Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 48
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed May 25 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 48
Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 12:39 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Christchurch
LABOUR MPs
25 May 2011
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 48
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 visited my old school St Bede’s with Labour Deputy Leader Annette King today. Although St Bede’s is a boys’ school, it is currently sharing its campus with Marion College, the girls’ college that was badly damaged in the quake. People we spoke to at the school were certainly edgy this morning following the latest after-shocks. No one gets much of an opportunity to become complacent around here. Annette visited Christchurch a couple of weeks ago as well talking to social agencies and various community organisations, including foodbanks, about how they are bearing up in the wake of the quakes. Today she is here for an update from those organisations. One of the people we are visiting is Dave Pilkington, who runs a vegetable packing business. Dave, who is also chair of the Belfast Rugby Club, and his staff are unsung heroes of Christchurch, and Annette wants to thank them for what they have done. In the aftermath of the quake, when Dave was asked if he could help out people by providing fresh vegetables, he said he was just in a packing business, not a vegetable growing business, but nevertheless he turned up with two truckloads of fresh vegetables that he organised. People like Dave and his staff are essential to the heart of our city. They keep things ticking over as normally as possible, particularly for those worst affected by the quakes.
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RUTH DYSON: We had a couple of little shakes this morning centred in my electorate. They will surely be another test of community endurance. Last night I went to another meeting in Heathcote with the project team who work alongside the residents association. This group has achieved a huge amount for the community in a short time, turning the local church into a social gathering point, getting a community garden and play centre for kids up and running and helping distribute information to the community. It is extraordinary to see the flurry of activity and planning that has been driven by this group. Last night Allan Simpson, the Secretary of the Heathcote Bowling Club---which along with the Cricket Club was destroyed in the quake---sought feedback on the idea to build a Heathcote Valley sports centre. This idea was widely supported. As many of my colleagues have mentioned, the rebuild for communities is about creating a brighter future, a ‘new normal’ rather than just repairing damage. A centre like this could revitalise club spirit, which in relying on run down facilities and the tireless work of volunteers was becoming difficult to maintain. The Government’s claim that it intends to consult with community organisations on reclamation work at Port Lyttelton when it has already announced today that it is fast-tracking the proposal is offensive. Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Environment Minister Nick Smith said that the Government was using its extraordinary powers to fast-track the reclamation, using rubble from the quakes, but that consent was subject to specific consultation with a number of groups, including Ngāi Tahu, the Lyttelton-Mt Herbert Community Board, the NZ Historic Places Trust and Diamond Harbour Community Associations. It can hardly be called consultation when you have already made up your mind what you are going to do. Labour sees it as important that there is an independent assessment on the environmental impact of the Government’s plan. That’s clearly not going to happen. It is also essential that a proper transport management plan is developed. There will be a huge increase in traffic in what is already a really busy area. No thought seems to have been given to this basic need and at this rate it will go unaddressed by Government.
LIANNE DALZIEL: The Aranui Community Trust (ACTIS) has received 1000 of the 5000 Operation Comfort Bears which have arrived from Gisborne. I ran into the Teddy Bear Lady, aka Helen Hunt, when she arrived with the Teddy Bears at CTV. She had been originally asked if she could provide 500 teddy bears and she said she would aim for 5000. There began a major fundraising effort in Gisborne to pay for them and sure enough Gisborne did it – so our thanks go to Helen and to Gisborne. This is another example of the many random acts of kindness that have inspired Christchurch in its recovery. ACTIS has named them “Giz a Hug” Gizzy Bears and will be distributing them to children in the affected suburbs. The police will also be giving them out as part of their reassurance policing as well. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Comfort-Bears/193241544042378?sk=wall. We are all attending the function to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Press this evening. I will always remember that the Press came out every day despite the devastation to the Press building in the February 22 earthquake. The Press has been a vital source of information and we will need them in the time ahead to analyse all aspects of the recovery.
BRENDON BURNS: I am taking the opportunity of the Parliamentary recess to visit schools in my electorate. The schools are all pleased with the Government’s announcement to continue operational grants funding at pre- earthquake levels until the end of this year. Last week my colleague Lianne Dalziel called for this finding to be extended to the end of next year as well. This is especially important schools in eastern areas which have lost up to 20% of their roles since the quake. One principal told me that some parents have left Christchurch permanently, others have moved to different parts of the city to accommodate their families and many are in between. I am meeting next week with the principal and Board Chair at Linwood College to discuss a range of issues, most importantly the news that Principal Margaret Paiti is having to ask senior staff to considered resignation or cutting their hours as a budget saving measure. Tomorrow Phil Goff is with us visiting the CPIT campus to reinforce that as a party Labour stand for comprehensive skills training in Christchurch which will be the centre of much of the nation’s skills training as we rebuild. We will also meet with constituents in the refugee community who have suffered a harrowing time after the quakes as well as being some of the most generous donors. The impact for this community is compounded by language and cultural barriers.
ENDS
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