Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 80
new-zealand-labour-party
Thu Jul 21 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 80
Thursday, 21 July 2011, 12:26 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Christchurch
LABOUR MPs
21 July 2011
Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 80
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 two disturbing cases I mentioned on Monday --- one of a woman and young child with an unstable chimney that is literally falling down inside her house, and another of a family whose houses is threatened by a dangerous water tank --- elicited many rapid offers of help from Gerry Brownlee’s office and Fletcher’s. That’s the good news. The bad news is that nothing has happened since this initial interest. The woman and her child are still living in a house where you can pull the bricks down by hand, and the family still lives in fear of the tank falling down. No wonder people are frustrated. They get told something will be done, and it doesn’t happen. Now for some genuine good news??? After many weeks of making representations on behalf of a builder who was owed payments from EQC, he has finally been paid. But why did it take so long? Returning to the saga of Kairaki Beach residents --- and their on-again, off-again geotech information which might explain why their area has been red-zoned. First, CERA chief executive Roger Sutton told them they could have the information. Then Gerry Brownlee said no. A journalist has been following this situation up with Mr Brownlee’s office, and tells me the position’s changing again. The Minister’s office now says the information’s already out there, it can be found on the CERA website, and or if it isn’t there yet, it will be soon. The good news is Kairaki residents look like they may get the information they want. Let’s hope it’s all the information, and not just selected bits, but the point is, why didn’t Mr Brownlee disclose it straight up. A failure to do so simply adds again to the stress residents are feeling.
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RUTH DYSON:
Fantastic to have Phil Goff back in town yesterday- Phil is always supportive and well received by everyone he meets. Over 200 people attended the Lyttelton meeting yesterday afternoon, listening to the report back on the Lyttelton Master Plan. Another 60 people went along to the evening presentation, and there is another opportunity to contribute this evening. The plan has been very warmly received in Lyttelton, with excitement about the civic square proposal and the garden roof on the library in particular. There remains frustration at the lack of inclusion of access to the waterfront but this plan will enable progress on that issue and remove barriers, which is about as far as the mandate for the work for the City Council would allow. There is also concern about whether any specific funding will be allocated to the implementation plans and when such funding will be forthcoming. It was great being at these meetings and hearing directly from locals how they felt about different aspects of the plan. With the news that further major job losses will occur, with staff from Ballantynes losing their jobs soon, the idea of a "Made in Christchurch" campaign - and other initiatives which will help our recovery - are all worth looking at carefully. We need long term on-going support to make sure that we have local jobs for local people, and strategies to attract and retain our skilled people particularly.
LIANNE DALZIEL:
The Future Canterbury Network (http://futurecanterburynetwork.wordpress.com ) has established itself to ensure that there is accountability and transparency in recovery. I have heard a couple of people talk about their own lack of accountability as a self-appointed body. However, having looked at the membership, I don’t think there is a need for concern because it is such a diverse group. The FCN website describes their Earthquake Recovery Accountability Matrix as a principle based evaluation methodology to assist decision making organisations and individuals responsible for recovery from the earthquakes to improve their leadership, governance and management in a process of constructive engagement with the Future Canterbury Network and the community. They say that public reporting on the outcomes of the evaluation process and resulting improvements in practice will lead to increased public knowledge and confidence in the transition from the damaged Canterbury of today to the robust and resilient Canterbury we seek for future generations. What I particularly like is the fact that the matrix is intended to be applied to each of the bodies in a joint programme of scrutiny – that is that the body itself is part of the review team. They will look at performance under the following headings: Bold Vision for Future; Aspirational strategy for Achievement of the Vision; Inspirational leadership & Governance; Effective Engagement & Communication with Community; Robust Plans for the Future; Informed Regulatory Decision Making Processes and Outcomes; Prudent Maintenance of Infrastructure; Appropriate Human Resources. I hope all the councils and CERA engage and am encouraged by the summary of Recovery Key Success Factors by Waimakariri District Council. This would signal how vital it is for accountability and transparency to be at the heart of those responsible for engaging with the community in recovery, and that would be very welcome.
BRENDON BURNS:
Phil Goff got a great reception yesterday at a Christchurch Grey Power meeting and not just on Labour’s tax reform package. One of his biggest cheers came when he spoke about the inappropriateness of more than doubling fees for the four members of the panel which will review CERA regulations. Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee sought the hike arguing the standard fees were inadequate. Among other panel members is former National Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley, who last year, after I commented publicly, ruled it inappropriate for her to take up a role as an ECAN Commissioner. Panel Chair, former judge Sir John Hansen, has stated publicly that he didn’t even ask what the fees were as he saw the job as a public service. At this time of need, the public are saying that notion deserves to prevail. Tomorrow, I am heading to Timaru to try and connect with displaced Christchurch voters. I am visiting some relocated businesses and holding a constituency clinic for anyone who may be currently living out of Christchurch but still has questions about their property and hopes of returning. Further to Lianne Dalziel’s comments on the Prestons Road development of 2,500 sections yesterday, it is fair enough that Ngāi Tahu have pointed out that what has been referred to as marshland is actually swampy peat, with deep lenses of sand which have much lower susceptibility to liquefaction. However, the other key concern for people is section prices. The Preston Rd developments sections will be available (at best in a year’s time) starting at 200 sq metres. While some people do want compact sections, this will mean there’s not even the space for a fixed clothes line. Some people may be forced onto sections well below what they might otherwise choose. The usual minimum Christchurch section size is around 450 sq m. At Preston’s Rd these will be priced close to $200,000 – and they will be competitively priced. This underscores questions we have been raising in Parliament about how people whose sections may be worth less than half that amount will have any prospect of seeing their equity preserved, as repeatedly assured by the Government.
ENDS
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