Year 2 CERA. Christmas Quake-Swarm, 23.12.11. Christchurch Library

Christhmas Quake Swarm focus. Sunny Friday afternoon 23.12.11, Xmas Quake-Swarm day. Leah woke up saying, "I've been expecting another quake for days. Just dreamt of a quake." She was right! We wanted to complete Xmas shopping before last day madness. We drove to Northlands & avoided Northlands Mall as it spooked me after quakes. We went to nearby Verkerks to buy Xmas meat: salamis, steaks, ham, mutton.

I wanted to show Leah the "new" central library, Peterborough St, `which recently opened post-quakes. I'd visited it the day after opening & Leah wanted to borrow books & DVDs for the festive season. We anticipated visiting the library before shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave.

Peterborough St: Soon after our library arrival, at 1.58pm the M5.8 quake hit! Leah was near the front door looking for DVDs. She dived under a table. I was at the newspaper section furthest from the exit sliding-door.


23.12.11. Public Library, newspaper section, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm

People's reaction in the quakes: Those I could see all froze. The man next to me sat reading a paper. An Asian man stood up staring at me while I stared at him. An elderly couple at a nearby table sat frozen in their seats.


23.12.11. The Press of the day, Public Library, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm

Library jolting, adrenaline surging, I sashayed to the front-door thinking, "What if power cuts & we're trapped inside?"

Others were frozen by the sliding-door entrance & BORROW-machines. I snapped a ceiling-panel & pink-batt fallen by a table. My camera-flash galvanized others like snapping my fingers before hypnotised eyes. No-one panicked. All were shocked, standing around, or seated, dazed.


23.12.11. Man escaping Public Library, Peterborough St, after the M5.8 quake, during a quake swarm

Smiley librarians helped people at BORROW-machines. Leah looked for DVDs. A manager strode from his office looking worried & saw everyone calm, so he wandered around.


23.12.11. Fallen ceiling panel & pink batt, straight after the M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St

A big man stood frozen, smiling. It took a while for his 1 000 yard stare to dissolve. Others stayed seated on couches & at computer-tables. Only one bloke skedaddled out the front sliding-door.


23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, by just fallen ceiling panel, M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St

Leah & I were in the "new" central library for about eight minutes & four quakes. Later I saw only two of those quakes recorded by GeoNet, the other two would always remembered by us!


23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes, Public Library, Peterborough St

An aftershock hit. I grabbed a metal RETURNS shelving which was shaking wildly. If I'd dropped for shelter the shelving would've fallen on me. A file flew off nearby. No one else left the library. It was safer inside.


23.12.11. Fallen file from shelf, Public Library, Peterborough St, after M5.8 quake & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes.

2.06pm. Another quake hit, M5.3 (GeoNet) while I stood by the fiction section, snapping library computer-tables, frozen people still seated at computers, some people seated on couches, reading. An old man seated nearby asked me for a pic copy. I said: "I've already deleted it, as it came out too dark."

While Leah operated the BORROW-machine for her DVD's another quake hit! She dived under the machine. I grabbed it for support while the library shook a fourth time in eight minutes. Borrowed time1

Leah & an old lady looked for books in the fiction section, Leah standing under roof air-conditioning pipes. "Time to go!" I said. "This place is too bloody dangerous!" We left while others stayed in the library opposite the 22 February 2011 Quake ruined Convention Centre.

Post-quake boffins liked telling people what to do & what not to do in quakes: DROP COVER HOLD. When was it safe to leave a building during a quake-swarm? When does a quake-swarm end? When was a quake an aftershock? When was an aftershock a quake? Academic twaddle! We didn't stay in the library to see if it held up, or if it collapsed in a fifth quake. Whatever we did was luck. No DROP COVER HOLD for us. We skedaddled!


23.12.11. Liquefaction water, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, Packe St


23.12.11. Asking directions to Speights Ale House, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing from a pavement, by a drain, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St

Shopping out, I drove to Packe St, parking near Jake's flat in Geraldine St. Brown liquefaction-water oozed along Packe St curb, brown quakemire oozed from a footpath hole like diarrhoea!


23.12.11. Bealey Ave traffic, passing Speights Ale House, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes


Jake's cell phone was down, so we walked to Speights Ale House, Bealey Ave, where Jake worked. Boozers boozed on two verandahs. Two old geezers boozed at a table inside. Staff worked the bar & in the kitchen where Leah asked for Jake. No Jake, not on shift. Quake clean-up was complete: a bin-full of broken, maroon crockery by the bar.


23.12.11. Bealey Ave, Speights Ale House patrons, reasonably safe on a verandah, during a quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes



23.12.11. People safely out of Bealey Ave flats, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes


We trekked along Bealey Ave to Jake's flat. People stood outside businesses & abodes, as it was safer during quakes. We spoke to a smiley, South African couple, recent immigrants, we'd never met till then. A smiley Indian immigrant couple stood by too.


23.12.11. Geraldine St info sign, Xmas quake swarm afternoon

Geraldine St: A young couple sat on the grass verge, their baby in a pram, waiting out quakes. Walking her dog, a blonde wandered past waving her cell phone & muttering, "I need a new battery."


23.12.11. Young family on pavement, safely outside their Geraldine St home, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes

2.14pm Jake & girlfriend were OK. At their apartment, another quake hit, M4.2. (GeoNet). The apartment shook! I picked two jasmine flowers off their garden vine & gave one each to Leah & Jake's girlfriend. Jasmine & Xmas Quake Swarm were never forgotten!

Over the next half hour, two more quakes: M4.8 & M4.4. The M4 quakes didn't bother us much, as we'd experienced many over the last 15 months. M5-M6+ quakes were dangerous. We were good at guesstimating quake magnitudes: M4 no sweat, no evasions needed. M5-M6+ get the hell out! A gentle rumbling underfoot, pot plant leaves trembling, hung keys or computer monitor shaking, meant no problem, just M4s. Loud rumbling, or violent shaking or jolting underfoot meant M5-M6s.


23.12.11. Geraldine St flat, 2.14pm, M4.2 quake, during the quake swarm


Leah & I walked along Bealey Ave to London St to check Leah's school. We saw brown quakemire on Barbadoes St corner. Perth St: Spalling from a concrete-curb lay by a drain's iron-grille.


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing across pavement, Bealey Ave / Barbadoes St, during the first hour of the Xmas quake swarm


23.12.11. Post quake, abandoned, Bealey Ave flats, nr Fitzgerald Ave crossing


23.12.11. Spalled concrete curb stone, by iron drain grille, Perth St, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm

London St: Leah's school was OK. Richmond Working Mens Club's back entrance was closed. A new CLOSED sign was on the gate.


23.12.11. CLOSED back entrance, Richmond Working Mens Club, London St, quake swarm afternoon

The Village Green between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd: A family played cricket. Moving around outside, we often didn't feel moderate quakes, M3-4s. We felt them sometimes when we were still.


23.12.11. Family cricket, Village Green, between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd, during the first hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes during the Xmas quake swarm

We trekked back to our car: Bealey Ave traffic lights were kaput. Cars drove carefully. At an Asian dairy we bought ice creams. It was dark inside the dairy due to a power cut. Two Asian ladies chuckled behind their counter: "Survived another quake." The dairy owner sorted our change on the electric till top, as the till didn't work.


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud & water, Packe St, within an hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm

3.18pm. Driving back to Burnside, Purchas St / Barbadoes St: An M6 quake hit: bounced our car. I drove fast from the lumpy, sunken crossing, as those roads were liquefactioned in 4 September 2010 Quake & 22 February 2011 Quake. Two cars were stalled on Barbadoes St, so we waited behind them watching power-lines dancing above.

The M6.0 quake was the fourth biggest quake we'd experienced over the last 15 months. The M5.8 quake we survived in Peterborough St library was the seventh biggest quake during the quake series, so far. (The Press 28.12.11).

Madras St: Brown liquefaction-puddles, similar to the 22 February 2011 Quake, but less volume, as the ground wasn't saturated. We'd had sunny days before the 23 December 2011 Quake Swarm, so less groundwater aggravated liquefaction. (We heard later TV news that eastern suburbs were badly liquefactioned again. Avon River was reverting riverside suburbs to swamps!)

Leah meanwhile texted Luke & a teacher friend, checking they were OK. Luke was safe at Heath St, our rental house was shaken for the umteenth time in the last 15 months. Luke's girlfriend's home at New Brighton had a power-cut. (Later TV news: 30 000 houses had power-cuts, soon sorted). Leah's teacher friend was at Merivale Mall parking lot when the M6 quake hit. Another car crashed into her's in the parking lot!

Madras St: A tall young man wearing white socks, no shoes, ran around a fallen, grey Vespa. He was crying. We thought he'd fallen off the Vespa in the M6 quake. We'd already endured six big quakes in the last hour & a half.

We stopped. "Are you OK?" I asked. He focused, looking normal again.

"Yes. It's my flatmate's Vespa." Neighbours left another flat & comforted him. We all reacted in different ways to quakes. No shame there, he was terrified, & alone & lost his mind a bit. I could've snapped a bawling "news" pic, but despised "news" where ghouls snapped traumatised people crying.

Back home Luke was pleased to see us. He was working in the garage when the first quake hit & & he left fast. We had power, sewage-connection, running-water & food. Leah boiled water. I filled our bath with cold water just in case. We watched TV news. Leah listened for news on the radio too. I Facebooked family & friends telling them we were OK. Leah texted & phoned family & friends too.

4.50pm. While Facebooking, another quake hit, M5, shook our house & computer.

5.08pm. An M4 quake hit while I sat in our lounge watching TV. I didn't bother rising, as I was five steps from our protective front-door frame. I knew that distance intimately, as I'd moved it during the 22 February 2011 Quake! Our back-door was further away, where I'd stood protected during the 13 June 2011 Quake.

Later that evening I shopped for essentials at our local supermarket, Wairakei Rd. The shop was already cleaned. The Wine section floor- tiles were red-wine stained, a lovely bouquet. Next day, 24.12.11, we would do our last Christmas Shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave. We'd avoid the malls.

Another quake while I signed off, early morning Saturday 24.12.11. It rumbled our house & computer: M5.1 from Diamond Harbour way. GeoNet recorded 25+ more quakes during that quake-swarm night, around Belfast, Diamond Harbour, Akaroa, mainly Lyttelton & Christchurch, M3-M5.1 range.

Seismologists later opined that the 23 December 2011 Xmas Quake-Swarm had come from their recently surveyed & discovered north-south faults in Pegasus Bay. So aftershocks from the 4 September 2010 Quake had moved in a west-east faults direction to the Boxing Day Quake & 22 February 2011 Quake, then in a north-south faults direction in the 13 June 2011 Quake, to a north-south faults direction in the Pegasus Bay, 23 December 2011 Xmas Quake-Swarm. Why were crustal-quakes bothering us? (In October 2021, a cell-phone app would be developed enabling users to get a few seconds' cell-phone warning before quakes. Example: Wellington's October quakes where the app worked successfully. But not everyone had a cell-phone with the app!)

In the public library that Friday afternoon, during eight violent minutes, we'd experienced four distinct quakes. I was in four places in the library when those four violent quakes struck: newspaper-section, borrow-machines, returns-shelving, fiction-section, yet GeoNet with seismographs only stated two quakes for that period. A boffin decided for posterity a squiggly graph line with a cone of mini spikes was just one quake, instead of two or more! Graphic details to seismologists were academic, yet experienced by people on the ground, quakes were massive violence & tterror.

24.12.11. The Press front page headline: M5.8 - M5.3 - M6.0 - M5.0 for the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake-Swarm. For the record, we were in the library for the M5.8 - M5.3 quakes, including two more violent quakes. Also there were M4.2 - M4.8 - M4.4 quakes between the M5.3 - M6.0 quakes, when we were at Jake's flat & trekking Bealey Ave to London St (The Press & GeoNet).

Never mind the M6.0 quake which bounced us in our car on Barbadoes St after leaving Jake's flat. All that terror happened within one hour 20 minutes: 1.58pm - 3.18pm, Friday 23.12.11. The 25 odd aftershocks post M6.0 quake, mostly during the night, M3-5.1s, were relatively mild.

After 15 months of quakes, we were used to quake violence & terror. But that didn't negate our alertness for danger & self preservation. Leah went into herself & stayed vigilant. Her flight reactions were instantaneous, dive for cover, escape. Both Luke & I became vigilent yet detached, absorbing every detail, while time / action slowed during quakes.

Boxing Day, 26.12.11. Leah & I returned to her London St  school. Bealey Ave, near the school we saw a ruined-house, a yellow-lidded, black plastic rubbish-bin blocked the front step, four letterboxes stuffed were full of letters & junk mail. At Leah's two-storey school, the M6.0 quake loosened gutters above front-doors & back-doors. We saw longitudinal cracks on an east wall & above an east window by school playground equipment. We didn't enter the school building, but looked through windows: a toppled computer monitor in one office. In three more offices, heavy filing-cabinet drawers were opened by the M6.0 quake. We couldn't see into most offices & classrooms due to closed blinds. The top-floor wasn't seen. We saw liquefaction-dribbles in the garden & on concrete-paths, as in high summer there was little groundwater. No mud-digging was required, as in previous quakes.

2015-16. Leah's quake-damaged school in London St would be repaired. We would be living in Fairlie then, as Leah would work at Lake Tekapo School for three years. While the London St school was repaired, staff & kids would relocate to nearby Richmond School, Pavitt St, which would be closed by MoE during post-quakes restructuring of Christchurch schools.


26.12.11. Library items on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St


26.12.11. Public Library, Peterborough St: Just as well we'd left when we did on 23.12.11, as the closed library was a mess. I took hazy, flash snaps through front windows: Many more books were flung from shelves onto the carpeted floor, after we'd left. Video shelving was the worst, videos strewn between shelves. The video table which Leah had dived under during the M5.8 quake had fallen in the M6.0 quake, DVDs scattered on the carpet.


26.12.11. Library books on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St



26.12.11. Fallen DVD table, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St



*Trekked Peterborough St, Packe St, Bealey Ave, Geraldine St, Perth St, London St, Stanmore Rd. 37 snaps.

Coda.

Tuesday 21.05.13. The Press would report: "GNS science has since re-analysed the aftershocks on December 23, 2011 and has upgraded the 3.18pm quake from M6.0 to M6.2. It remained the fourth largest since the September 2010 quake." GNS would take 17 months to reckon the magnitude of that quake! The M5 quakes we'd experienced in Peterborough St library were the prelude. Pegasus Bay Fault was the cause. Not a word about Christchurch Fault under Peterborough St library! Was Pegasus Bay Fault not linked to Christchurch Fault?

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Aftershocks 'nothing' alarming (The Press / Stuff Co).

6 Months Post 13 June 2011 Quake, CERA Demolitions, Latimer Sq

Latimer Sq, CERA demolitions focus. Friday 16.12.11. CERA relaxed its grip on Latimer Sq, moving Christchurch CBD's red-zone steel- mesh-fence-cordon inwards, allowing public access to Latimer Sq, six months post 13 June 2011 Quake, & 10 months post 22 February 2011 Quake. CERA's-CBD was still red-zone ruins. No public access. No public scrutiny while demolishers made fortunes.

Reopened Latimer Sq: No fanfare like the pre-elections opening of the new, temporary Bus Exchange & Restart Cashel Mall's shipping- container shops, west side of the CBD. CERA perpetuated slower development on the east side of town. Never mind broken eastern suburbs.

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 evasive 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 February 2011 Quake. Like-minded citizens wandered too. Some 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-ruins 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...

I drove down Barbadoes St & turned down Chester St East towardsthe red-zone-CBD. The old Fire Service HQ was 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: The 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 two-Storey Crighton House stood next to a house demolition-site, filled with foundation-rubble & weedy-flowers by another battered two-storey wooden house. The demolished two-storey wooden-house was a heritage-house.

On the demolished-house's garden-wall, a 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

17.12.11. Quake damaged, Crighton House, Chester St East


On a demolition-site's steel-mesh-fence-cordon, a 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

It was an odd sign, as the liquefactioned-driveway to Crighton House was open. At the back of the house's 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 February 2011 Quake. Birds enjoyed the bird bath.

Jake was flooded out of his Waltham Rd flat when a capped-well burst in the 22 February 2011 Quake. Besides flood-water messing his possessions, he lost his hospitality job & best friend in that quake too. It took him six months to recover job & reasonable flat, after four crappy flat-moves, including a liquefactioned-garage "flat" & chemical-toilet & no piped-water in Cranford St during winter months.

Luke was dumped off a bus, Moorhouse Ave / Colombo St, a dangerous place during the quake as we lived in Burnside northwest of the ruined-CBD where he was dumped by the bus-driver. A few blocks down Colombo St, 16 people were killed by falling masonry, including eight red-bus passengers. Luke got back to Burnside three days later, detouring via ravaged eastern 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-buildings were old wooden-buildings, stone-buildings, or brick-buildings, mostly unreinforced against quakes. Heritage-hailers whined publically post 4 September 2010 Quake, diverting authorities from making Christchurch safe against aftershocks. Heritage-hailers also diverted Council's demolitions pre Boxing Day Quake & pre 22 February 2011 Quake. After 185 quake deaths in the 22 February 2011 Quake, Heritage-hailers would continue whining at protests in 2012. Example:

Ten months later, October 2012, Heritage-hailers would whine about Cranmer Court demolition, hoping for a stay. Cranmer Court would be demolished. Never mind Heritage-hailers' public protests & a court-case which delayed demolition of ruined Christ Church Cathedral.

Across Chester St East: Oxford Tce Baptist Church's demolition-site. Bare. Next-door a boarded house, then another house with a 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

The Church's advert 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, ruined Oxford Tce Baptist Church's vicinity was a busy NZDF-checkpoint, crawling with cops & NZDF-soldiers guarding contractor access to the CBD red-zone. The checkpoint was 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, the red-zoned, steel-mesh-fence-cordoned Edmonds Clock Tower. Its clock was stopped at 12.51pm when the 22 February 2011 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-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 stood abandoned, two-storey Girl Guiding. Next-door stood abandoned Kindercare, its carpark & playground was battered & grey-quakemired.


17.12.11. Quake abandoned, Girl Guiding bldg, Armagh St


17.12.11. Liquefactioned, abandoned Kindercare, Armagh St


Behind Crighton House's back-fence, water leaked from the capped-well to Madras St. Crighton House was the only survivor on the east side of Madras St from Oxford Tce to Latimer Sq. Was that because a Heritage-hailer lived within?

Ruins across Madras St: The Poplars demolition site. From Oxford Tce to Latimer Sq, only two ruined-buildings were left, like Free legal Help / Community Law canterbury. They would be demolished for NZ National government'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. CCDU's East Frame acknowledged Council's City In A Garden, by means of a longitudinal central area becoming 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 building was gone, demolished, together with an old wooden-house behind it. A yellow- digger was parked on the demolition-site. The buildings were demolished for NZ National government's / CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground carpark.
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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

Opposite corner: Amicus House was gone, demolished months before together with multi-storeys Harcourts & Securities House. I saw demolition- sites all the way down the west side of 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: A 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-zoned multi-storeys Forsyth Barr & PWC loomed. Forsyth Barr would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel. PWC would be demolished. CERA planned to open the whole red-zone-CBD by April 2012, 14 months post 22 February 2011 Quake.

October 2012. The 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 would fail many of its own deadlines. 28 months would pass before CERA left its CBD demolition-zone, lifting its NZDF-checkpoints. Meanwhile Christchurch's CBD choked, citizens banned.

Madras St, east side view of 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: there were some survivor buildings, but many buildings were gone, demolished. Only ruined high-rises in the red-zone-CBD remained, some still awaiting demolition, others being demolished, like Hotel Grand Chancellor. I snapped 360 degrees around Latimer Sq, a circuit of CERA demolitions:


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 ruin awaited demolition. Nearby, an orange-digger was parked on demolition- rubble, ruined 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 two-storey ruined-shops. They were 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 a demolition-site: Saturday afternoon idle, three static orange-diggers & static men in hard-hats & orange Hi-Vis vests. How much weekend overtime did they bill CERA? High-rise ruin Newstalk ZB & survivor Pacific Tower loomed behind, while CERA contractors dithered. A DEMOLITION truck awaited rubble.

Newstalk ZB would be imploded on 5 August 2012.


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


Ruins: Two-storey Morley House next to a demolition-site facing Latimer Sq. Behind loomed Newstalk ZB & more ruins in the red-zone. Next to Morley House: The Bicycle Thief & a clinic along Worcester St. All three buildings 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 the 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 was 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


Ruins: Latimer Sq / Hereford St, opposite Avonmore House demolition-site: Blue & white six-storey ruin: boarded-windows & demolition- sites both sides of the building. Ruins teetered westwards down Hereford St where an orange-digger stood on demolition-rubble. Liverpool Terraces apartments would be built on the demolition-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

17.12.11. Latimer Sq, red zone, S view, Arrow House demolition site. CTV bldg demolition site & quake survivor, IR bldg behind. Arrow House demo site would become part of Liverpool Terraces apartments


Latimer Sq / Madras St / Hereford St: Arrow House demolition-site would become part of Liverpool Terraces apartments. Behind teetered CTV demolition-site where 115 people died in the CTV-multistorey collapse. Beyond CTV's demolition-site, across Cashel St, I saw IRD multi-storey. SE Madras St / Cashel St: I saw 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, a steel-mesh-fence-cordon blocked access down Madras St to CTV's demolition-site. Madras St east side, a 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). A steel-mesh-fence-cordon, SE down Madras St opposite CTV's demolition-site, resumed the other side of Holden Blackwells. Complicated? Yes, 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 was quakemired with red-zone views of Arrow House's demolition-site, CTV's demolition-site & Hotel Grand Chancellor's demolition-in-progress. On the church's carpark wall, a painted sign:

PARISH BUSINESS ONLY!

Only parish business that bleak afternoon were grey, muddy demolition-sites, salvaged church-stones & CBD red-zone-ruins.


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's muddy demolition-site, the brick building gone, abnother 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, a column-capital, plastic-wrapped. On another pallet, a baptismal font. Next to a Structex shipping-container, an Oamaru whitestone-altar awaited church resurrection. Leaded-glass windows & wrought-iron was strewn about.


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-stones, some on pallets. Several white plastic-bags were 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

17.12.11. Latimer Sq / Hereford St / Madras St, NE view, abandoned Park Tower On Latimer would be restored, 2019

Latimer Sq / Hereford St: Opposite St Johns Church demolition-site, Beaufort House was part-demolished. It would be fully demolished for new apartments.


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 the quakes. Also abandoned, Park Tower On Latimer apartments. Wall-letters fallen, a name:

P-R- TOWE- ON LATI-ER

Park Tower On Latimer would be repaired in 2019. Next door, a demolition-site with a shipping-container border on Worcester St corner.


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 ruin. Opposide side of Gloucester St, two 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


I trekked north 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



I trekked east along Armagh St to Barbadoes St crossing: Ruined-houses were red-stickered. On two street corners, there were two demolition-sites, one site had a pile of 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: I snapped ruined-houses: A wooden house had collapsed chimneys. A two-storey A-frame house's end-wall was collapsed, its green-tarp was fallen exposing bare rooms. Another two-storey house's steel-bracing propped a collapsed verandah-wall. More ruined houses: Brick firewalls were gone, papered-over or boarded-over. Some ruined-houses were still inhabited. One house was gone, demolished.

Those ruined-houses were a microcosm of Third World living conditions which citizens endured. Citizens were expected to live in their ruined- houses, despite NZ National government & CERA doing nothing about speeding up EQC-settlements & EQC-repairs & insurer-repairs & insurer-rebuilds. That slackness by NZ National government & so-called RECOVERY CERA would cause discontent in 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 while 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 February 2011 Quake & 15 months post 4 September 2010 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 settlements, forcing citizens to live in Third World crap.

As most ruins 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 at Royal Commission of Inquiry hearings, as to why so many CBD buildings collapsed: There were feeble excuses from building inspector engineers, building-owners, EQC & Council.

Despite Christchurch's 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 strengthened- buildings on swampland. Only future quakes would tell whether rebuilds could stand or fall.

The Press Tuesday 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 4 September 2010 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 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 the year for public protests.

*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 government propaganda. CERA website was useful for its demolitions-list, land-zonings & media-releases, which I sometimes quoted. Media often quoted CERA's media-releases verbatim, no critical analyses whatsoever! Quake-books slowly became available. I read them. Their opinions & data sometimes differed from my own, as my opinions were formed on the spot & from my many quake-pics.

Censorship: NZ National government would disestablish CERA tentacles after CERA occupied Christchurch for five years. In future, CERA's website which I'd cited would disappear from the internet after CERA was disestablished. (Some of The Press / Stuff Co articles I'd cited would also vanish from the internet). CERA's 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 CERA stranglehold during CERA's five years of meddling in Christchurch affairs. NZ National government, 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.