Friday, August 31, 2012

Year 2 CERA. Reckoning: 01.09.12. Peasants Revolt, United Voices Protest

United Voices Protest focus. Saturday 01.09.12, 1pm, Harpers Ave / Park Tce: After being ignored & bullshitted by Council, EQC, insurers, CERA, CCDU, SCIRT, Fletcher, geotech engineers, Christchurch peasants revolted in a United Voices Protest, marching from Hagley Park North beside Avon River along Park Tce, Rolleston Ave, Worcester Blvd, Montreal St to Cranmer Sq. Darla Hutt was protest leader, she'd organized another protest in the Botanic Gdns.

Post quakes, over past months there were discrete protests: Several against Council, in & near the Council bldg led by the Lynch family; a land zoning protest in Cranmer Sq led by Rev Coleman; a housing crisis protest at CERA Minister Brownlee's Ilam office, led by young folk against corporatocracy; several Save The Cathedral protests, led by the Wizard & ex MP Anderton; a protest against EQC & insurer delays, Clarence Rd - Princess St, led by Rev Coleman; a Save Hagley Park protest led by the Wizard, against revamping Hagley Oval as an international cricket venue for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. There were other cricket oval options in Christchurch, like QE11 Oval, E side of town, badly liquefactioned; Burnside Park, 2 cricket ovals, 2 pavilions near airport motels & hotels, no liquefaction... (Despite protests, authorities would use Hagley Park for the 2015 Cricket World Cup).

Canterbury had been stripped of democracy by Environment Canterbury (ECAN) directors being sacked by NZ National govt & their jobs usurped by appointed govt commissioners who decided on water quality for cattle farmers to pollute Canterbury rivers & Christchurch air quality during winter smogs...

Never mind squabbling Christchurch councillors having a NZ National govt observer foisted on them for a couple of months to report back to govt. Inept town clerk, councillors & mayor had themselves to blame for their weakness. Neutered by insufficient insurance of Council assets.

Protesters protested against ECAN with slogans about democracy & log burners. Latest from NZ National govt was that ECAN elections would only resume in 2016. (Later on NZ National govt would erode provincial democracy more by keeping some appointed commissioners alongside fewer elected councillors). Meanwhile NZ National govt appointed commissioners & their lackeys would rule ECAN. They'd contaminate Canterbury soil fertility, rivers, underground water & fresh air by favouring intensive dairy farming & dithering about log burners vs open fires. Never mind power cuts & ever inflating electricity bills in winter.

That democracy travesty worsened with CERA's dictatorial powers under CERA minister Brownlee & appointed minions, CERA boss Sutton & CCDU boss Isaacs, whose CBD Blueprint would contaminate Christchurch CBD for years.

Having survived SA apartheid, it was easy to see NZ creeping fascism during quakes: States of Emergencies, officious cops, curfews, land zonings (separations of citizens according to property & erosion of property rights) NO GO areas, threat signs, NZDF checkpoints... CERA was corporate-fascism in suits, sans brown shirts & jackboots. Only differences between SA & NZ fascists were South Africans had different accents & wore homburg hats.

Propaganda to assuage gullible populace outside Christchurch: feel-good propaganda about USAR / TF, firefighter heroes & citizens' "resilience." Christchurch citizens were then insulted with, "Stop whining!" or "Get over it!" or "Suck it up!" The Press / Stuff Co comments were rife with such public opinion. Some fascist classics:

National PM Key: "What we can conclude is that the most significant damage from the earthquakes is really the psychological damage and the impact on the confidence of the people of Christchurch," referring to the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm & TC3 Parklands liquefaction disaster.

CERA Minister Brownlee: "There is no housing crisis," during 2012 winter, when people were sleeping in garages, cars, caravans & on the beach. That statement was supported by PM Key & other National politicians. Yesterday, Fri 31.08.20, Brownlee released a verbose statement extolling CERA virtues.

CERA boss Sutton: "This is the offer, have a nice day," August 2012, referring to NZ National govt confiscation of CBD land for CERA's Blueprint Frame & new stadium.

Little was done to assuage protesters' grievances. The latest Council iniquity: Overpaid town clerk Marryatt served a rates-gobbling, personal grievance against Council he served (including playing golf during work hours & flying home to Hamilton for weekends) as he objected to some councillors protesting his exorbitant salary increase at the February 2012 protest. Mayor Parker knocked his naughty councillors & praised Marryatt's diligence. Never mind that Parker was trying to get Council to fly him & his wife on an overseas junket to USA & Asian sister cities, at ratepayers' expense. At the end of 2013, after not standing for Council elections, Parker would receive a knighthood.

Saturday 01.09.12, 12.20pm. I parked my car on Carlton Mill Rd by a multi-storey flats ghost, post 22.02.11 Killer Quake. I snapped demolished Milbrook flats, a rubble pile, 2 diggers on top, behind a steel mesh fence cordon. Across the road, behind another steel mesh fence cordon, another multi-storey flats ghost had characteristic X cracks on concrete wall slabs, awaiting demolition.

Carlton Mill Rd: Orange, plastic, road cones & detour signs with a SCIRT road excavation near Bealey Ave crossing. Two diggers stood behind a steel mesh fence cordon. Several ghost houses & a couple of house demolition sites.


01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Diggers. Milbrook Apartments, demolition site, Carlton Mill Rd




01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned flats, Carlton Mill Rd. The flats would be demolished




01.09.12. ROAD CLOSED. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. SCIRT excavation, Carlton Mill Rd


Carlton Bridge over Avon River, Bealey Ave / Harper Ave / Park Tce crossing: Quake damages to 2 upstream abutments, cracked balustrades downstream side. Although 1 000s of motorists, pedestrians, joggers & cyclists used Carlton Bridge daily, SCIRT took its time repairing Avon River bridges. Permanent repairs by SCIRT would only begin on South Brighton Bridge on 03.09.12.


01.09.12. Carlton Mill Rd view, Carlton Bridge, Avon River


01.09.12. Quake damaged Carlton Bridge, Harper Ave / Carlton Mill Rd / Bealey Ave / Park Tce


 


1.00pm, Hagley Park North: Daffodils bloomed below spring-greening willows on Avon River bank. About 300 protesters, including media, gathered with protest signs, then crossed Carlton Bridge to Park Tce, shadowed by 3 cops, wearing yellow, Hi- Vis vests. Several protest placards were recycled from a former protest at Brownlee's Ilam office.


01.09.12. Hagley Park North sign, Harper Ave


01.09.12. Kayakers, Avon River. Steel mesh fence cordoned, Park Tce beyond


01.09.12. Daffodils, Hagley Park North. Park Tce beyond


01.09.12. Daffodils, Hagley Park North. Avon River, 3 cops. Park Tce beyond


Saturday afternoon, the protest was a family affair, all ages. Youths in yellow, Hi-Vis vests marshalled the crowd. Youths & adults carried placards voicing anger at fascists' actions & omissions. Bridge poster:

                               2012

    UNITED VOICES PROTEST  MARCH

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL...

                                           NO MORE LIES
                                  NO MORE CORRUPTION
                                     NO MORE SUFFERING

                          2 YEARS
                              ON
                       TOGETHER
                          WE ARE
                         STRONG

        STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY


01.09.12. United Voices Protest sign, Carlton Bridge


01.09.12. United Voices Protesters, Hagley Park North


More protest posters:

               CBD
     100 DAY PLAN.
        RESIDENTS
728 DAYS NO PLAN

NZ National govt / CERA minions took 100 days to provide a Blueprint for NZ National govt / CERA occupied, Christchurch CBD, where citizens' property rights were trampled by NZ National govt's / CERA's land-grabbing of citizens' commercial CBD properties for CERA's Blueprint anchor precincts. But CERA provided no Blueprint for residential red zones, where citizens' property rights were trampled by NZ National govt's / CERA's land-grab of 7 500 residential red zone properties.


      EQC
 CREATING
UNNATURAL
 DISASTERS
 SINCE 2010


              2012
           UNITED
           VOICES
  PROTEST MARCH!

UNITED WE STAND
DIVIDED WE FALL! [Banner]


NO NO NO DISASTER
      CRAPITALISM

    DISASTER
CRAPITALISM
  AT ITS BEST
... WORST???


HOMES FIRST!
[Broken home pic]


GERRY-EQC
        IS A
  SICK JOKE


THIS GOVERNMENT
       DOES NOT
           CARE


              3
       SHAKES
      AND THE
GOVERNMENTS
     WANKING


     ANGRY
MISERABLE
   IGNORED



      HOUSING
           IS A
HUMAN RIGHT


HOMES B4
STADIUMS


        ECAN
      ALLOW
LOGBURNERS
           IN
     REBUILT
      HOMES


UNITED
VOICES


UNSURANCE
      DEALS!


HOUSING 4
       ALL


         2 YEARS ON
    WELCOME HOME
(ARE WE THERE YET?)


$TOP THE
    RENT
   HIKE$


 PEOPLE
      B4
PROFITS
   $ $ $ $


BAIL OUT
     THE
  PEOPLE


     CHRISTCHURCH...

BROKEN           ENOUGH
 HOMES                   IS
  LIVES              ENOUGH
HEARTS


AFFORDABLE
      SOCIAL
        HOUSING


AFFORDABLE
    HOUSING!


   PEOPLE B4
POLITICIANS!!


                  LAST 9 MONTHS
               OUR HOUSE LEVEL
           CHANGED A FURTHER
                          34 MM
              SHOWS LAND STILL
                        SINKING
                 WHATS EQC DO?
           STOPS LIDAR TESTING
   AS TOO EXPENSIVE. YET HOW
[MANY] MILLIONS ON WAGES OK!


                      EQC ASSESSOR
                 "SOMETIMES THEY
                 BUILD EXTENSIONS
              ON A LEAN SO WATER
                    CAN RUN OFF IT"
                       YEAH RIGHT!
    GO BACK TO SELLING CARS IN OZ


PLEASE
  HELP
         US [Youth]


PEOPLE
BEFORE
 PROFIT
       ! [Youth]

      HOMES NOW
STADIUMS LATER!




01.09.12. United Voices Protesters, Hagley Park North


      FIX OUR
HOMES FIRST!


     WE'RE
FUTTERLY
    UCKED [Flag pic with targeted human]



01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Hagley Park North


    HOMES
   BEFORE
STADIUMS [Toddler in pram]



01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops, marching United Voices Protesters, Hagley Park North





01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops shadowing United Voices Protesters, Hagley Park North


Park Tce: Protesters crossed Carlton Bridge, marched beside Avon River past a couple of demolition sites & The George Hotel to Armagh St Bridge crossing, where 2 more cops directed traffic.


01.09.12. United Voices Protesters crossing Carlton Bridge




01.09.12. Marching United Voices Protesters, Park Tce / Bealey Ave


01.09.12. Marching United Voices Protesters, Park Tce



WHOSE CITY




01.09.12. Post quakes rubble heap, Terrace On The Park apartments, demolition site, Park Tce / Salisbury St


01.09.12. Marching United Voices Protesters, Park Tce





                     ECAN
ALLOW WOODBURNERS BACK
                    IN OUR
                  REBUILD


          EQC PAY
         TOO LATE
   AZTECS NOT CITY
       ARCHITECTS
     LETS TAKE ALL
BILLS TO MY SONS
      HUMAN COST


01.09.12. The George Hotel, Park Tce / Peterborough St


01.09.12. Marching United Voices Protesters by Armagh St Bridge, Rolleston Ave


01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops directing traffic by marching United Voices Protesters, Armagh St Bridge / Rolleston Ave



Rolleston Ave: Protesters marched past quake damaged, Christ's College, porta-cabin classes in courtyard, to Canterbury Museum.



01.09.12. United Voices Protesters marching past Christ's College, Rolleston Ave





  

01.09.12. United Voices Protesters by Canterbury Museum, Worcester Blvd / Rolleston Ave


01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops & United Voices Protesters by Canterbury Museum, Worcester Blvd / Rolleston Ave

        OUR LIVES
           ARE ON
HOLD FOR YEARS
          THANKS
              EQC


01.09.12. Quake survivor, Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Ave

Worcester Blvd: Protesters marched down Worcester Blvd to Christchurch Art Gallery. I dallied to snap Christchurch Arts Centre's tarp posters on steel mesh fence cordons, explaining how Christchurch Arts Centre would be repaired. The clock tower was removed for repairs, steel braces supporting the wall. Across the road, beside a 2 storey, brick ghost, an ice cream shop was open & a couple of shipping container shops sold tourist trinkets.


01.09.12. Marching United Voices Protesters, Worcester Blvd




01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops shadowing marching United Voices protesters, Worcester Blvd


01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Steel braced, Clock Tower removed for repairs, abandoned, Christchurch Arts Centre, Worcester Blvd


01.09.12. Quake repairs, info tarp on steel mesh fence cordon, abandoned, Christchurch Arts Centre, Worcester Blvd






01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Post quakes, wood braced, abandoned, Christchurch Arts Centre, Worcester Blvd




01.09.12. Shipping container shops below quake damaged bldg, Worcester Blvd

Worcester Blvd / Montreal St: 3 yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops directed traffic after protesters marched past.


01.09.12.  Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops directing traffic, United Voices Protest, Worcester Blvd / Montreal St. Quake closed Christchurch Art Gallery, red zoned, Rydges Hotel ghost & Christ Church Cathedral ghost beyond


01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cop directing traffic, United Voices Protest, Montreal St / Worcester Blvd. Christchurch City Council bldg, open, behind left


01.09.12. United Voices Protesters, Montreal St

Montreal St: I followed protest marchers past quake closed, Christchurch Art Gallery to Cranmer Sq.


01.09.12. Quake closed, Christchurch Art Gallery, Montreal St


WOTS YOUR COUNCILLOR
DOING FOR YOUR WATER? [Garden sign about ECAN]


01.09.12. Protest sign, Montreal St

18 months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, USAR / TF graffiti was still on letter boxes & wooden fences. 3 yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops wandered past Cranmer Centre demolition site back to Central Police, their shadowing revolting peasants from Hagley Park to Cranmer Sq done.


01.09.12. USAR / TF graffiti on letter boxes, Montreal St



01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested cops returning to Central Police, after shadowing United Voices Protesters from Hagley Park North to Cranmer Sq, Montreal St

Cranmer Sq: Opp Cranmer Centre demolition site, several speakers protested from the back of a ute parked below London planes. 6 white loudspeakers faced different directions on a green trailer. Media roamed, snapping pics, or videoing, or interviewing speakers or protesters. A cop car hovered on Armagh St before leaving.


01.09.12. Armagh St view, United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



01.09.12. Loud speakers, United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq

  WE CAN  SEE
THE OLYMPICS
       IN 2016 [Youth]


ENDLESS
 DELAYS
 ARE NOT
      OK! [Youth]


KEY
LIES!



        JUSTICE
            FOR
CHRISTCHURCH
     RESIDENTS


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



        TC3
  IS MISERY
THANKS TO
       EQC

     KIA KAHA
         CHCH
PEOPLE POWER

 ORGANIZE
  HOUSING
  FOR NEED
NOT PROFIT


COMMUNITY
       UNITY



 UNITED
     WE
  STAND
DIVIDED
    WE
  FALL! [T shirt]


PLEASE
  HELP
    US

   WE
  ARE
TIRED [Youth]



   NO EQC
 DONT ROB
 OR DIVIDE
RICHMOND


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq








I AM THE
  VOICE
  OF THE
 FUTURE
HEAR ME
    NOW! [Youth]


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



             TC3
NO MORE DELAYS
  LOOK AFTER US
            EQC


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



          ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
     START WAKING UP TO THE
           FACTS OF LIFE AND
SPEND GOVT MONEY ON HOMES
          THAT NEED FIXING... [Youth]


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq




   UNIVERSAL
         BASIC
       HUMAN
        RIGHTS
DECLARATION [Youth]


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



JUSTICE


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq




01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq view, Cranmer Court, awaiting demolition by CERA, Kilmore St


01.09.12. Yellow, Hi-Vis vested youth marshal, protesters, United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq












                 ROGER WOZZA
 BOB & TONY CAN WE HAVE
OUR DEMOCRACY BACK PLEASE


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq



01.09.12. United Voices Protest, organizer, speakers, Cranmer Sq







At protest end, speakers & organizers stood as a group on the back of the ute, while protesters applauded. Protesters had perceived National's arrogance & weren't paying fealty to self proclaimed lords. Some ratepayers already weren't paying Council's 7.5% rates increase.


01.09.12. United Voices Protest, Cranmer Sq









 



After the protest, I trekked across Cranmer Sq & returned to my car via Montreal St & Victoria St.

Montreal St / Kilmore St : Part demolished Chateau Blanc Suites on one cnr. The rest of the bldg was abandoned: old, yellow & red inspection stickers on glass doors. (Despite Council's red and yellow stickers, the bldg would be restored to 5 star Hotel Montreal). Opp cnr, Cranmer Court ghost: larger than life photos plastered over some damaged walls & windows. After protests Cranmer Court would be demolished by CERA. 2023. New Cranmer Terraces would be on site.


01.09.12. Part demolished, Chateau Blanc Suites, Kilmore St / Montreal St. The bldg would be restored to 5 star Hotel Montreal

 


  

01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed, Cranmer Court, Kilmore St / Montreal St. See wall photos covering some damages. Cranmer Court would be demolished after protests






Montreal St / Peterborough St : I snapped The Peterborough ghost, steel mesh fence cordoned since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, weeds & fallen stones before the locked, front door. Gable: quake skewed stone finial, like the quake skewed steel finial atop Jubilee Clock Tower across the road. The Peterborough & Jubilee Clock Tower would survive the quakes.


01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordoned, orange, plastic bollarded, The Peterborough, Montreal St / Peterborough St


 




01.09.12. Quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, Jubilee Clock Tower & Victoria Mansions, Montreal St / Victoria St. The clock stopped at 12.51 pm when the 22.02.11 quake struck. Quake skewed finial



Montreal St / Salisbury St / Victoria St : Victoria Mansions ghost, steel mesh fence cordoned since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Victoria Mansions would survive the quakes. The steel mesh fence cordoned, Jubilee Clock Tower was part repaired with wooden bracing, the steel finial still quake skewed. The clock stopped at 12.51pm when the 22.02.11 Killer Quake struck. (Later Jubilee Clock Tower would be fully restored). Across the road, both cnrs, empty demolition sites.


01.09.12. Post quake Rebuild sign, demolition site, Salisbury St / Victoria St


01.09.12. Strategy bldg demolition site, Salisbury St / Montreal St


Victoria St: Livelier than the NZDF cordoned, red zoned CBD. Some epoxy-glued businesses were reviving, like part demolished, repainted Caxton Press (would be demolished, relocated to Wigram Business Park, 2014) Gordon Smith & Sons Fruiterers, The Coffee Club & Spags. Several business ghosts: some damaged windows, some steel mesh fence cordoned. Contrast was stark between fast demolitions / rebuilds in Victoria St vicinity, controlled by the private sector & slow demolitions / rebuilds in the red zone CBD, strangled by CERA.

Years later, Spags, est 1978, would relocate to a refurbished, clapboard, 2 storey bldg, Victoria St / Salisbury St. We bought pizzas at Spags, it reminded us of our marriage year, 1978, St Martins Anglican Church, Chelsea Dr, Durban North.


01.09.12. Part demolished, quake survivor, Caxton Press (later demolished) Victoria St. Caxton Press would relocate to Wigram Business Park, 2014



01.09.12. Quake survivor bldgs, Victoria St













A temporary bar was one side of Victoria St & on the other side, post quakes, new Carlton Butchery bldg housed relocated Saggio di vino. An ugly, tilt slab, white painted, box bldg. If that was the recovery style, post quake Christchurch would be an ugly city.


01.09.12. Post quake rebuild, Carlton Butchery, Victoria St


Victoria St / Bealey Ave : Knox Church ghost on one cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned, next to a demolition site. Knox Church's wooden roof arches were boarded & steel cable braced, becoming more dilapidated due to weathering, 18 months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Steel mesh fence cordon sign:

YES, WE'RE OPEN FOR
    (GOD'S) BUSINESS
           WORSHIP
               HERE
      SUNDAY 10 AM

Knox Church stood abandoned for a couple of years, an eyesore. It would be restored by the end of 2014, wooden arches & roof retained, exterior walls clad with copper panels.


01.09.12. Serial quake trashed, steel mesh fence cordoned, boarded, Knox Church, Victoria St / Bealey Ave


 

Opp cnr, Smash Palace temporary pub, Saggio di vino demolition site. (Smash Palace would still be there, April 2015, an eyesore. It would relocate to High St, 2016). Across the road, The Carlton temporary pub, Bealey Ave / Papanui Rd, had packed up & gone a week before, leaving a bare demolition site again, for Burger King rebuild.


01.09.12. Smash Palace temp pub, Saggio di vino demolition site, Victoria St / Bealey Ave




That night Luke rushed into our lounge saying, "Dad! You're on 6pm TV3 news!" There I was, upstaging a protest speaker while I snapped.


01.09.12. Quake damaged wing wall, Carlton Bridge, Avon River, Harper Ave / Carlton Mill Rd


01.09.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. 30 km/h speed limit sign. Post quakes, road works, Carlton Mill Rd

 

01.09.12. Abandoned bldg by Avon River, Carlton Mill Rd



01.09.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow digger, orange pump. Post quakes, SCIRT excavation, Carlton Mill Rd




01.09.12. Black, plastic tarp. Quake trashed, brick wall, Carlton Mill Rd





01.09.12. United Voices Protest sign, parked car, Carlton Mill Rd


01.09.12. Quake damaged, part repaired flats, Carlton Mill Rd



01.09.12. Quake damaged, wood braced house, Carlton Mill Rd

*Trekked Carlton Mill Rd, Hagley Park North, Park Tce, Rolleston Ave, Worcester Blvd, Montreal St, Cranmer Sq, Victoria St. 255 images.

Friday 07.09.12. TV One News reported that SCIRT would repair Christchurch roads & bridges, E suburbs a priority, with many disruptions. But it would take 5 years to complete repairs. A propaganda sop for the rest of NZ, wondering what went on in E Christchurch?

Meanwhile, SCIRT had dithered with many orange, plastic, road cones, excavations & detours on quaked roads. Some progress: Fitzgerald Ave northbound lane (collapsed by Avon River in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake) was reopened after a year of repairs. I'd driven that road & its detours daily, taking Luke to Sullivan Ave tech.

Reality Christchurch: I got a nail puncture in my left front tyre. The sooner SCIRT sorted out potholes on potholes the better, as 2 years of quake lumps & bumps were messing cars.

Regarding infrastructure renewal by SCIRT, The Weekend Press, 08-09.09.12 headline: "Huge disruption is 'progress'" - 1 000km new roads, 400km new sewer mains, 100+km new water mains, 45 new footbridges, 18 new road bridges. Costing $2.2 billion.

Why didn't CERA sort out new housing & residential insurances payouts & rebuilds? The fact that there were 28 000 green-blue zone, TC3 properties & 7 000+ red zone properties, all zoned by NZ National govt / CERA & only a few score property rebuilds by insurers was a scandal: 35 house rebuilds by IAG / State, 20 house rebuilds by Southern Response. At that rebuild rate, 2 years post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, it would take years for housing to recover.

Tues 11.09.12, The Press reported on its insurers survey, quoting IAG's Deon MacGregor: "We are now pretty confident that we will have all our repairs and rebuilds completed by the end of 2015." MacGregor didn't apologise nor say why IAG was forcing squalid living conditions, for years, on those who'd paid insurance premiums to IAG.

Meanwhile, NZ National govt did nothing about enabling EQC / Fletcher to speed up repairs / rebuilds of quake damaged properties.

Meanwhile, NZ National govt did nothing about enabling insurers to speed up settlement of claims on quake damaged properties: no time limits, no penalties for delays.

As CERA made the rebuild / reinsurance / remortgage mess by creating 28 000 TC3, green-blue zoned residential properties, it was time CERA sorted out its mess with insurers.  

Wednesday 12.09.12 The Press: A primary school teacher, TC3 property owner, did a Facebook survey of TC3 property owners & passed it onto The Press. Of the 689 people surveyed, amongst other findings, 58% TC3 survey respondents lived in housing with major quake damage. That meant cracked houses, houses tilting into mud, broken rooms, liquefaction mud & sewage below houses, flooding after rains, damp houses, mould growing on walls, dust on nor'wester days, broken roads, pavements, potholes, demolitions... Never mind dealing with insurers & their deny, delay, defend tactics.

Brownlee's response: "I'm a TC3 resident myself and I'm sick of these people carping and moaning. The constant suggestion that somehow we've abandoned these people or forgotten about them is just about the most insulting thing they could possibly say." Brownlee also said that TC3 residents had time to "buggerise around on Facebook all day."

Brownlee should sort out CERA's TC3 mess regarding insurers' indecision about rebuilding or repairing TC3 housing. Stop EQC buggerising claimants too! Those TC3s had multitudes scrutinising their properties: EQC assessors, insurers, geotech land zoners, geotech drillers, SCIRT minions, sewage sucker trucks, haul trucks, gawpers, burglars, arsonists, bums, vandals & taggers. Never mind SCIRT's ubiquitous, orange, plastic, road cones, detours & 30 km/h speed limit signs harassing citizens for years.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Protest over quake recovery (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Marryatt grievance revealed (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Revision of Hagley Oval cricket plan requested (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Brownlee fed up with moaning residents (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Five star hotel with wow factor for city (The Press / Stuff Co).

See CERA residential red zone survey insulting (The Press / Stuff Co).