Monday, January 28, 2019

Beyond Quake Walls. Daisy Fields, River Road

Richmond focus. Mon 28.01.19. While Leah attended a teacher training meeting at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, I did a half hour, circular trek along red zone, Avon River bank: London St, Fitzgerald Ave, River Rd, Stanmore Rd, London St.

Fitzgerald Ave Bridge: Bridge rail, torn sign:

DEMO
IN PRO
NO E

The bridge had been continuously used since the 2010-13 quakes, spans anti-clockwise rotated, NE abutment skewed by the quakes, bridge roadworthy over Avon River.

Fitzgerald Ave Harvey Tce: Red Zone, vacant land, where post quake CERA had taken houses along River Rd forming a small part of the post quake, residential red zone (about 4x the size of Hagley Park) on quake liquefactioned land. CERA had proclaimed red zone, so-called quake damaged land, paid out owners, demolished 7500 houses, cordoned & fenced red zone land & after 5 years had handed over the taken land to LINZ (Land Information NZ). It had been a huge taking by NZ National govt, trampling citizens' private land rights, taking vast areas of Christchurch private land, using quakes & a reluctance by NZ National govt to rebuild infrastructure as excuses to take red zone land.

I read a Council info board extolling Victorian virtues on that section of River Rd between Fitzgerald Ave & Stanmore Rd, Daisy Fields, where Victorians had picnicked & watched rowing regattas by Avon River boat houses. Victorians had got that right: river bank sloping, enabling grand views of Avon River boating & regattas. Since the quakes, there'd been various suggestions for residential red zone land use. Presently a river walk from city to sea went along Avon River banks: great white footprints painted on abandoned, cordoned, red zone roads, like River Road.

Council riverside sign:

     TE ARA
  OTAKARO
AVON TRAIL
     10 KM

Both ends of River Rd at Fitzgerald Ave & Stanmore Rd crossings, cordon fences, 3 threat signs:

                   ROAD
                 CLOSED

           AUTHORISED
        VEHICLES ONLY
PEDESTRIANS CYCLISTS
       AND AUTHORISED
  VEHICLE ACCESS ONLY
       FOR INFORMATION
           CALL LINZ...

                 FOR
AUTHORISED VEHICLE
              ACCESS
  LAND INFORMATION
        NEW ZEALAND
    TOITU TE WHENUA
                PH...

River Rd: Red zone cordon signs had been on fences since NZ National govt / CERA had taken the red zone. Citizens had walked the cordons ever since, banned from driving the residential red zone 8 years post quakes. All houses along River Rd had been demolished by CERA, just garden grass, flowers & shrubs left, yellow Daisy Fields blooming again, parkland, fence cordon threat signs:

NO UNAUTHORISED
            ACCESS
       NO DUMPING
LAND INFORMATION
      NEW ZEALAND
 TOITU TE WHENUA

Alongside River Rd, AVONSIDE TENNIS CLUB courts was the only structure not demolished by CERA, amidst yellow Daisy Fields. Would Council & govt agencies consider rowing regattas again by Daisy Fields beside Avon River? A beautiful, peaceful spot, despite busy Avonside Dr on the opp river bank. When will red zone cordons completely open for citizens?

Reckoning: 23.02.19. The Press reported that ever since Lange's 1980s Labour govt, succeeding NZ governments had pillaged EQC's National Disaster Fund to balance government books. That included Treasury oversight, Bolger's & Shipley's National govts & Clerk's Labour govt. During Key's National govt, soon after the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, EQC was insolvent. None of those governments ever revealed to Kiwis repetitive government pillage.

Key's National govt enabled 2 States of Emergencies, military cordoned, red zoned CBD checkpoints for 28 months, CERA delays in demolitions / rebuilds, red zone residential takings & overseeing slow EQC payments. Never mind anguish caused to 1000s of citizens. PM Key jabbered about "a Rock Star Economy," wasted megabucks on a flag referendum, restructured Christchurch schools by mergers & closures, while EQC officials delayed assessments, payments & repairs for over 470 000 claimants (2010-2018). Key was awarded a knighthood. CERA minister Brownlee condoned EQC's insolvency & Fletcher's botched repairs. He denied a housing crisis in Christchurch & hailed MBIE bldg code guidelines, enabling crap repairs. EQC boss Simpson enabled EQC's slow assessments, payments & repairs, protected whining insurers by slow overcap assessments, then became GNS Science boss in January 2017. 

Meanwhile, 8 years post quakes, despite 2 Royal Commissions of Inquiry, Coroners' Reports & a 3 years police investigation into the CTV bldg collapse, no one was held accountable for the CTV collapse & the dead. (Ditto 2023).

October 2020: Covid19 election. PM Jacinda Ardern's Labour party, landslide victory over National & other parties, enough Labour MPs to govern NZ for another 3 years without coalition parties, but Labour would include Green party MPs in a Coalition govt. National deputy leader, Gerry Brownlee lost Ilam constituency to Labour. Brownlee had hogged Ilam since 1996. Brownlee lost his National deputy leader position, but would continue in parliament as a list MP. (Jan 2023. PM Ardern would announce her resignation. Chris Hipkins would briefly become Labour PM. 2023. PM Hipkins would lose the election to National Party's new PM Chris Luxon).

A decade post Darfield Quake, Brownlee's CERA Blueprint projects were slow going: Riverine, residential red zones, no progress, just swampy, LINZ fenced paddocks; Cathedral Sq, Christ Church Cathedral, many years' reintstatement still to go; Barbadoes St, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was demolished for a modern rebuild across Colombo St, opp the refurbished Town Hall; Metro Sports Facility slow progress; Te Pae Convention Centre opened 2021; Barbadoes St Stadium, slow progress, 2023.

See Christchurch youth trust keen to build adventure school on abandoned land (The Press / Stuff Co).

See LINZ

See Plunder - How the bill for the Canterbury earthquakes was passed on (The Press / Stuff Co).

See GNS Science.