Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 50

new-zealand-labour-party

Mon May 30 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 50

Monday, 30 May 2011, 11:55 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

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: The business recovery package theoretically comes to an end tomorrow, and there is still no announcement from the Government as to what will replace it. Presumably there will be an announcement today or tomorrow --- but taking it to the line like this is doing nothing for the confidence of at risk businesses. We are all waiting with bated breath. On-going assistance is vital for businesses and jobs. Following the budget package, the Government has the money available to provide businesses and individual Cantabrians with the certainty they need. At 9.30am today I launched a fund-raising event for Christchurch Red Cross. Martin Keen will spend the next 80 hours on his exer-cycle outside the Rangiora Post Office, cycling day and night. Martin is a taxi driver who was in Cashel Mall when the February quake struck. He lost his livelihood, but certainly not his spirit and determination. This is the third time he has conducted such marathon efforts on his exer-cycle. In 1991, his cause was cystic fibrosis, while in 1995 he rode for a staggering 124 hours to raise funds for Nurse Maude. Martin is allowing himself a five-minute break every hour, and 30 minutes every four hours. He has a small tent erected near the Post Office where his wife will be able to give him massages during his breaks. His example is inspiring. I also continue to be inspired by teachers. On Friday I opened the new administration block at Belfast School, and talked to a number of teachers who have their own revealing and personal stories to tell about how they have been affected by the quakes. Canterbury relies on their dedication and determination to keep going.

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RUTH DYSON: On Saturday I had a concerning situation brought to my attention at the Linwood market, A man informed me that he had been phoned by someone claiming to be from EQC and requesting personal information. The caller said he intended to visit to fix the man's hot water and asked whether he had a dog and whether he lived alone. Realising these were strange questions the man immediately hung up and called the police. Due to his quick response the police were able to track the call. Suspicious phone calls have been reported in the news today as a growing concern. I would urge all Cantabrians to ask for ID when anyone comes to their door, and urge people to immediately hang up if asked suspicious questions and call the police. These con-artists are the lowest of the low-on the same level as looters in my opinion. Communities need to remain vigilant. On Saturday Brendon Burns and I went to the first Africa Day celebration organised by the local African community and held at Middleton Grange Primary School. It was a really amazing experience. Around a dozen African countries were represented and came together to share traditional dishes, music and talk about their home continent Brendon and I were asked to judge a fashion show modelled by locals. It was quite a challenge! The outfits were beautiful and elegant, bringing bold flair to the beginning of a cold Christchurch winter. It was the first time the event was held, though its success will hopefully see it become an annual event. The timeline for the deconstruction of the Timeball in Lyttelton is progressing. The Timeball is being slowly pulled down and will be stored at Ferrymead Park before eventually being used in the reconstruction. The Timeball station is a significant building in Lyttelton's history and is one of the few of its kind left in the world. Its deconstruction due to damage suffered in the September and February quakes is saddening, but I am pleased that it will be used again in future.

BRENDON BURNS: Along with my colleagues Lianne Dalziel and Ruth Dyson I was blown away by the Youth Voices Forum held at CPIT over the weekend. The initiative sponsored by UNESCO linked youth across the city to generate their ideas for the rebuild of Christchurch. It was awe-inspiring to hear the talent of our youth voiced so clearly with many of those contributing only in their early teens. The two young women who presented the wrap up of the event, Tania and Margot, impressed with their seamless delivery and summary of the ideas collated by youth. The ideas coming through reinforced what other members of the community are saying. Participants talked about a sustainable Christchurch which encourages urban living and utilises strong public transport systems. There was debate about whether faculties from the University of Canterbury could be brought into the central city as a part of its rebuild along with existing institutions like CPIT. The point that was often made that it is going to be their city. We are taking about some decades of redevelopment, long past my time and my colleagues' time as leaders in the community. One thought I had for youth was to widen their debate and involve city councillors, business and educational facilities in their discussions. Only Chrissie Williams was present representing local councils. On another topic, there is growing frustration amount some of the contracting community about delays with repayment from EQC. A roofer in my electorate has told me that he is heavily in debt as he waits for a response from EQC. The real frustration is not the delays-but not getting any acknowledgement from EQC that invoices have even been received or even acknowledged. There seems to be a black hole of information here. Lianne Dalziel is arranging a meeting this week to meet with local contractors to discuss these issues directly.

LIANNE DALZIEL: I was inspired by the UNESCO Youth Voices (ChCh) Forum held over the weekend, which tackled the issues young people would like to see addressed in the rebuild of Christchurch. I look forward to seeing Generation Y playing their role in our recovery so we can benefit from their experiences and knowledge. Sustainability, Creativity & Connectivity were the themes. Some of the ideas included using the empty spaces creatively or building some sort of memorial e.g. plaques or gardens for those who died in the earthquake. Other ideas revolved around local commerce and produce with community gardens, farmers' markets as popular areas for expansion. There was also talk of harnessing the success of the Student Volunteer Army to further support the community in years ahead. Their definition of sustainability touched on clean, green, Kiwi design & innovation, based on the idea of Christchurch as a city of communities. There was reference to the fact that roads bring cars, footpaths bring people and we need to start as we mean to intend. It is vital that Generation Y have a real say in the future of their city - in many respects it is for them that the rebuilding will occur. They were very respectful of the heritage of the city and memorialising what had occurred - great stuff! I am speaking to the Spencerville Residents Association's AGM tonight. I am going to talk about recovery and the role their community should be able to play. I believe that being provided with information about what has happened to the land and the exposure to future risks should be placed on the table so the community can see for itself what options are there. The failure of the City Council to address the uncertainties about flood risk mitigation, Variation 48 & S72 Building Act remains a major concern.

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