High Court judge Panckhurst chastised NZ National government, judging that the government was mistreating Quake Outcasts red-zoners by offering 50% RV for red-zoners' uninsurable bare land. Judge Panckhurst held government to its CERA promises of looking after quaked-citizens. After all, government had created the residential red-zone to protect reinsurers, as government's EQC was underinsured by pre-quakes governments (despite timeous warning to government by EQC) thus pre-quakes homes were only insured by EQC for a risible $100 000 cap which forced insurers to pay mega-bucks overcap.
Post-quakes, to protect overseas reinsurers NZ National government created red-zones which immediately reduced 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 had sound housing post-quakes, but was erased by red-zoning. Council condoned red-zoning & contined 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 government's red-zone 50% deal for Quake Outcasts after government had "fun" gambling with ratepayers' & taxpayers' money by taking big chunks of riverside land & Port Hills land & CBD land. Key thought it was "fun" while property-owners endured the red-zone imposed by government which threatened forced acquisitions & removal of services if property-owners didn't accept government's 2007 Rateable Value (RV) offer & / or leave the red-zone!
While most residential red-zoners accepted NZ National government's red-zoning & forced offer (home insurances were taken by government as part of the red-zone deal & was used by government to pay out red-zoners), Frame landowners in the CBD were less impressed, as purchase of CBD Frame land by CCDU & the threat of forced acquisition of Frame land in the CBD went slowly.
Problem with NZ National government imposed CBD Frame: CERA / CCDU bureaucrats were forcing commercial landowners to sell their CBD land like CERA had forced residential red-zone landowners to sell their land. Sell to government, or forced acquisition! The government's idea for CBD Frame land to was to increase land value in CERA's core-CBD & to revamp Frame land as parkland & apartments having imbibed citizens' ideas of City in a Garden.
NZ National government 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.
Saturday 31.08.13, I trekked around CERA's core-CBD. Little was going on. I saw ruins, few rebuilds & many weedy, demolition-sites. I saw the lethargic demolition of multi-storey Copthorne Hotel overlooking Victoria Sq. That demolition had stopped for the weekend.
Kilmore St / Manchester St: I looked west across Chubbs & Repertory Theatre demolition-sites right through to abandoned Town Hall. Southwestwards I looked across demolition sites beyond Avon River to Christ Church Cathedral ruin. I saw demolition-sites in all directions & 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 modus operandi 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: Town Hall farce: After visiting abandoned Town Hall only 30 months post 22 February 2011 Quake, Councillors 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 buildings were being demolished! Councillors were trying to appease Heritage-hailers before the next Council election. But Town Hall's 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 Convention Centre / Te Pae into a combined Convention Centre / Performing Arts Precinct with taxpayers' money saved from buying land for separate 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 two Crown observers / managers to report on Council activities. 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 had instigated town clerk Marryatt's demise over Council's poor building consents processing. In 2012, there were public protests about Council's poor performance.
Kilmore St: Repertory Theatre was demolished near CERA's North Frame.
Manchester St / Lichfield St: Majestic Theatre ruin (a happy-clappy church pre-quakes) in CERA's Blueprint East Frame would be demolished by CERA.
Manchester St / Tuam St: Odeon Theatre ruin (ex movie theatre pre-quakes) in CERA's South Frame was part-demolished, the auditorium was exposed to the elements for years: flies gone & the salvaged fly-roof stood on Manchester St footpath. The Tuam St facade was protected by stacked shipping-containers which obstructed traffic for years.
Gloucester St: Isaac Theatre Royal was restored in CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct.
Worcester Blvd (Arts Centre): Court Theatre was SMF-cordoned & relocated to Addington post-quakes & continued producing shows. Thirty months post 22 February 2011 Quake, Court Theatre was the only pre-quakes, CBD theatre doing public shows.
2021. Advert board I saw on on the Performing Arts Precinct's demolition-site: It said a new Court Theatre would open on-site in 2023. New Public Library / Turanga & the new Convention Centre / Te Pae & the restored multi-storey Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel would tower over the new Court Theatre site, currently cordoned. I just saw flattened shingle. Like neighbouring buildings, as Court Theatre would be built on Avon River bog, you wouldn't catch me attending shows there. 2024. I saw Court Theatre construction was progressing.
Kilmore St: $127,500,000.00 to restore abandoned Town Hall 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 Town Hall! Most buildings along Kilmore St, from Manchester St crossing to Colombo St Crossing to Durham St Nth crossing, were demolished. Remaining pre-quakes buildings were ghosts. Only rebuild so far was Forte Health.
That was just Town Hall costing. CCDU's Blueprint Stadium on Turners & Growers site would cost about $300m. (September 2018 costing: $384 - $561m, The Press 11.09.18. December 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 the East Frame as parkland, or add high density housing. Over the next decade the area would become riddled with expensive new apartments!
Coda:
2018-19. CERA's successor, Regenerate Christchurch would oversee Fletcher Living building of apartment blocks east side of the East 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, west side of Rauora Park. In a former post, I said Manchester St was fucked by quakes & post- quake demolitions. Post-quakes, concrete, tilt-slab apartments & terrace apartments & commercial buildings would fuck Manchester St again. New Manchester St would look like 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 buildings, especially old, brick buildings with parapets & gables. I saw notices on old, brick, commercial buildings on King Street, Temuka. Nearer home off SH8, I saw this notice at Pleasant Point's taxidermist:
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 often scoffed pie & coffee at Temuka Bakery which also had the notice. The building was an old, brick construction with an old, brick parapet. Most old, brick buildings on King St were similar. Such old brick buildings were lethal when the 22 February 2011 Quake struck Christchurch! 2026. The old brick building next to Temuka Bakery was demolished. I stopped going to Temuka Bakery as I feared collapse of the weakened Bakery side-wall into the Bakery in the next big quake!
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).
