Recently, public was allowed into CERA's maze when CERA intermittently reduced cordon fencing: opening Restart Cashel Mall; opening temporary bus exchange; bus tours in red-zone-CBD; two brief walkways down Colombo St to see Christ Church Cathedral ruin, lately a dead-end niche viewpoint by Colombo St / Gloucester St crossing checkpoint; opening Alice in Videoland; opening Les Mills Gym; brief opening the CTV demolition-site; various brief openings for celebrities & councillors to gawp, photo ops included.
Lately CERA speeded up its openings: opening bits of High St, Hereford St, Colombo St near The Crossing by Restart Cashel Mall for shopping & rubbernecking. Last weekend, a delayed opening New Regent St, Spanish Mission shops. I didn't go, as it was raining all weekend.
Monday 22.04.13. Reopened New Regent St: little to see, only five reopened shops, the rest were closed, awaiting reopening &/or repairs.
I parked on Cambridge Tce by Manchester St Bridge. CERA had opened a cordon niche by PGC demolition-site where 18 people died in the 22 February 2011 Quake. The demolition-site was grassed & planter-boxes filled with Namaqualand daisies coloured the cloudy afternoon. A Council sign described the special significance of the site. I saw SMF-cordoned red-zone ruins, including Ernst & Young, abandoned for over two years. (Soon demolished). And Riverside House ruin: 2016. Luke would do salvage-work there. By Avon River, Retour Restaurant's copper-dome still lay on the riverbank, after the ruined restaurant was demolished. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be restored, copper-dome on top.
22.04.13. USAR / TF graffiti, abandoned Riverside House, Manchester St / Cambridge Tce
22.04.13. Manchester St / Cambridge Tce: NO ENTRY. Orange, plastic, road cones, white / orange, plastic bollards, concrete block cordon. Grassed PGC demolition site where 18 people died in the 22.02.11 quake. Abandoned Ernst & Young behind, awaited demolition. Abandoned Riverside House right awaited demolition
22.04.13. Council "special significance" sign for quake death sites, Cambridge Tce
22.04.13. Red zone, abandoned Ernst & Young, awaited demolition, Cambridge Tce
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cambridge Tce view, Retour Restaurant demolition site by Avon River. BNZ Armagh St awaited demolition left, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel right
22.04.13. Post demolition, Retour Restaurant, copper dome, Cambridge Tce. 2015. The dome was plastic wrapped. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be restored, copper dome roof on top
Manchester St Bridge view over polluted Avon River: High-rise BNZ ruin awaited demolition, Armagh St : I saw broken, dusty windows & front & back berms by broken buildings awaiting demolitions. Beyond BNZ ruin, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs. Multi-storey Copthorne Hotel ruin awaited demolition opposite Victoria Sq. I saw the river's split retaining-wall tilted over Avon River by Retour Restaurant demolition-site. By 2021 the retaining-wall would be repaired.
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St Bridge view, red zone, abandoned bldgs: BNZ awaited demolition left, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle awaited repairs. Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition right
22.04.13. Manchester St Bridge view, Avon River, quake split retaining wall. By 2021 the wall would be repaired. Abandoned Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition
I trekked across Manchester St Bridge, past SMF-cordoned Oxford Tce to Armagh St ruined-shops: The Flying Burrito Brothers & Costas Souvlaki Bar. I saw an upturned chess table behind a shop window, the chess pieces scattered on the floor since the 22 February 2011 Quake. Post-quakes, Flying Burrito Brothers would become Casa Publica.
22.04.13. DANGER. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Armagh St view, repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left, abandoned Costas Souvlaki Bar middle
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, abandoned Costas Souvlaki Bar left, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle, NZDF wooden checkpoint hut right, Armagh St.
22.04.13. Quake toppled chess table, Costas Souvlaki Bar, Armagh St
22.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, orange, plastic bollard, steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Costas Souvlaki Bar view, Armagh St / Manchester St crossing. Abandoned Luneys left awaited demolition for CERA's Blueprint Margaret Mahy Family Playground
22.04.13. USAR / TF graffiti, abandoned business door, Armagh St
22.04.13. Orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen. Red zone, abandoned, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Armagh St. The Flying Burrito Bros would become Casa Publica
Amagh St, north side: SMF-cordoned, an NZDF wooden checkpoint-hut near ruins: Printshop, Couplands Bakery, Antiques, BNZ awaiting demolition. 2021. I saw demolition-sites on Avon River's true right bank from Manchester St to Colombo St including highrise BNZ, highrise PWC & highrise Copthorne Hotel.
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, abandoned businesses awaited demolition, wooden NZDF checkpoint hut, Armagh St / Manchester St
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, abandoned businesses awaited demolition, Armagh St
22.04.13. Red zone, abandoned Couplands Bakery awaited demolition, Armagh St
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red zone, abandoned Antiques & BNZ awaited demolition, Armagh St
Armagh St / New Regent St junction: CERA's maze fence was a dead-end. ROAD CLOSED: The shortest, logical way to reach Victoria Sq from that point was straight along Armagh St, about 150m, a city block. But Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel, awaiting repairs blocked that way to Victoria Sq for over two years!
22.04.13. ROAD CLOSED. Steel mesh fence cordon. New Regent St / Armagh St junction view, red zone, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Copthorne Hotel right awaited demolition for the new RC Cathedral precinct
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. New Regent St / Armagh St junction view, red zone, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs
the New Regent St: Some shops were cleaned up & repainted, most were closed. Shop parapets still looked dodgy. Since the quakes, I was chary of parapets, fixed or not, as many parapets collapsed during the quakes. Some closed-shops had window-wares advertising reopening: maps in a closed map-shop; lingerie models in a closed lingerie-shop; protest-signs by a boarded, dirty closed-shop. A clothing designer's materials were locked in one closed-shop by the landlord, ever since the 22 February 2011 Quake. The landlord refused to unlock her shop, release materials, nor repair her Regent St shops. 2016. After fellow shop-keeper protests & Council cordoning her tatty shops, the landord said she would repair her shops. 2023. Her shops were still unrepaired & scruffy!
22.04.13. Portaloos. Orange, white, plastic bollards, steel mesh fence cordon. S view, reopened New Regent St. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left
22.04.13. NO ENTRY. Orange / white, plastic bollards, steel mesh fence cordon. W side, reopened New Regent St
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon, white / orange, plastic bollards. E side, reopened New Regent St
22.04.13. N view, reopened New Regent St. BNZ awaited demolition behind for the new RC Cathedral precinct
22.04.13. E side, reopened New Regent St / Gloucester St
22.04.13. New Regent St, W view, repaired Cathedral Junction & Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. New Regent St, W view, Gloucester St. Abandoned Camelot Hotel left awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration right, facade propped by stacked shipping containers
22.04.13. New Regent St SW view, Gloucester St. The Press rebuild left. Abandoned Camelot Hotel beyond, awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild
I saw Jeweller was open & a couple of cafes were open. Two men on a ladder fixed an electric sign by another shop. I wandered into the Fudge shop, $10 ripoff for a small plastic-punnet of fudge. (Afterwards I drove to Moorhouse Ave's Pak n Save & bought a 200g chocolate slab, $1.89 special for Leah.)
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. W side, reopened New Regent St / Gloucester St
22.04.13. W side, reopened New Regent St
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon, orange / white, plastic bollards. W side, reopened New Regent St / Armagh St junction. BNZ awaited demolition right for the new RC Cathedral precinct
22.04.13. Ubiquitous CERA yellow sticker, New Regent St
Gloucester St: Still a mess, despite being opened by CERA for months. Workmen dug foundations by revamped Isaac Theatre Royal, its auditorium was still gutted, its front facade was still propped by five layers of stacked shipping-containers.
22.04.13. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration, facade propped by stacked shipping containers, Gloucester St. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel behind awaited repairs
Workmen on scaffolding repaired closed Cathedral Junction. Likewise, workmen repaired closed Novotel. They'd been at it for months!
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Gloucester St view, Cathedral Sq, red zone, abandoned Camelot Hotel left awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild. Repaired Novotel middle. Repaired Cathedral Junction right.
Gloucester St / Colombo St / Cathedral Sq NZDF-checkpoint: Two female soldiers checked CERA passes. A checkpoint cordon-fence's threat-sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
Cathedral Sq was static: Demolition or rebuild of Christ Church Cathedral was delayed by the Heritage-hailers' court case. Ruined multi-storey Government Life awaited demolition.
22.04.13. Gloucester St view, quake ruined, boarded, Christ Church Cathedral, N transept & nave. Repaired Novotel left. Abandoned Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel middle. Abandoned Camelot Hotel right awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild
22.04.13. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. 30 km/h speed limit. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Wooden checkpoint hut. Gloucester St view, Cathedral Sq, NZDF checkpoint view, ruined Christ Church Cathedral left, chalice sculpture middle, quake survivor
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cathedral Sq NZDF checkpoint view, Isaac Theatre Royal restoration left, repaired Novotel & Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel right
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cathedral Sq, NZDF checkpoint view, abandoned Camelot Hotel left, ruined Christ Church Cathedral middle, abandoned Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel behind
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cathedral Sq, NZDF checkpoint view, Christ Church Cathedral ruin, abandoned Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel behind
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cathedral Sq, NZDF checkpoint view, Government Life awaiting demolition
From Gloucester St, the shortest logical way to Restart Cashel Mall was southwards through Cathedral Sq past Christ Church Cathedral ruin. From Gloucester St, the shortest logical way to Victoria Sq was northwards along Colombo St past Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel. But CERA's maze caused me to trek along SMF-cordon detours to Restart Cashel Mall & Victoria Sq.
Gloucester St: Behind SMF-cordoned multi-storey Camelot Hotel ruin, I saw a parking lot for contractors' vehicles. On painted footpaths, I saw green, yellow, blue, white flowers & a green-painted wiggly line from New Regent St to Restart Cashel Mall for tourists to follow. I saw green junk-art: two giant chairs & a sofa, Gloucester St side, near Cathedral Sq NZDF-checkpoint. Lately street-artists were filling roads & demolition-sites with tacky junk. Who paid?
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Red crane. Gloucester St view, red zone, abandoned Craigs House & Victoria Square flats left, awaited demolitions for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel right awaited repairs
22.04.13. Gloucester St view, green, street art furniture. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Gloucester St view, BNZ awaited demolition left. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration right
Gloucester St / Colombo St / Cathedral Sq NZDF-checkpoint: Northwards I looked across Farmers demolition-site to Armagh St Bridge & distant Court House. Backing Farmers demolition-site & fronting Victoria Sq I saw more ruins: multi-storey Craigs House & multi-storey Victoria Square apartments awaiting demolitions. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel loomed above the lot, awaiting repairs. In Gloucester St, Chancery Arcade ruin was still weedy, awaiting demolition. Central Library ruin also awaited demolition. CERA demolitions on the block between Victoria Sq to Cathedral Sq & Colombo St to Oxford Tce would be taken for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae.
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Gloucester St view, Farmers demolition site, abandoned Central Library left, abandoned Craigs House & Victoria Square middle, all awaited CERA demolitions for NZ National govts' / CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Chancery Arcade, Gloucester St, awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned, boarded, Central Library, Gloucester St / Oxford Tce, awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
Gloucester St Bridge: I saw oil pollution floating down Avon River past Provincial Council ruin. CERA's pollution checks were crap! For months post-quakes, raw sewage flowed in Avon River & POLLUTION threat-signs sprouted on riverbanks. Provincial Council ruin was static, no repairs. 2023. Repairs would begin.
Oxford Tce: CERA opened its maze, allowing pedestrians to walk Avon River bank to Victoria Sq, the long way round.
22.04.13. Quake cracked wing wall, Gloucester St Bridge
22.04.13. Gloucester St Bridge view, closed Provincial Council bldg, oil polluted Avon River
22.04.13. Oil polluted Avon River seen from Gloucester St Bridge
22.04.13. Quake cracked wing wall, Gloucester St Bridge
22.04.13. Oxford Tce view, closed Provincial Council bldg, Avon River
22.04.13. Oxford Tce view, Avon River, Armagh St Bridge. Provincial Council & Court House bldgs left
22.04.13. Oxford Tce view, Avon River, Armagh St Bridge
22.04.13. Oxford Tce view, Armagh St Bridge. Court House bldgs beyond
Oxford Tce: Between Central Library ruin & Craigs House ruin, looking southeast, I saw right across Farmers demolition-site to Gloucester St & Cathedral Sq ruins. Armagh St Bridge was cleaned up a bit but was still SMF-cordoned. A threat-sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
Victoria Sq: was empty & SMF-cordoned, bordered by demolition-sites & ruins.
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Oxford Tce view, Farmers demolition site. Abandoned Craigs House & Victoria Square flats left awaited demolitions for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle awaited repairs
22.04.13. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Steel mesh fence cordon. Oxford Tce view, Farmers demolition site. Abandoned Victoria Square flats left awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration middle. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel right
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Oxford Tce view, Farmers demolition site. Abandoned Craigs House left, Central Library right awaited demolitions for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Repaired Novotel middle. Abandoned Camelot Hotel middle awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild. Abandoned Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel middle
22.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Victoria Sq / Armagh St Bridge view, abandoned Craigs House & Central Library left awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Abandoned Rydges Hotel middle, quake survivor
High-rise ghosts Craigs House & Victoria Square apartments & Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel & Copthorne Hotel loomed above autumn Victoria Sq. Craigs House & Victoria Square apartments would be demolished for CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs. Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition. A SMF-cordon threat-sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
22.04.13. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Steel mesh fence cordon. Victoria Sq view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Victoria Square flats middle, Craigs House right awaited demolitions for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
22.04.13. Victoria Sq view, abandoned Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition for the new RC Cathedral precinct
Heading to Peterborough St Library, I crossed Victoria Bridge, then trekked past abandoned Town Hall & the floral-clock, past SMF-cordoned Court House to Pallet Pavilion. The shortest logical way to Peterborough St Library was straight across Kilmore St then straight across the old Convention Centre demolition-site opposite Town Hall. But CERA's maze detoured the long way round via Durham St Nth & Christchurch Casino. Sigh!
22.04.13. Victoria Bridge view, abandoned Christchurch Town Hall. Victoria Bridge & Town Hall would be repaired, 2016
22.04.13. Victoria Bridge view, abandoned Victoria Square flats & Craigs House awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
22.04.13. Victoria Bridge upriver view, Avon River & Armagh St Bridge
I abandoned my library visit & backtracked to my car via Durham St Nth, Gloucester St & New Regent St. En route, I saw Council signs on Durham Street Methodist Church's demolition-site which touted a phone-pay carpark on new asphalt for multi-storey Court House across the road. Never mind insulting families of three people who'd died in the 22 February 2011 Quake when the greystone church collapsed. 2018-19. A new Durham Street Methodist Church would be built on-site.
22.04.13. Fletcher builder sign. Steel mesh fence cordon. Christchurch Court House, Durham St Nth. NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Justice & Emergency Services Precinct would be built on the Lichfield St / Tuam St demolition block, cc 2016
22.04.13. Council parking lot, Durham Street Methodist Church, demolition site. Court House behind, Durham St Nth. 2018-19. A new Durham Street Methodist Church would be built on site.
22.04.13. Durham Street Methodist Church, demolition site / Council parking lot view, abandoned Spicers, Chester St West / Durham St Nth. Radio NZ demolition site before Spicers. Spicers would be demolished. New lawyers offices would be built on Spicers & Radio NZ demolition sites
Durham St Nth / Chester St West: Opposite the Court House, I looked at architects' & lawyers' ruined offices. Like so many ruins in Christchurch, the ruin still had USAR / TF graffiti on windows more than two years post 22 February 2011 Quake, including a big C signifying Clear no bodies. Those ruined offices would be demolished & rebuilt as Tavendale and Partners offices.
22.04.13. USAR / TF graffiti, abandoned architects' & lawyers' offices, Durham St Nth. The offices would be demolished & rebuilt as Tavendale and Partners
Durham St Nth back to Avon River I saw more ruins in CERA's CBD maze, including Provincial Council ruin awaiting restoration & ruined multi-storey hotels like Rydges Hotel, Oxford Tce, awaiting restoration. Some multi-storey ruined hotels were currently being restored, like Rendezvous Hotel / Pacific Tower, Gloucester St. Rydges Hotel would be abandoned more than a decade before its restoration began.
22.04.13. Durham St Nth / Armagh St crossing view, red zone bldgs: Abandoned Provincial Council & Rydges Hotel, awaiting restoration, beyond
22.04.13. Durham St Nth / Armagh St crossing view, red zone bldgs, at various stages of abandonment, demolition, restoration, or repair
Armagh St: I saw a ruin being demolished by a yellow-digger near the RSA building, the digger chomped concrete chunks. Two months hence, in June CERA would open its maze, just 28 months after CERA's CBD occupation. Behind SMF-cordons, there would still be many more red- zone-CBD demolitions to go, especially in CERA's East Frame & South Frame.
2016. Armagh St, Durham St Nth, Gloucester St block: Awly Building would be opened, a concrete, glass-fronted, multi-storey office block, opposite Provincial Council ruin which still awaited restoration.
*Trekked Manchester St, Armagh St, New Regent St, Gloucester St, Oxford Tce, Victoria Sq, Durham St Nth. 115 images,
CERA's Greater Christchurch Recovery Update, Issue 21 May 2013, reported CCDU's purchase of CBD land for anchor projects:
"The Crown is seeking to purchase 350 properties in total.
In brief (as at 19 April 2013), the Crown now has:
*31% of the land designated for all the anchor projects combined
*56% of the land needed for the Convention Centre Precinct
*51% of the land needed for the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct
*35.6% of the land needed for the East Frame."
No wonder NZ National government / CERA wanted to milk NZ taxpayers for another $10 billion. Although CERA touted its CCDU Blueprint in June 2012 nearly a year before, given CERA's sluggish CBD purchases it would be years before all CERA's CBD Blueprint precincts were completed.
22.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow digger demolition near RSA bldg, Armagh St
While citizens still existed in broken-homes in broken-suburbs, EQC & insurers dithered over repairs or rebuilds & CERA minister Brownlee had a week's break at Maggie Thatcher's funeral.
Brownlee dithered for months over an insurer advocacy service, requested by Council, but concocted an advisory service. Council vouched for an advocacy service instead of Brownlee's insurer funded advisory service: a fox in charge of the hen house. Brownlee & NZ National government failed to ensure householders were protected from slow insurers. Never mind the AMI / Southern Response debacle where Southern Response would ripoff claimants.
CERA's Greater Christchurch Recovery Update, Issue 21 May 2013, also reported Crown owned Southern Response insurer's projected repairs & rebuild schedule:
"DATE. PROJECTED TOTAL REBUILD / REPAIRS
May 2013 339
June 2013 363
July 2013 436
Aug 2013 473
Sep 2013 554
Oct 2013 578
Nov 2013 659
Dec 2013 771
Jan 2014 836
Feb 2014 928
Mar 2014 999
Apr 2014 1040
May 2014 1139
Jun 2014 1299
Jul 2014 1363
Aug 2014 1418
Sep 2014 1505
Oct 2014 1553
Nov 2014 1631
Dec 2014 1730
2015 end 2801
2016 end 3608"
Thus CERA minister Brownlee, PM Key & minions expected some householders to wait more than five years post 22 February 2011 Quake before Crown insurer, Southern Response would do repairs or rebuild!
Antagonism between Council & CERA: Brownlee called mayor Parker a clown. CERA put a Crown observer into Council for a couple of months to sort out Council dysfunction & miscommunications, after Parker's plea for help in controlling stroppy councillors. CERA tried forcing Council to sell Council assets to pay for CERA's Blueprint anchor projects in the CBD!
Council awaited CERA's costings for its expensive anchor projects, like 35 000 seater covered rugby stadium & convention centre & sports facility & performing arts precinct... While CERA & Council squabbled, citizens suffered ruined-roads & ruined-housing!
Although April was when EQC Truths blogger published the EQC leak in which 83 000+ claimants' details were revealed, neither Brownlee, nor Sutton, nor CERA mentioned the leak in CERA's May 2013, Greater Christchurch Recovery Update!
Sunday 28.04.13. TV One News reported on National's conference at Hanmer Springs, where Key & Brownlee inflated their Christchurch rebuild guesstimate from $30 billion to $40 billion. Of course it would cost NZ taxpayers more than previous guesstimates, as CERA's anchor projects & demolitions & takings in Christchurch CBD's East Frame & South Frames were very expensive.
NZ National government was spending billions of taxpayers' dollars buying & demolishing & investing in Christchurch's Zombie CBD. Meanwhile Brownlee couldn't even organize a proper advocacy service for homeowners battling insurers. Recovery?
While NZ National government boasted about big spending for Christchurch rebuild, evidence on Christchurch streets was contrary: I saw a monstrous mess more than tweo years post 22 February 2011 Quake, with SCIRT detours & OPRC-cordons & SMF-cordons all over. Christchurch would be Cone City for years. My entertainment during quake-years: observe SCIRT teams "working" whenever I drove past. Most workmen stood around chatting, holding spades or brooms, or sitting doing nothing, while just a machine-operator worked.
Rossall St example: four workmen, two sitting on a footpath doing nothing, one feeding a yellow-cable into a manhole in the middle of the road, protected by an OPRC-cordon, traffic slowed & detoured, while a fat boss stood over him doing nothing. Half an hour later when I drove past again, same scenario: same workman feeding the cable into the manhole, fat boss doing stand-over, two "workmen" still seated.
Meanwhile access to Leah's London St school was difficult for months, SMF-cordons blocking London St, while SCIRT diggings on Stanmore Rd progressed, causing one-lane detours past New World supermarket & beyond. With similar detours & narrowings of nearby Bealey Ave, Leah had to find new ways of driving to school through SCIRT's detours maze.
Pity NZ National party didn't face taxpayers in suburbs like New Brighton, where they'd see their governing mess: red-zone ruins; demolition- wastelands; slum living conditions including tagging; intermittent flooding by Avon River causing patched roads like New Brighton Rd & Owles Tce near Pages Rd Bridge which became impassable during flooding; interminable SCIRT excavations on Estuary Rd & Rookwood Ave / Bowhill Rd traffic circle... Cantabrians were forced to live in ruined-suburbs, in muddy, broken housing awaiting repairs, broken roads awaiting repairs, third post quake winter looming.
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Insurance advocacy service approved (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Speculation on Heritage tower demolition (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Stop the lollipop makeovers (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Parker keen to explain service to Brownlee (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Road works deter customers from citys businesses (The Press / Stuff Co).
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