Reckoning. Quake Protest: Mayor Parker, Town Clerk Marryatt Must Go

Anti-Council protest focus. Noon, Wed, 1 Feb, 2012. I attended the protest where citizens protested inept Council, mayor Bob Parker's & town clerk Tony Marryatt's watch. Citizens had misgivings about Parker & Marryatt before quakes: Council spending ratepayers' dollars on dodgy deals, Ellerslie Flower Show; purchase of bankrupt Henderson's properties in the CBD; Council tendering & insurance practices; some councillors being on boards of directors of Council owned companies, getting directors fees & councillor salaries.

Misgivings magnified during the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm, after Marryatt was given a 14% pay rise of $68 000 by Parker's Council, shunting Marryatt's salary to $540 000 p.a, more than US president's, NZ PM's, Aussie PM's, UK PM's salaries. That travesty irked ratepayers, with Marryatt's job performance appraisal: evaluations by Council staff actually lessened, with lower scores. Never mind Marryatt's $68 000 increase was way above what most citizens earned p.a. Much more than what breadwinner Leah earned p.a, a qualified teacher, many years experience in 3 countries. She still waited for Parker's & Marryatt's Council to fix London St, by her school, nearly a year post Feb 22 Killer Quake.

Marryatt accepted the salary increase, weeks later turned it down, after public protest in the media, with the gagging proviso that councillors work collegially, as councillor leaks had appeared in the media. Marryatt said he was committed to Christchurch. He'd worked in Christchurch since his appointment in 2007, but during weekends he flew home to Hamilton, North Island, where his wife resided. (Marryatt also owned a Christchurch house).

While that Council debacle went on, citizens lived in Third World squalor in damaged riverside, swampy eastern & hill suburbs. Added to the toxic mix, post quake bureaucracies: EQC, CERA, Fletcher Construction, Tonkin & Taylor geotech engineers, which quake victims had to deal with regarding property inspections, insurance payouts, rebuilds.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry also showed a toxic brew of buck passing amongst bldg owners, engineer bldg inspectors & Council bldg inspectors. No one took responsibility for mistakes in red, green, yellow stickering of bldgs, nor reliable & valid inspections & public safety procedures. Result: Deaths in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, long after Council, engineers & bldg owners had timeous warnings from the 04.09.10 Darfield Quake & 24.12.10 Boxing Day Quake.

01.02.12. The Star headline: "Did these people need to die?" The Star quoted mayor Parker:

"If incompetencies or incorrect actions are highlighted by the Royal Commission then we will stand up and say we made mistakes and these are obviously areas which need to be fixed. But until we've heard all sides of the story, and the context in which decisions were made, we can't do that. It's such an important process - not so much to place blame but to improve for the future. We need to get it right"

Nearly a year post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, the CBD was still cordon closed, presided over by CERA boss Sutton, his slow demolishers & NZDF soldiers at variable cordon checkpoints. A few days before, CERA had begun demolitions of ghost houses at Seabreeze Cl, Bexley, 17 months post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake. Public was still banned from the CBD, threatened with arrest by cordon soldiers & cops. Citizens'pastime: Staring through cordon fences.

17 months post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, citizens were angry, as EQC & insurer payouts, repairs & rebuilds were slow & citizens couldn't get on with their lives. We'd endured 10 000 quakes, including 5 XL, life threatening quakes.

Hereford St / Montreal St: Protest was well organized below the new, multi-storey Council bldg. Cops cordoned off bits of Hereford St, Montreal St, Worcester St, Cashel St for protesters to avoid traffic. Protesters occupied St Elmo Courts demolition site. In a cnr by The Coffee House & Council bldg west wall, a stage was erected for speakers: Peter Lynch, The Wizard, Rev Mike Coleman (MC), others.


01.02.12. Protestor en route to protest, Art Gallery, Montreal St, former red zone. Glassy Council bldg behind




About 4 000 protesters were there, waving placards, voluble, attentive to speakers: Bye Bye Marryatt & Parker.


01.02.12. Protesters by the coffee house & Council bldg, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone


Council workers peeped from windows above. Council bldg was newly opened just before 04.09.10 Darfield Quake damage. It was also damaged in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake & closed for months for repairs. Thus the Art Gallery across Worcester Blvd, also damaged, was used as a Civil Defence HQ, during States of Emergencies, after those quakes. The Art Gallery was later closed for repairs & would be reopened, Dec 2015.


01.02.12. Protesters & St John ambulance by Council bldg. Central Police bldg right, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone. Central Police would be imploded 31.05.15


Cops in nearby looming, Central Police multi-storey bldg peered from windows too. Cops & security personnel mingled, keeping an eye & attending to dizzy old folk, an old lady & a faint old man, St John ambulance was called.


01.02.12. Central Police bldg, Hereford St / Cambridge Tce, former red zone. Central Police would be imploded 31.05.15


Mid week, working day, there were no school kids, nor workers, except those who took time off work, or lunch break. Otherwise, full public spectrum: small kids, old folks, middle-aged, young people, dogs, cyclists, casually dressed, suits.

As protesters were congested near the speakers' stage, near the Council bldg, I wandered crowd edges. There were other photographers. TV news vans & equipment: One News, TV3 & radio personnel ambled about with fancy equipment. We were national news that sunny afternoon. TV news & Close up would feature the protest in evening news programmes. I snapped protest placards in the crowd occupying St Elmo Courts demolition site, spilling onto Hereford St by Central Police carpark & Montreal St. Protest placards:

NO CONFIDENCE
IN
BOB PARKER


01.02.12. Protesters, Montreal St / Hereford, former red zone


THE ROT
IS AT THE
TOP BOB


COULDN'T
AFFORD A
POLITICIAN
SO I MADE
THIS SIGN


NO MORE
APATHY!


CRAFTY
COSTLY
COWBOYS


THE MAGGOTS
ARE SUCKING THE
LIFE BLOOD OUT
OF THE CITY



   FORGET THE
BUSKERS, BOB'S
     THE REAL
       CLOWN


         END
CORPORATE
       GREED


01.02.12. News crew amongst protesters, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone



01.02.12. Protesters by Council bldg, Hereford St, former red zone

END ALL
COUNCIL
CORPORATE
BULLSHIT!


     NO
BUILDING
    FULL
  RATES


CEO & MAYOR
STEAL COMMUNITY
SAFETY AMENITIES



GOODBYE
     BOB!


        THIS
          IS
   OUR LIFE
BOB PARKER


OUR CITY
OUR CHOICE


MARRYATT OUT
CREEPS:
PARKER,
BUTTON, WELLS,
KEOWN, GOUGH,
CORBETT, REID


01.02.12. Protesters, Montreal St, former red zone


BULLSH*T BOB
          OUT!
TRAGIC TONY


GIVE CHCH
    A FAIR
    SHAKE!


   NO
MORE
  LIES
01.02.12. Cop, protesters, Montreal St, former red zone


SACK MARRYATT
SACK PARKER
DEMAND A FRESH
MID-TERM ELECTION!


01.02.12. Protesters, Hereford St / Montreal St, former red zone


SIDESHOW BOB'S
TEAM MUST GO!


14% PAY RISE
THAT SOUNDS
FAIR
YEAH RIGHT!

14% PAY RISE
    FAT CATS
       RULE


HEY TONY!
COME PLAY GOLF!
BOB & COUNCIL
WONT KNOW
TEE HE HE!
BY ORDER. HIGHER GOLFERS
COMMISSION


NO MORE
BACK ROOM
BOB 'N TONY SHOW


01.02.12. Protesters, Hereford St, former red zone



GOODBYE
TONY!


SIDE SHOW
       BOB
YOUR OUT
LEAVE NOW
NO MORE BULLSHIT


     MARRYATT
          HEAD
        NORTH
AND STAY THERE


NO PARKING (-ING crossed out, replaced with -ER)
PARKER


       BOB
WE NEED A
   BUILDER


     FRESH
ELECTIONS
      NOW


CHCH
CITY COUNCIL
NOTHING TO HIDE
NOTHING TO FEAR


COUNCIL
DETECTIVES
SNOOP ON
QUAKE VICTIMS


NOT YOUR
    CITY!


BOB PARKER
SO FULL OF
SPIN
HE'S NOT IN
TOUCH WITH
PEOPLE


       ELECTIONS
            NOT
COMMISSIONERS



01.02.12. Protesters, Hereford St / Montreal St, former red zone


          SUSAN [Wells]
       SELLS US
            OUT
REMOVE PARKER'S
     PIMPS NOW


BOB &
TONY
MUST GO

TRUTH
COSTS
NOTHING

   MARRYATT
   A SYMBOL
          OF
WIDER GREED


01.02 12. Protesters, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone


    PARKER
MARRYATT
     MUST
       GO!


REQUIRE A
CHANGE:-
"CLERK"
"SIDESHOW"
ASSAD:-
OUT


WE WANT
OPENNESS
HONESTY
ACCOUNTABILITY


               NZ
BUILT BY WORKING
PEOPLE!
DESTROYED BY
            SUITS


         TIRED OF BEING
        TREATED LIKE A
           MUSHROOM
KEPT IN THE DARK AND
        FED BULLSH-T!


STOP NOW MARRYATT!
AND SAVE YOURSELF
FROM ETERNAL SHAME!
GOD IS WATCHING YOU
JESUS IS THE KEY! YES!
THE WAY AND THE LIGHT
REPENT!!! FOR SALVATION


            9000 PW
   COS I'M WORTH IT
WE DIDN'T THINK SO


REMOVE THE CROCODILES
THE POND IS TOO SMALL


BYE
BYE
BOB



THIS IS YOUR STORY
            BOB


NEW ELECTION
 SACK PARKER
       AND HIS
MARRYATT MAN


           DCM
        PARKER
     MARRYATT
        BUTTON
WELL DESERVED


BLATANT AUTOCRACY OUT
DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANCY IN


RATE (crossed out)
RAPED
PAYERS


TRICKLE DOWN
ECONOMICS =
YOUR'E IN
YOU'RE OUT
URINE
ROLL BACK INEQUALITY


    PUPPETEER TONY
SHOULD LEAVE TOWN
  WITH THE BUSKERS...
      AND TAKE SIDE
SHOW CLOWN BOB
         WITH HIM


IS THE EAST
STILL PART
OF CHCH?

CRONYISM IS NOT A
PUBLIC SERVICE

OUR CITY
OUR CHOICE

BOB
AND
TONY
SHOW
MUST
GO

AUTUMN
ELECTIONS

RECLAIM CH-CH
SACK
MARRYATT


01.02.12. Protest crowd dispersal, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone















        COME ON
             BOB
SACK MARRYATT


Near the end of the 2 hour protest a southerly ruffled speakers' papers, protesters' hair, clothes & swirled demolition dust. After the protest the crowd dispersed, while a group stood talking by the stage. Some protesters left their placards under demolition stones, or on fences.


01.02.12. Protest placard left at protest site, Montreal St / Hereford St, former red zone




Trekked back to my car, Durham St Nth, following red zone, CBD steel mesh fence cordons & snapping ghosts & demolitions: Montreal St, Art Gallery was closed for quake repairs. A multi-storey behind the Art Gallery in Gloucester St was being demolished.

               AUTUMN
              ELECTIONS
OUR CITY OUR DECISION


01.02.12. Protester leaving protest, Montreal St / Worcester Blvd, by the Art Gallery, former red zone




01.02.12. Demolition site behind Art gallery, Gloucester St, former red zone

Gloucester St: Red zone Brannigans ghost, being demolished, opp red zone, Central Library ghost.


01.02.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Brannigans demolition, Gloucester St / Oxford Tce, red zone

Gloucester St / Durham St Nth: Red zone. CONTRACTOR ACCESS ONLY sign. Steel mesh fence cordoned, Provincial Council ghost, covered in yellow / blue tarps, propped by 3 stacked, shipping containers.


01.02.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow / blue tarp. Feb 22 quake trashed, Provincial Council bldg, Gloucester St / Durham St Nth, red zone

01.02.12. CONTRACTOR ACCESS ONLY sign. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed Provincial Council bldg, Armagh St / Durham St Nth, red zone


Durham St Nth / Chester St West: Methodist Church demolition site, steel mesh fence cordoned. 3 people died there in the Feb 22 Quake, former red zone. Methodist Church would be rebuilt, modern style, 2018-19.


01.02.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Methodist Church demolition site, Durham St Nth / Chester St West, former red zone. Methodist Church would be rebuilt 2018-19

01.02.12. Red zone house, next to Methodist Church demolition site, Chester St West, former red zone. The house would be demolished


Chester St West / Durham St Nth: Every time I trekked past Radio NZ House ghost, an X crack at one cnr was bigger than the last time I'd passed. Quakes shook the liquefactioned bldg to bits, example of CERA minister Brownlee's "damage on damage." Radio NZ House would be demolished for new lawyers' offices, Tavendale and Partners.

01.02.12. X crack on Radio NZ House, caused by serial quakes, Chester St West, former red zone. Radio NZ House would be demolished, enabling lawyers' offices

Chester St West: Some demolition sites, former red zone.


01.02.12. Yellow digger, rubble truck, Hi-Vis vested workman. Quake demolition site, Chester St West, former red zone


01.02.12. House demolition site, Chester St West / Cranmer Sq, former red zone

Kilmore St / Montreal St, former red zone: Boarded, cordoned Cranmer Court ghost. Cranmer Court would be demolished after protests, Oct 2012. Cranmer Terraces would be built on site, 2023.


01.02.12. CROSSING CLOSED sign. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Serial quake damaged, Cranmer Court, Kilmore St / Montreal St, former red zone. Cranmer Court would be demolished after protests, Oct 2012. New Cranmer Terraces would be built on site, 2023.







Montreal St / Peterborough St, former red zone: The Peterborough, damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, would survive the quakes.


01.02.12. Serial quake damaged, The Peterborough, Montreal St / Peterborough St, former red zone. The Peterborough would survive the quakes


Montreal St / Victoria St / Salisbury St crossing: Former red zone. Jubilee Clock Tower, damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, by steel mesh fence cordoned, Victoria Mansions ghost & demolition sites. Jubilee Clock Tower & Victoria Mansions would survive the quakes. Jubilee Clock Tower would be repaired, but Victoria Mansions would be abandoned for years. 2022. Still abandoned a decade later.


01.02.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Montreal St view, serial quake damaged, Jubilee Clock Tower, former red zone. After repairs, Jubilee Clock Tower would survive the quakes


01.02.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Serial quake damaged, Victoria Mansions, Jubilee Clock Tower, The Peterborough, Salisbury St / Victoria St / Montreal St crossing, former red zone. All 3 bldgs would survive the quakes


01.02.12. Quake demolition sites: white bldgs, Caxton Press, part demolished, seen from Montreal St / Salisbury St / Victoria St crossing, former red zone

01.02.12. Weedy demolition site, Salisbury St / Victoria St, former red zone


Salisbury St: Couple of ghosts, former red zone. Weedy demolition sites.


01.02.12. Steel mesh fence cordon. Serial quake damaged bldg, Salisbury St, former red zone


Victoria St / Kilmore St: Red zone, Crowne Plaza Hotel, demolition in progress.


01.02.12. Durham St Nth view, Crowne Plaza Hotel, early demolition in red zone

Durham St Nth near Bealey Ave: NO UNAUTHORISED ENTRY: Demolition sites, ghost houses, boarded synagogue, former red zone. Synagogue would be repaired.


01.02.12. House demolition site, Durham St Nth, former red zone


01.02.12. Serial quake damaged housing, Durham St Nth, former red zone






01.02.12. House demolition site, Durham St Nth, former red zone




01.02.12. NO UNAUTHORISED ENTRY sign. Steel mesh fence cordon. Porta-cabins on demolition site, Durham St Nth, former red zone


01.02.12. Epoxy glue repairs to quake cracked, concrete walls, Durham St Nth, former red zone


01.02.12. House demolition site, Durham St Nth, former red zone



01.02.12. Serial quake damaged, boarded synagogue, Durham St Nth, former red zone. The synagogue would be repaired


01.02.12. Serial quake damaged house, Durham St Nth, former red zone





01.02.12. House demolition site, Durham St Nth, former red zone


Zimbabwe cricketers currently toured NZ, playing Blackcaps internationals. As Kiwis were great protesters, often boasting about protesting the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour, why were Kiwi protesters so quiet about Zimbabwe dictator Mugabe's cricketers touring NZ?

03.02.12. More than a month post 23.11.12 Xmas Quake Swarm, TV announced that Terrace on the Park flats, Park Tce / Salisbury St, was dangerous, ready to collapse. Next door house, red stickered, owners had to evacuate.

CERA minister Brownlee warned that "damage on damage" was happening to bldgs in quakes & owners & inspectors must inspect bldgs again, post 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm. Late warning, as anyone enduring Christchurch quakes saw that ages ago! (Weekend Press, 4-5 Feb, 2012).

Did Council & CERA really know what they were doing regarding dangerous bldgs? I'd driven past Terrace on the Park many times since quakes began & like dangerous blocks of evacuated flats on nearby Carlton Mill Rd, it was steel mesh fence cordoned, left to rot, waiting for more trashing. Traffic rumbled by. Diagonal, cracked crosses, X X X... on concrete wall panels were there for passersby to see.

Post 24.12.10 Darfield Quake, I recalled diagonal crosses on brick facades, on damaged bldgs, like in Cashel Mall & St Elmo Courts, yet authorities had allowed pedestrians & traffic to pass for months. Deaths resulted, 22.02.11, in Cashel Mall & elsewhere in the CBD.

Mayor Parker went on another overseas junket, paid by ratepayers. Parker flew away from Council problems with CERA, as CERA bureaucrats were taking over Council functions, Parker & Marryatt acquiescing. Yet Parker & some councillors condoned Marryatt's pay rise, Marryatt doing less work, many of his functions usurped by CERA.

*Trekked Montreal St, Hereford St, Worcester Blvd, Gloucester St, Durham St Nth, Chester St West, Salisbury St. 263 snaps.

Coda:

2015. Hereford St: A multi-storey, office block would be built on St Elmo Courts demolition site, scene of public protests. The office block would have the latest base isolators, enabling the bldg to move about 40cm in any direction during future quakes. Across Hereford St, multi-storey Central Police would be imploded, 31.05.15.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Call to fire CEO, hold election (The Press / Stuff Co).

See '1 per cent' chance of mag 7.0 quake (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Star system to rate quake safety of bldgs (The Press / Stuff Co).

See St Elmo Courts / Offices rebuild (Architecture Now).