners, NZ & overseas, 'for the purpose of examinations.' (sic)

The risible law you quote & use is wrong. It is a travesty, as it enables & condones NZQA copyright theft.

What are you doing to right 'anything done?'"

I looked at ESA Publications "NCEA Year 13 Biology Workbook," 2010, which stated the following:

"Copyright [3 author names] ... [Launderers of NZQA theft!]
Copyright ESA Publications (NZ) Ltd, 2010 [Launderer of NZQA theft!]
Copyright NZQA in the exam questions [NZQA didn't create many of the illustrations, graphs nor tabulations! Just stole them!]

This Book is copyright. [LOL!]

The questions used in this book are taken from the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 external NZQA examinations. All these questions are reproduced with the permission of NZQA which owns copyright in the questions...

Infringements will be prosecuted."

ESA had better prosecute itself, as it laundered NZQA stolen copyright material. ESA was happy for teachers to buy their books, but was not keen on teachers copying from their books too much!

NZQA stole copyright material from others & plagiarized it as its own, passing it off to ESA Publications for profit.

Thus NZQA stole copyright material from various copyright owners throughout the world (NZ legalized theft), secretly used it in national exams, miraculously became copyright owner of the stolen copyright illustrations etc, embedded in national exam paper questions, then passed the legalized theft in those exam papers to ESA Publications, who tried to find the copyright owners & maybe paid them money for the NZQA legally stolen copyright material, then ESA miraculously owned the copyright of those stolen, embedded materials in their own publications!

That's like a thief stole my car, by law, to examine it, then the thief's pal came to me, saying my stolen car belonged to him, as the thief had transferred it to him, but when I complained, he could pay me a pittance for my stolen car!

I counted 26 illustrations, graphs & tabulations in the ESA Publications, "NCEA Year 13 Biology Workbook," 2010, where sources were acknowledged from internet, books & periodicals. There were many more illustrations, graphs & tabulations where no source acknowledgements were made. So NZQA stole a helluva lot of copyright material for national exam purposes, hiding behind a shonky NZ copyright law, allowing NZQA to steal from NZ & overseas copyright holders.

And that was just the Year 13 Biology Workbook.

Never mind other year 13 subject exams, which NZQA managed & other subject exam papers which NZQA passed to ESA Publications, without copyright owners' consent, for Workbook publications & retail. In shops, I saw many different subject exam Workbooks published by ESA Publishers.

And what of other national exams managed by NZQA?

If the reader thought I was a mean curmudgeon, several individuals & organizations have asked permission to us my blog photos. No problem. They asked permission. NZQA didn't.

For the record, permission askers: A forestry survey publication, which fell through, due to publisher hassles. A USA artist. Latterly during the 2010-2012 Christchurch quakes, several individuals asked permission, for quake fundraising. Christchurch City Council asked permission, for its rebuild plan for Worcester St / Stanmore Rd quake trashed precinct. A lawyer checking on people illegally demolishing his High St bldg, asked permission. A Swede asked permission, for a Wikipedia pic. Permission declined.

An Auckland journalist, founder of the Avon / Otakaro Park website & petition to NZ parliament, asked to use some of my pre quake Avon River pics for the website. The pics were used for years, encouraging people to believe in the Avon River Park, the proposed park to be formed on quake trashed Avon River land, from city to sea. (There were many more permission requests).

21.05.2012. NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi's reply to my 30.04.12 letter:

"Copyright material in NCEA examination papers

Thank you for your letter of 30 April 2012 regarding the reproduction of one of your photographs in the NCEA examination paper.

As outlined in my letter of 24 April 2012, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority has the lawful authority to do this, [steal] as, for example, does any other educational organisation setting examinations.

[Steal].

Section 49 of the Copyright Act 1994 which is available at http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1994 states that:

'Copyright is not infringed by anything done for the purposes of an examination, whether by way of setting the questions, communicating the questions to the candidates, or answering the questions.'

In enacting this provision, Parliament has acknowledged the need for the use [theft] of copyright material in this way. NZQA will continue to make use of this provision in the future where it sees fit to do so."

There you have it. NZQA saw fit to steal copyright material from copyright holders worldwide.

NZQA's Dr Karen Poutasi showed no compunction, remorse, nor apology for NZQA's blatant copyright theft, just repeated her former letter content. 

NZQA stole copyright pics, illustrations & material, here there & everywhere, used it in national examinations, without asking copyright holders' permissions, then post exams, NZQA claimed copyright ownership of examination questions & distributed NZQA stolen copyright material in examination papers, to ESA Publications, thus laundering the stolen copyright material for profit, in the form of examination revision books, sold in bookshops.

After stealing copyright materials for exam questions, & post exams, distributing it to ESA Publications, NZQA claimed copyright of ESA published exam questions. ESA Publications claimed copyright of copyright material stolen by NZQA, embedded in NZQA exams & published for sale in ESA publications exam revision books.

25.05.12. My letter response to NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi:

NZQA theft of my copyright Hebe odorata photo, used by NZQA without my permission, in 2011 NCEA Biology 3 national exam & distributed by NZQA on the internet & distributed to ESA Publications for publication & sale in revision books, without my permission

As NZ legislation you have twice quoted fudges NZQA's theft of my Hebe odorata photo, copyright material already used by NZQA for 2011 NCEA Biology 3 national exam purposes, but does not cover distribution of my copyright material elsewhere -

1. Please quote relevant sections of NZ legislation which enables NZQA to distribute my copyright material on the internet in disguised form (source revealed but image hidden) without my permission & enables NZQA to distribute my copyright material to ESA Publications for ESA Publications & NZQA to profit from sale of my copyright material in ESA Publications exam revision books, without my permission. And for ESA Publications & NZQA to claim copyright of my stolen copyright material, after publications of exam papers & revision books.

You have shown no compunction, remorse, nor apology for theft of my copyright Hebe odorata photo, used in the 2011 NCEA Biology 3 national exam paper & post exam distribution of my copyright material in the exam paper to ESA Publications for publication & sale in a revision book, all without my permission.

I see in ESA Publications, national exam revision books, for sale, that NZQA claims copyright of exam questions, where copyright material was used without permission & ESA Publications claims copyright of that copyright material, distributed by NZQA in the form of national exam papers, to be published in book form & sold for national exam revision purposes.

As NZQA theft of copyright material is unfair to copyright holders, like myself, & as you have twice quoted NZ legal verbiage, which does not make copyright theft right & as NZQA has used my copyright material without my permission in the 2011 NCEA Biology 3 national exam & post exam distributed my copyright material on the internet without my permission & distributed my copyright material to ESA Publications, to sell in national exam revision books form, without my permission -

2. What are you personally doing to correct matters?

12.06.12. NZQA, Dr Karen Poutasi's reply to my 25.05.12 letter:

"As outlined in my letters of 24 April 2012 and 23 May 2012, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has been fully compliant with the copyright Act 1994 in the way it has used your photograph.

[Dr Karen Poutasi avoided the word "theft," just perpetrated a rotten law & didn't bother to answer my 2 questions].

NZQA stated very clearly in its communications with third parties wishing to reproduce NZQA examination material that they must seek permission of the owner of the copyright.

[Dr Karen Poutasi passed the buck & thought laundering NZQA copyright theft by ESA Publications made copyright theft right].

If you have any concerns with the way ESA Publications have used your image, you should contact the company direct."

Dr Karen Poutasi passed the buck to ESA Publications, after distributing my NZQA stolen copyright material in a national exam without my permission, distributing my copyright material on the internet without my permission & distributing my copyright material to ESA publications for ESA Publications profit without my permission.

However Dr Karen Poutasi justified NZQA's copyright theft, she was wrong. Dr Karen Poutasi was a copyright thief, her letters showed she was a cheat, unethical, using a rotten NZ law to cover her NZQA thefts. Her NZQA minions & proxy publisher minions were gangs of copyright thieves. 

Coda:

12.05.13. In 2012, as Dr Poutasi showed no integrity regarding NZQA copyright theft, in 2013 I wondered how Dr Poutasi would deal with cheating Chinese students who paid ghost writers to write their university assignments for NZQA approved degrees?

Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

See ESA Publications (NZ).

See Chinese cheats rort NZ universities with fakes (The Press / Stuff Co). 


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Year 2 CERA. Christ Church Cathedral Farce, Northbound Madras St Reopening, Green E Frame

Red Zone, E Frame, CBD focus. The Star, 25.04.12. CERA announced that northbound Madras St would reopen on Fri 27.04.12. From Latimer Sq, northbound Madras St was already reopened for months as a single lane, demolition sites both sides of Madras St, a steel mesh fence cordon blocking other lanes.

By Latimer Sq, Christ Church Cathedral diocese was building a post quake, A-frame, Cardboard Cathedral on St Johns Anglican Church demolition site, Madras St / Hereford St.

23.04.12. Demolition had begun on the 22.02.11 Killer Quake collapsed tower of Christ Church Cathedral. Heritage hailers tried again to Save the Cathedral from complete demolition. The Wizard raised 50 signatures to Save the Cathedral & was present when bishop Matthews consecrated St Johns demolition site, sprinkling water on the site. Two codgers jabbering in medieval garb. What a farce!

Bishop Matthews contended that ratepayers must pay $240 000 p/a for use of the Cardboard Cathedral, reasoning that Cantabrians would use the Cardboard Cathedral for civic functions, as had happened pre quakes in Christ Church Cathedral.

Matthews hadn't consulted ratepayers (many non Christians & atheists) about demolition of quake trashed Christ Church Cathedral, yet expected ratepayers to pay for the $5 million, A-frame, Cardboard Cathedral over its proposed 20 year life.

Post quakes, as Town Hall, theatres & other halls were abandoned or demolished in the CBD, Mathews had a point about a hall for hire, the Cardboard Cathedral. Her detractors like The Wizard hadn't come up with any other viable hall idea. Christ Church Cathedral ghost & the land on which it was built was owned by the Anglican diocese, not The Wizard nor Heritage hailers.

Nov 2013. While the Wizard whined in the CBD he showed no compassion nor zeal about helping 1 000s of Cantabrians who'd lost their homes to quakes & CERA red zone offers. The Wizard would protest at recently revamped, New Regent St, opp The Press offices. He never protested in the suburbs.


27.04.12. Hereford House, demolition site by St Johns Anglican Church, demolition site, Hereford St


27.04.12. St Johns Anglican Church demolition site, Hereford St / Madras St. Blackwells Hudson & CTV bldg demolition sites & abandoned IRD bldg beyond, Cashel St




27.04.12. St Johns Anglican Church, demolition site, Hereford St / Madras St. Blackwells Hudson & CTV bldg demolition sites & abandoned IRD bldg beyond, Cashel St



Jap architect, Shigeru Ban gave a free plan of the Cardboard Cathedral to the diocese to enhance his reputation. The Press pic of the proposed Cardboard Cathedral looked like giant toilet rolls, an A-frame, toilet roll roof covered in plastic, on shipping container walls, with N facing window to impress tourists. Ban's cardboard tube, plastic & container plan looked like a giant tent. That architecture heralded Christchurch CBD's rebuild, mostly steel frame & glass boxes.

Nearby St Michael & All Angels, Anglican Church, a flexible wooden church, Oxford Tce / Durham St Sth, survived the quakes & could easily be shared with Christ Church Cathedral congregation. (Other denominations shared churches with congregations of quake shattered churches). Pity bishop Matthews wasn't doing her pastoral duty, ensuring quake suffering ratepayers were properly housed post quakes, instead of jabbering about her prestigious house of god.


27.04.12. Quake survivor, St Michael & All Angels, Anglican Church, Durham St Sth / Oxford Tce





27.04.12. Quake surviving, stained glass windows, St Michael & All Angels, Anglican Church, Durham St Sth / Oxford Tce






Ban could put his architect's mind to providing affordable, safe housing for post quake, displaced Cantabrians. Free designs of course, in the spirit of his Cardboard Cathedral.

Fri morning 27.04.12. On my way to Christchurch red zone, CBD, when I stopped my car at Greers Rd / Wairakei Rd crossing, red lights, a burst pipe near CERA minister, Brownlee's electorate office flooded Greers Rd by the shops. Workmen in orange, Hi-Vis vests scurried around, planting orange, plastic, road cones to detour traffic. Others used a blue, sucker truck to suck flood water.

Hours later, on my return from the red zone CBD, Greers Rd flood water was gone, but orange, Hi-Vis vested, City Care workmen dug a hole to replace the broken pipe. Fourteen months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, as there was flooding after a little rain in Greers Rd, Brownlee could've organized CERA minions to stop flooding in the red zone CBD & quake trashed E suburbs, where quakes had caused land sinking.

Nov 2013. There would be repeated news about heavy rains flooding Flockton Basin, where quakes had sunk the area about half a metre. Houses were flooded after rains & householders endured repeated post quakes flooding. Meanwhile Council, EQC, CERA & insurers dithered.


27.04.12. Post quake flooding, repairs, Greers Rd / Wairakei Rd


27.04.12. Repairs, post quake flooding, Greers Rd

 


I drove to Oxford Tce in the CBD to snap St Michael & All Angels, Anglican Church. During quakes, the church organ was damaged, but the stained glass windows were OK. The flexible wooden church stood proud, while nearby Cashel St bldgs & hundreds of nearby CBD ghosts, mostly masonry bldgs, were trashed by quakes. St Michael proved that flexible wood was good in quakes. So far, in 10 000+ quakes, our wooden house had shaken & jiggled, standing firm. Concrete was crap in quakes, as concrete shattered, cracked & spalled. Post quakes, Council & CERA allowed concrete, tilt slab, steel & glass bldgs to be built all over Christchurch. Distinguishing structures in new bldgs were large X shaped, steel reinforcement tubes or X shaped steel girders strengthening post quake walls.

I parked my car at Worcester St by Latimer Sq to look at Madras St & the newly opened red zone, CBD niche, along Oxford Tce & Armagh St towards Manchester St.

St Johns Anglican Church demolition site, Latimer Sq, Madras St / Hereford St: Weedy with demolition junk on site & a fence cordoned view towards the CTV demolition site, where 115 people died in the 22.02.11, M6.3 Killer Quake.

Shigaru Ban's Cardboard Cathedral would soften that grim view. In the red zone, opp the CTV site, 5 year old IRD was abandoned, like other red zone, ghosts. 2021. IRD, quake survivor, still abandoned.


27.04.12. Worcester St, W view, Latimer Sq, red zone CBD, ghost high rises



27.04.12. Post quake, abandoned bldgs nr Latimer Sq, Worcester St


27.04.12. Post quake rebuild, Latimer Hotel, Worcester St, opp Latimer Sq









Latimer Sq: Surrounded by demolition sites & ghosts. On Worcester St, opp Latimer Sq, construction workers, wearing Hi-Vis vests & hard hats, completed Latimer Hotel rebuild's concrete foundations, more than a metre thick & raised concrete, tilt slab walls.

01.08.12. CERA would announce that its L shaped, Green Frame would be made south of Avon River between Madras St & Manchester St & between St Asaph St & Tuam St. That CERA idea was based on Council's Share an Idea scheme done post 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Hundreds more demolitions would be needed in the Green Frame before grass, trees, flowers were planted in the Green Frame. CERA's plan was that the Green Frame would shrink the CBD to maintain property values in the shrunken CBD. It was NZ National govt's / CERA's fantasy, as there were 100s of quake survivor, CBD bldgs outside CERA's Green Frame. (Hidden agenda: Manchester St's red light strip would be destroyed in CERA demolitions.)


27.04.12. Worcester St, quake damaged bldgs, nr Latimer Sq




I trekked across deserted Latimer Sq, quake refuge & scene of sorrow & rescuer activity during the 22.02.11 Killer Quake.


27.04.12. Latimer Sq, N view, Gloucester St / Madras St crossing


27.04.12. Latimer Sq / Hereford St / Madras St junction, S view, Arrow House & CTV bldg, demolition sites to abandoned IRD bldg, Cashel St. 2019. Arrow House demo site would become Liverpool Terrace apartments. CTV demo site would become a quake memorial park. 2021. IRD bldg, quake survivor, still abandoned


27.04.12. Latimer Sq, N view, Gloucester St / Madras St crossing


Madras St: I trekked northwards towards Armagh St. Desolate demolition sites, used as carparks, were both side of Madras St.


27.04.12. Latimer Sq, N view, Gloucester St / Madras St crossing & quake demolition sites both sides of Madras St. CERA's site for Residential Demonstration Project right. CERA's green, E Frame left would become the Blueprint Rauora Park. Closer to Avon River, bldgs would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground & carpark


27.04.12. Quake demolition sites, Madras St, nr Latimer Sq. CERA's green, E Frame left


27.04.12. Quake demolition sites, Madras St / Armagh St crossing. CERA's green, E Frame left. Bldgs would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground & carpark

Madras St / Armagh St: I trekked past Amicus House demolition site & the irony of quake-closed realtor bldg, bordered by quake demolition sites. Amicus House demo site would become part of E Frame / Rauora Park.


27.04.12. NO THROUGH ROUTE. Madras St, W view, deserted, red zone Armagh St. Forsyth Barr, PWC high rises beyond. Forsyth Barr would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct. CERA's green, E Frame would go from Madras St to Manchester St, incl some of Armagh St. Bldgs on right, Centennial Pool, ACC, would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground


27.04.12. Red zone, Armagh St. Realtor bldg awaited CERA demolition for CERA's green, E Frame / Rauora Park, which would go from Madras St to Manchester St. PWC high rise beyond awaited demolition for the new RC Cathedral precinct




Armagh St, Oxford Tce, Manchester St loop: I cut past yellow stickered, Centennial Pool ghost to autumn leafy, Oxford Tce. I trekked past ACC ghost & boarded / steel mesh fence cordoned, Charles Luneys ghost by poplar-lined Avon River to Manchester St Bridge.

On a yellow sticker on Centennial Pool's glass door, a protester had scrawled:

SAVE ME NO WHITE
                               ELEPHANTS

Protesters disliked CERA demolishing repairable, Centennial Pool for the Margaret Mahy Family Playground in CERA's green, E Frame. Luneys & ACC ghosts would be demolished for the playground too. It was NZ National govt / CERA top-down decisions, without consulting citizens about citizens' needs.


27.04.12. Faux pissoir, unused since 22.02.11 quake, red zone, Armagh St, by Centennial Pool


27.04.12. Quake trashed, Centennial Pool, red zone, between Armagh St & Oxford Tce, Centennial Pool would be demolished for the Margaret Mahy Family Playground






27.04.12. Red zone, Oxford Tce view, Centennial Pool garden. It would become part of Margaret Mahy Family Playground


27.04.12. Red zone, Oxford Tce view, Avon River, Cambridge Tce, quake damaged Madras St Bridge


27.04.12. Red zone, Centennial Pool board, Oxford Tce


27.04.12. Red zone, quake damaged, abandoned ACC bldg, Oxford Tce. ACC would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground



27.04.12. Red zone, quake damaged / closed Bohemian Cafe Bar, Oxford Tce. Bohemian Bar would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground



27.04.12. Red zone, abandoned, Charles Luneys bldg, Oxford Tce / Manchester St. Luneys would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground


27.04.12. Red zone, Oxford Tce view, quake damaged, Manchester St Bridge


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake buckled pavement, Manchester St Bridge cordon view, red zone, NZDF checkpoint, cnr Cambridge Tce


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St Bridge, red zone, cordon view, Retour Restaurant (Edmonds Band Rotunda) awaiting demolition, in CBD red zone, Cambridge Tce. Retour Restaurant dome would be plastic wrapped, abandoned on Avon River bank for years. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be rebuilt. Ernst & Young behind would be demolished

Manchester St Bridge & Manchester St: Views into the red zone, ghost CBD. Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel loomed above Forsyth Barr & PWC high rises, the former would be restored to Crowne Plaza Hotel, the latter awaited demolition for the new RC Cathedral precinct.

The long standing, red zone, NZDF checkpoint still occupied Cambridge Tce side, but the red zone, steel mesh fence cordon occupied only half of Manchester St Bridge, lengthwise along the span. Retour Restaurant (Edmonds Band Rotunda) & Ernst & Young, Cambridge Tce, awaited demolition. Retour restaurant dome would be white plastic wrapped, abandoned on Avon River bank for years. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be rebuilt.


27.04.12. Red zone, steel mesh fence cordoned, Manchester St / Cambridge Tce / Manchester St Bridge, NZDF checkpoint view, CBD red zone. Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel high rise was restored


27.04.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Cambridge Tce crossing, red zone, NZDF checkpoint view, quake-closed high rises in CBD red zone. BNZ & PWC middle would be demolished. The new RC Cathedral precinct would be build on the PWC demo site opp Victoria Sq.



A NZDF checkpoint soldier, wearing an orange, Hi-Vis vest, checked vehicles in & out of the red zone, via Manchester St, across Manchester St Bridge & Cambridge Tce, past the Retour Restaurant & PGC demolition site, where 18 people died in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake.

NZDF checkpoint sign:

AUTHORISED
   VEHICLES
CONTRACTOR
  ENTRANCE

Threat sign:

EXTREME
 DANGER
    KEEP
    OUT


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Manchester St / Cambridge Tce crossing, NZDF checkpoint view, PGC bldg, demolition site. 18 people died when PGC bldg collapsed, 22.02.11 quake. Ernst & Young behind would be demolished




When I checked the eastern span of Manchester St Bridge, quakes had shifted the concrete span a couple of centimetres westwards, anti-clockwise. As in all Avon River bridges I'd seen, quake damage was shifting of concrete spans, clockwise or anti-clockwise, spalling, buckling, or separations, later disguised by asphalt patching, between bridge spans & abutments.


27.04.12. Manchester St Bridge, Avon River downriver view, poplars. Cambridge Tce left, Oxford Tce right


27.04.12. Manchester St Bridge pavement, 22.02.11 quake buckled above abutment & span join. Oxford Tce beyond

I trekked along Manchester St by Charles Luneys ghost, razor wire above a boarded door in Armagh St, to Manchester St / Armagh St crossing. Red zone, Bob Brown's Hi Fi, cnr ghost: broken window panes, curtains fluttered through window gaps & cracked walls. At the back cnr of Bob Brown's Hi Fi, Armagh St side, steel rebars at a column base were exposed, where masonry had fallen off. Verkerks butchery, across Manchester St, would be demolished. Over the years we'd bought Verkerks meat. (Post quakes, we would buy meat at Verkerks factory, Vagues Rd). Bob Brown's Hi Fi & Charles Luney ghosts would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground.


28.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St Bridge, S view, red zone, Manchester St / Oxford Tce crossing. Red zone, closed, Charles Luneys bldg left, quake-closed Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel & Novotel in red zone beyond. Both hotels were restored. Luneys left would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground in CERA's green, E Frame


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St Bridge, SW view, red zone, CBD abandoned bldgs





27.04.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, orange plastic mesh cordon. Manchester St / Armagh St, E view, red zone, Armagh St. Charles Luneys left, Orion utility right. Charles Luneys would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground. Orion bldg would survive the quakes


27.04.12. Red zone, fence cordoned, razor wired, boarded, quake-damaged, Charles Luneys bldg, Manchester St / Armagh St, was demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground




27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Armagh St, E view, quake-closed, Charles Luneys bldg left, abandoned ACC bldg right, both demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Armagh St, W view, red zone, CBD abandoned bldgs. Verkerks left would be demolished. Forsyth Barr middle would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct opp Victoria Sq.





27.04.12. Red zone, steel mesh fence cordoned, boarded, quake-closed, Verkerks Butchery, Armagh St / Manchester St. Verkerks would be demolished



27.04.12. Red zone, Armagh St / Manchester St crossing, S view, red zone, steel mesh fence cordoned, quake-closed, CBD bldgs


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed, Bob Brown's Hi Fi bldg, red zone, Armagh St / Manchester St. Bob Brown's Hi Fi would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground















27.04.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Armagh St bldgs: Orion utility left survived the quakes. Quake trashed, Bob Brown's Hi Fi middle would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground. Forsyth Barr beyond would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel

Armagh St to Madras St crossing: Orion utility still did business & would survive the quakes. A guard in blue uniform stood at the back gate. During quakes, Orion linesmen reconnected & kept power going. During quakes & post quakes, great work was also done by sewer men, telecom workers, water men & road workers keeping services going.

Orion bldg, wall plaque celebrating a neon mural:

"Paul Hartigan
Nebula 2001

Neon & mercury-argon tubing on painted aluminium with programmed animation sequence. Commissioned by Orion New Zealand Limited. Officially opened on Monday 19 November 2001..."



27.04.12. Red zone, quake survivor, Orion utility, neon & aluminium mural, Armagh St



27.04.12. Red zone, red oak leaves, Orion aluminium, pavement cover, Armagh St



27.04.12. Red zone, 4 grey portaloos, back of Orion utility, Armagh St


27.04.12. Quake fallen sign, tyres workshop, red zone, Armagh St


27.04.12. Back of quake trashed, Centennial Pool, red zone, Armagh St. Centennial Pool would be demolished for Margaret Mahy Family Playground


Armagh St / Madras St: Flood puddle by Amicus House demolition site, with an Orion electricity, green metal box buzzing in the foul water. Pedestrians wandered by. Diagonally opp, in an empty Wilson carpark, water still flooded from a burst well near Crighton B & B. The well had flooded Madras St ever since the Feb 22 Killer Quake. I suspected the flooding was caused by an underground stream connected to nearby Avon River. And Council & CERA were keen to rebuild on quake trashed CBD sites. Swampland. All that flooding would be included in CERA's Blueprint E Frame.

I trekked along demolition wasteland, Madras St back to Latimer Sq.


27.04.12. Quake buckled, paving stones by abandoned realtor bldg, red zone, Armagh St. Realtor would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park





27.04.12. Armagh St, S view, quake trashed, abandoned, red zone bldgs, Gloucester St. Latimer Sq trees left. The bldgs would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



27.04.12. Red zone, Amicus House demolition site, post quake flooding, Armagh St / Madras St. Wilson carpark on demolition site beyond. The flooding would be in CERA's Green E Frame & Wilson carpark would become CERA's proposed Residential Demonstration Project. (Never happened). A taste of CERA's / Council's Nov 2013 proposals for high density living dotted around Christchurch



27.04.12. Red zone, Armagh St / Madras St crossing, W view, Forsyth Barr left in red zone, CBD. Forsyth Barr would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct opp Victoria Sq.


27.04.12. Red zone, Amicus House demolition site, post quake flooding, Madras St / Armagh St. Forsyth Barr middle beyond would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC beyond right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct opp Victoria Sq. Realtor bldg middle left would be demolished & Amicus House demo site would enable CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. No cars in red zone Madras St. Gloucester St & Latimer Sq beyond


27.04.12. Madras St, weedy demolition site, W view, red zone, quake-closed, CBD bldgs. Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel beyond was restored. Foreground bldgs would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Madras St, demolition site, SW view, quake trashed, abandoned, red zone bldgs, Gloucester St. The 2 high rises would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, Madras St, demolition site view, red zone, abandoned bldgs. Left bldgs would be demolished for CERA's E Frame / Rauora Park. Forsyth Barr middle would be restored as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC middle right would be demolished for the new RC Cathedral precinct opp Victoria Sq.

Madras St / Gloucester St: A silver, Smith crane was parked, boom lowered, on Securities House demolition site.

Across Madras St were empty carparks on demolition sites, Charlie B's Backpackers was long gone. The demolition sites would become CERA's proposed Residential Demonstration Project. (Never happened). A taste of things to come, when in Nov 2013 CERA & Council would propose high density housing, 30 - 65 dwellings per hectare, to be dotted around Christchurch.


27.04.12. Red zone, silver, Smith crane, Securities House demolition site, Madras St / Gloucester St. The bldgs would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



27.04.12. Madras St, quake demolition sites, nr Latimer Sq. Charley B's Backpackers gone. CERA's proposed Residential Demonstration Project site. (Never happened)


27.04.12. Patched Gloucester St / Madras St, W view, red zone CBD. Quake-closed, Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel beyond. Latimer Sq tree left. CERA's green E Frame would go from Latimer Sq to Manchester St just before Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel. All bldgs up to Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel would be demolished for CERA's E Frame / Rauora Park


27.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Latimer Sq W view, red zone, quake-closed Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel. Pacific Tower would be restored. Bldgs below would be demolished for CERA's E Frame / Rauora Park


27.04.12. Latimer Sq S view, Hereford St / Madras St junction. Bldgs in the pic would be demolished for post quake developments, like Liverpool Terrace apartments

Saturday afternoon 28.04.12. I did the Madras St trek with Leah, who was disorientated by all the red zone, steel mesh fence cordons & missing bldgs around Latimer Sq & northwards along Madras St. Near Centennial Pool, we looped along Oxford Tce by autumn leafy Avon River, past The Poplars demolition site & past Oxford Tce Baptist Church, demolition site, with its 185 Empty Chairs memorial, remembering 22.02.11 Killer Quake.


28.04.12. Post quake, braced, Edmonds Clock Tower, nr Madras St Bridge. The clock stopped at 12.51 pm when the 22.02.11 quake struck. Edmonds Clock Tower would be decapitated for repairs

Edmonds Clock Tower was steel mesh fence cordoned, scaffolded, nylon strapped, steel & concrete block braced. The clock stopped at 12.51pm when the 22.02.11 Killer Quake struck. The gargoyles were plastic wrapped & taped. FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY were inscribed on the Clock Tower. CERA would turn the area into Blueprint E Frame. Edmonds Clock Tower would be decapitated for repairs.

We crossed Madras St Bridge, quake damages between spans & abutments. Kicking autumn leaves, we trekked past Cambridge Tce ghosts.


28.04.12. Post quakes, Madras St Bridge, upriver view, Avon River poplars. Oxford Tce left, Cambridge Tce right


I snapped steel mesh fence cordoned, Theosophy ghost, which had deteriorated during quakes. By Avon River bank, Leah stuck her leg about half a metre deep into a leafy, quake crack between road & curb. Quakes had pulled concrete curbs from road asphalt all over Christchurch, leaving lengthy, dangerous cracks.


28.04.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Serial quake trashed, cordoned, Theosophy bldg, Cambridge Tce. Theosophy bldg would be demolished









28.04.12. Quake junk, Cambridge Tce


28.04.12. Quake crack between road & curb by Avon River, Cambridge Tce, E view. Quake trashed Theosophy bldg left would be demolished


28.04.12. Quake crack between road & curb by Avon River, Cambridge Tce. W view to Manchester St, NZDF checkpoint

Quakes & CERA red zone cordons strangled the life out of CBD bldgs on both Avon River banks. As the riverside bldgs looked dangerous, despite removal of liquefaction silt & touch ups, most of those riverside ghosts would be demolished. So much for CERA's recovery of commercial activity in the red zone CBD. I didn't see bldg owners & entrepreneurs, nor international funding rushing back to that NE part of Christchurch CBD.

Joy of trekking Madras St environs that weekend, there were more pedestrians than cars. But contractor vehicles & heavy-duty, demolition & construction vehicles had hammered the citizen-forbidden, red zone CBD for months.

*Trekked Greers Rd, Hereford St, Durham St Sth, Worcester St, Latimer Sq, Madras St, Armagh St, Oxford Tce, Cambridge Tce, Manchester St. 146 images.

Sun 29.04.12. Madras St tranquility for pedestrians & cyclists only lasted 2 days. On Sunday, southern Madras St beyond Latimer Sq to Tuam St was reopened, after 14 months of demolitions post 22.02.11 Killer Quake. 

Coda:

Jan 2013. It would be 28 months before the NZDF occupation of Christchurch CBD by CERA would stop. CERA's WMDs were demolisher diggers. Pre quakes Christchurch citizens were so welfare state smug, they didn't know their own NZ National govt would occupy their CBD by means of cordons, closed bldgs, demolitions & NZDF checkpoints for 28 months. Citizens banned. All for citizens' safety of course, while NZ National govt / CERA cherry picked CERA proclaimed, red zone land with taxpayers' money for its Blueprint vanity projects & precincts.

Thus NZ National govt / CERA would use State of Emergency powers, red zone, steel mesh fence cordons, military checkpoints & compliant, money-grabbing contractors to completely change the E side of Christchurch CBD. By late 2015, NZ National govt's / CERA's "rebuild" would morph to "regeneration" with the advent of Margaret Mahy Family Playground & E Frame / Rauora Park on vast demolition sites between Madras Street & Manchester St.

Content & pics copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See CERA shadow over cathedral (The Press / Stuff Co). 

See CERA documents on Christchurch Cathedral.

See Flockton Cluster beg council for flood aid (The Press / Stuff Co).