High Court judge Panckhurst chastised NZ National govt, judging NZ National govt was mistreating Quake Outcasts red zoners by offering 50% RV for red zoners' uninsurable bare land. Judge Panckhurst held NZ National govt to its CERA promises of looking after quake devastated citizens. After all, NZ National govt had created the residential red zone to protect reinsurers, as NZ National govt's EQC was underinsured by govt pre quakes (despite timeous warning to NZ National govt by EQC) thus pre-quakes homes were only insured by EQC for a risible $100 000 cap, which forced insurers to pay mega-bucks above cap.
Post-quakes, to protect overseas reinsurers NZ National govt created red zones, immediately reducing red zone land values (ditto later green TC3 zoning) & with forced offers, took red zone residential land & uninsurable red zone bare land, thus evicting red zoners.
Iniquity of red zoning: some red zone land wasn't damaged by quakes. It happened to be near quake damaged land. Example: Brooklands, sound housing post-quakes, was erased by red zoning. Council condoned red zoning, continuing to charge homeowners pre-quakes rates, until homeowners were evicted with a CERA red zone, deadline date to leave.
PM Key threatened to exit the NZ National govt, red zone 50% deal for Quake Outcasts, after having "fun" gambling with ratepayers' & taxpayers' money, taking big chunks of riverside, Port Hills, CBD land. Key thought it was "fun" for property owners enduring a red zone imposed by NZ National govt & threatened by NZ National govt with forced acquisition & removal of services, if property owners didn't accept NZ National govt's 2007 Rateable Value (RV) offer & / or leave the NZ National govt red zone.
While most residential red zoners accepted NZ National govt's, red zone, forced offer (home insurances were taken by NZ National govt as part of the red zone deal & used to pay out red zoners) Frame land owners in the CBD were less impressed, as purchase of CBD Frame land by CCDU & the threat of forced acquisition of N, E, S Frame land in the CBD went slowly.
Problem with NZ National govt imposed CBD Frame: CERA / CCDU bureaucrats were forcing commercial land owners to sell their CBD land, like CERA forced residential red zone land owners to sell their land. Sell to NZ National govt, or forced acquisition! NZ National govt's idea for CBD Frame land to was to increase land value in CERA's core CBD & to revamp Frame land as parkland / flatland, using citizens' ideas of City in a Garden.
NZ National govt didn't say what it would do with all the residential red zone land it took, nor did it say what it would do with CBD Frame land it took, after it stopped having "fun" in residential red zone land & CBD red zone, Frame parkland.
PM Key soon expediently apologized for his "fun" comment.
Sat 31.08.13, I trekked around CERA's core CBD. Little going on, mostly ghosts, few rebuilds, many weedy, demolition sites. Lethargic demolition of Copthorne Hotel by Victoria Sq, stopped for the weekend.
Kilmore St / Manchester St: Viewed W across Chubbs & Repertory Theatre demolition sites right through to Town Hall ghost. SW I looked across demolition sights beyond Avon River to Christ Church Cathedral ghost. Many demolition sites wherever I looked, CERA's vaunted "meadows" on some demolition sites were weedy.
CERA minister Brownlee appealed Panckhurst's judgement to the Appeal Court, another Brownlee delay. Regarding CERA's land zoning, Brownlee's MO was delay after delay. CERA's appeal used taxpayers' money of course, while lawyers rubbed their paws.
28.08.13. CERA media release: Brownlee postponed a Port Hills zoning review using the Appeal case as an excuse.
Kilmore St / Colombo St: Councillors, after visiting cordoned Town Hall ghost, only 30 months post 22 February quake, wavered about their previous unanimous decision to restore Town Hall, then again unanimously voted to spend $127.5m (including $68.9m insurance pay out) to restore Town Hall beside Avon River. That was after badgering by architect, Sir Miles Warren that all his bldgs were being demolished. Councillors were trying to appease Heritage hailers before next Council election. But Town Hall theatre facilities, CERA's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct & Convention Centre / Te Pae meant there would be several theatres in close proximity. Were parking facilities planned?
30.08.13. Quake trashed, abandoned, Christchurch Town Hall, Kilmore St. Town Hall would be repaired, 2016
Colombo St / Gloucester St: The Performing Arts Precinct in CCDU's Blueprint would duplicate Town Hall theatre facilities. Why didn't CERA transform CCDU's Blueprint loss maker, Convention Centre / Te Pae into a combined Convention Centre / Performing Arts Precinct, with taxpayers' money saved from buying trashed land for disparate Christchurch Symphonic Orchestra, Christchurch Music School, Court Theatre... Never mind operation & maintenance costs for separate facilities.
30.08.13. Victoria Sq view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Abandoned Victoria Square flats right, awaited demolition for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Foreground Victoria Bridge (renamed Hamish Hay Bridge) would be repaired, 2016
30.08.13.Victoria Sq view, quake trashed Dandelion Fountain, quake trashed, abandoned Christchurch Town Hall, Avon River. Town Hall would be repaired, 2016
30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration right. Foreground demolition sites - CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct. 2021. A demo site, ad board said Court Theatre would be opened on site, 2023
30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct left. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle behind. The Press rebuild below. Repaired Novotel right
30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, repaired Novotel left. Abandoned Camelot Hotel middle awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild. Quake trashed, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right
30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Gloucester St view, CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct left foreground. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration behind left. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle behind. The Press rebuild middle. Repaired Novotel right
*Trekked Kilmore St, Colombo St. 13 images.
Why didn't CERA consult theatre buffs? Christchurch CBD theatres were a mess, not only because of damages, but because there was no coordination or mediation between Council's & CERA's squabbling. So far CERA had instigated 2 Crown observers / managers, reporting on Council. Minister Brownlee had called mayor Parker a "Clown." Parker wasn't standing for re-election. CERA had instigated an expensive Council "communications" review, but Council communications with public were still crap since the review. CERA instigated town clerk Marryatt's demise over Council's poor bldg consents processing. In 2012, there were public protests about Council's poor performance.
Kilmore St: Repertory Theatre ghost,demolished near CERA's N Frame.
Manchester St / Lichfield St: Majestic Theatre ghost (happy-clappy church pre-quakes) in CERA's Blueprint E Frame, would be demolished by CERA.
Manchester St / Tuam St: Odeon Theatre ghost (ex movie theatre pre-quakes) in CERA's S Frame, part demolished, auditorium exposed to the elements for years, flies gone, salvaged fly roof stood on Manchester St pavement. Tuam St facade, protected by stacked shipping containers obstructing traffic for years.
Gloucester St: Isaac Theatre Royal, restored in CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct.
Worcester Blvd (Arts Centre): Court Theatre, steel mesh fence cordoned, relocated to Addington post-quakes, produced public shows. Thirty months post 22 February quake, Court Theatre was the only pre-quakes, CBD theatre doing public shows, yet CERA & Council did nothing about its future.
2021. Ad board on Performing Arts Precinct, demo site said a new Court Theatre would open on site, 2023. New Public Library / Turanga, new Convention Centre / Te Pae & restored Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel would tower over new Court Theatre site, currently cordoned, flattened shingle. Like neighbouring bldgs, as Court Theatre would be built on Avon River bog, you wouldn't catch me attending shows there. 2024. Court Theatre construction progressing.
That CERA demanded resolution of Town Hall's future just before Council election stank. Council just affirmed its former $127.5m Town Hall restoration spend without any future for Court Theatre & other performing arts organizations. Mayor Parker & councillors flapped in terminal funk.
Kilmore St: $127,500,000.00 to restore Town Hall ghost on Avon River bank meant throwing $127.5m into a liquefactioned, riverside bog. Town Hall had good acoustics in the main hall, but bad acoustics in James Hay Theatre. Although Crowne Plaza Hotel next door to Town Hall & joining airbridge & the old Convention Centre across the road & joining airbridge were demolished, Council would restore trashed Town Hall! Most bldgs along Kilmore St, from Manchester St crossing to Colombo St Crossing to Durham St Nth crossing, were demolished. Remaining pre-quakes bldgs were ghosts. Only rebuild so far was Forte Health.
That was just Town Hall costing. CCDU's Blueprint Stadium, Turners & Growers site, would cost about $300m. (Sept 2018 costing: $384 - $561m, The Press 11.09.18. Dec 2019 costing: $472.7m for a 25 000 seater, roofed stadium, The Press 11.12.19). There were several more expensive, anchor projects which Parker & Council had agreed to with Isaac's CCDU. And CCDU couldn't decide whether to leave E Frame as parkland, or add high density housing.
Coda:
2018-19. CERA's successor, Regenerate Christchurch would oversee Fletcher Living building of apartment blocks E side of E Frame / Rauora Park near Latimer Sq: Worcester Terraces, Latimer Terraces, Liverpool Terraces, Bedford Apartments / Terraces. According to Fletcher Living website, by 2022 all those apartments / terraces would be sold out. More concrete box developments would be built opposite those apartments along Manchester St, W side of skinny Rauora Park, little green left. In a former post, I said Manchester St was fucked by quakes & post quake demolitions. Post-quakes, concrete, tilt-slab apartments, terrace apartments, commercial bldgs would fuck Manchester St again. New Manchester St would be reminiscent of Rolleston's concrete, tilt-slab CBD.
2022. Since leaving Christchurch in 2014, I'd seen Timaru District Council notices on windows / walls of earthquake-prone bldgs, especially old, brick bldgs with parapets & gables. There were notices on old, brick, commercial bldgs, King Street, Temuka. SH8, Pleasant Point, taxidermist notice:
TIMARU
DISTRICT COUNCIL
EARTHQUAKE-PRONE BUILDING
This notice is for the building situated at...
The Timaru District Council has not determined if the building is earthquake-prone (because
the owner has not provided an engineering assessment) but is proceeding as if it had
determined this building as earthquake-prone.
The building is a priority building as defined in section 133AE of the Building Act 2004.
The owner of the building is required to carry out building work to ensure that the building is
no longer earthquake-prone (seismic work). The owner is required to complete seismic work by April 2033.
The owner of the building may apply to Timaru District Council under section 133AN of the
Building Act 2004, for an exemption of the requirement to carry out seismic work. The
building must have certain characteristics to be granted an exemption (see the Building
Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005.
In the event that Timaru District Council determines or is satisfied in accordance with section
133AQ of the Building Act 2004, that the building is not earthquake-prone, the owner is not
required to complete the seismic work.
...
Building Control Manager
Timaru District Council
14 October 2020
Thus NZ Councils were chasing errant building owners of old buildings, to seismic strengthen their buildings. Only the next big quake would show if seismic strengthening was OK. I scoffed pie & coffee at Temuka Bakery which also had the notice. The building: old, brick construction old, brick parapet. Most old, brick bldgs on King St were similar. Such bldgs were lethal when 22 February quake struck Christchurch!
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Government postpones Port Hills zoning review announcement (CERA media release).
See Key treats red zoners with disdain (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Councillors vote for full Town Hall restoration (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Reversing Town Hall decision not impossible (The Press / Stuff Co).
See 20 000 people for city centre (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Cost of Christchurch stadium options range from $384m to $561m (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Fletcher Living, E Frame apartments.
See Christchurch stadium how much ratepayers will contribute (The Press / Stuff Co).
