Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition thirteen
new-zealand-labour-party
Mon Mar 28 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition thirteen
Monday, 28 March 2011, 1:39 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Christchurch
LABOUR MPs
Monday 28 March
MEDIA STATEMENT
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition thirteen
The Labour Party’s Christchurch electorate MPs, Clayton Cosgrove (Waimakariri), Ruth Dyson (Port Hills), Lianne Dalziel (Christchurch East) and Brendon Burns (Christchurch Central) have started a regular bulletin to keep people in their electorates and media informed about what is happening at grass roots level.
CLAYTON COSGROVE: I am continuing to try to persuade the Government to work with the people of Canterbury before it sets up its new earthquake recovery authority. So far my colleagues and I have had no success in getting through to Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee or to other Ministers, who are turning their backs on proper consultation and seem set on imposing their own solutions on Canterbury people. Canterbury has people who are used to getting things done, and getting them done fast. We have extremely able business leaders and community leaders who have very clear ideas where Canterbury needs to go. My real fear remains that what Canterbury will get from the Government is heaps of Wellington bureaucrats telling us what to do and tripping over their own red tape. Canterbury needs support, but the Government hasn’t been listening to what Canterbury people have been telling them since September. The Waimakariri District Council provides a blueprint of the way things should be done. Without resorting to bureaucracy, the council has talked to people at grassroots level, formulated their plans based on what they have learned, and then gone back to local people and detailed timelines for the recovery process. Today I will be continuing to meet community groups and will also be holding a meeting with fire service personnel.
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RUTH DYSON: There were some fun-filled events over the weekend celebrating our community resilience and helping lift local spirit. On Saturday I went along to the community gala in Woolston Park. From 11am-3pm there was free entertainment for families and children including a train ride and bouncy castle. Labour had a stall where we ran a fun competition using earthquake trivia. The prize was equally light-hearted--- a dinner for two with a Labour MP of your choice!--- We will announce the winner today. On Saturday evening I went along to the Sumner Street party arranged by Jo Hockham from one of our local businesses Urban Surf. They closed off the road using big wheelie bins and warning tape to give the party a real ‘cordon feel’. People brought along food and drink and the atmosphere was welcoming and supportive. Local police were in attendance and were fantastic with the kids, letting them play with handcuffs and make fake arrests. It was a real show of community camaraderie. On Sunday we got down to business sweeping the local cycle lane between Sumner and Ferrymead. A lot of shingle had littered the lane and was preventing safe cycling. There were three groups of people led by local Orthopaedic Surgeon Tom Sharpe. We made some real progress and cyclists were thankful. Sunday afternoon finished on the same note, with communities coming together for the first Mt Pleasant swap meet following February’s quake. A ukulele band provided lively entertainment and people swapped homemade preserves and fresh produce. As time goes on these informal community events are really important. They form the social fabric that will keep us together in what will be a challenging year ahead.
LIANNE DALZIEL: Over the weekend we had a flying visit from Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd. At my request the Minister arranged for his helicopter to land in Bexley after he surveyed the damage in Christchurch East from the air. It was uplifting for the people of Bexley to have such an esteemed visitor, on such short notice. Two separate couples invited the Minister into their homes so he could see the gravity of the damage close-up. He showed genuine concern as what he saw from the air paled in comparison to the gritty reality on the ground. Far from a media spectacle, the visit was open and honest and the community were humbled by his integrity and compassion. On Saturday evening I attended the first of five charity recitals by the acclaimed Hungarian pianist Endre Hegedus. The recital was held at Burnside High School as the original venue, the Arts Centre’s Grand Hall, was too damaged by the quake to host the show. Other concerts will be hosted in Dunedin, Nelson, Wellington and Auckland with all proceeds going to Christchurch. I highly recommend the concert for a night out in support of a good cause. For further information go to: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1103/S00490/rhapsody-for-christchurch-5-liszt-charity-concerts.htm
BRENDON BURNS: Over the weekend I paid a visit to a grandmother raising two children whose mother died in tragic circumstances. Although coping with little recognition or support, this woman had not yet been visited by anyone following the earthquake. My visit was sparked by her son dropping in earlier to the caravan that is my makeshift portable electorate office. Though unusual this case reinforced to me the importance that in weeks ahead we continue to be thorough in our processes to ensure that everyone gets the help they need. In most cases this will simply be access to information and basic services. In this particular case it was $50 of food vouchers (courtesy of Katherine Rich and the Grocery Council) and linking up with certain assistance programmes. There are gaps in systems at the best of times, and in the worst times attention to detail is critical. With the temporary moratorium on demolition work in Christchurch's central business district coming to an end on Friday I will be keeping a careful eye on demolition. Over the weekend the ICONIC (Interests in Conserving the Identity of Christchurch) delegation, myself included, met with the Civil Defence Director of Planning and Transition. We were given assurances that there is a process in place to ensure that buildings are not subject to partial or full demolition without consent. Of the 40 applications received for deconstruction we were assured that none of these were heritage buildings and where clarification was needed it was researched in full before being ticked off for action. This reassurance was well-received. I have increasing concerns about the onset of winter. I raised concerns with the Government prior to Christmas about our ability to get around thousands of homes where chimneys are down. This situation is now significantly worse, and increasingly urgent. For many fire places were the sole source of heating and few heat pumps have been installed in their place. The Government needs to act urgently to ensure households are not left out in the cold. Last year saw soaring power bills and I fear without decisive action families will be in trouble this winter. Today I will continue my daily caravan on the corner of Madras Street and Moa Place between 4-6pm. From today, thanks to the generosity of Ruth Dyson and her staff, my team are operating out of the Port Hills electorate office located at 642 Ferry Road, Woolston.
ends
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