Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 81

new-zealand-labour-party

Mon Jul 25 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Christchurch Earthquake bulletin edition 81

Monday, 25 July 2011, 11:22 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: It is freezing cold in Christchurch today, with snow falling heavily, yet we have been advised that the Government has put Phase 2 of Christchurch's winter heating programme on hold for two months! The decision is bizarre. I spoke to a large heat pump installer on Friday, who showed me a letter he had written to Gerry Brownlee toward the end of June. His letter was in response to an official communication thanking him (and other installers) for the great work they had done meeting emergency targets to the end of June, but informing them that Phase 2 was being delayed for two months --- basically until the end of August. We are having a cold winter, and it's going to get colder, but it seems that during the worst months of winter the heating programme has come to a halt with no reason given. The installer has received no reply from Gerry Brownlee to the letter he sent in June, and has since sent him another copy of his original letter. He's had no reply to that either. I sent Mr Brownlee an email on Friday. I haven't heard back from him either. The installer pointed out a number of issues to Mr Brownlee --- firstly, that the delay has come as a big surprise; secondly, that some companies will struggle to survive and to pay staff over the two months; thirdly, that many people who used to have 20kw log-burners or fireplaces have had 5 to 9kw heat pumps installed which can't provide the same amount of heating; and, most importantly, "there are many older people and families still living in near third world conditions with only one heat pump in a freezing climate". I am completely baffled by the Government's decision. We have been warning the Government for months that people are still vulnerable. Why isn't the Government listening?

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RUTH DYSON: Canterbury is today blanketed in snow, and while this will provide great school holiday fun, my thoughts are with those who are living in badly damaged homes and are still without heating. I spoke to a man last week who has only one solid wall in his home, with the rest just clad in plywood. His heating is due to be installed this week. Parts of the city lost power overnight, and workers from Orion worked through the night to get it restored. Great communication yet again from Orion, keeping us all informed about progress. The community garden in Redcliffs got some more attention over the weekend, with locals planting garlic - well done to the team there! I also heard that a site may have been found for the new Sumner community garden which is fantastic. I met with some parents of Mt Pleasant kindergarten children over the weekend, and although they have been offered places in neighbouring suburbs for their displaced children, they are very keen to have their local kindy back. The kindy had to shift from their home base, and were offered space at the Anglican Church hall in Mt Pleasant. Sadly, this venue has been damaged in the June quake and can't be used in the coming term. So, I am on the lookout for a new spot for the kindy.

LIANNE DALZIEL: The letter from CERA, which allows CERA to obtain information about our properties from EQC and our insurers so they can formulate the formal offer, finally arrived on Saturday. I have filled in the consent form and sent it back already. They want them returned by the 31st July - unfortunately they didn't put that information on the form - it is included in the covering letter. You need to fill out a separate consent form for each property in the red zone. There was a lot of speculation about what this letter was going to contain - people had been expecting bank account details to be required as well as other information. However the consent form just requires the red zone address, legal owners, contact person, unit title/cross-lease details, EQC Claim Numbers & Insurance Policy details. The inclusion of the reference to unit titles and cross leases suggests that the government has realised there are issues with the land offer (although addressing these will not address the fundamental flaw in using the land component of the rating valuation, which is what remains after the improvements are deducted from the capital value). The letter says CERA is still expecting to get the offer out by mid-August. Ironically, CERA will probably get the EQC & insurer assessments of our house before we do! Last week I discovered that the government had withdrawn the temporary accommodation assistance for those in the red zone - no announcement; just removing the application form from the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service (CETAS) website. Apparently the policy is going back to Cabinet - no notice to the Cross Party Forum; no notice to the Community Forum. People applying for it are being told it is not available right now. This shows how inadequate the recovery model processes are. It would be much better to get feedback from the bodies that have been set up for precisely this form of engagement - but the Minister apparently knows best - which doesn't really explain why they got it wrong in the first place.

BRENDON BURNS: The Government has again botched things for red-zoned home owners, with a review of temporary accommodation assistance providing further uncertainty. Emails sent to a constituent of mine now renting in Timaru reveal that red-zoned home owners are not considered eligible for the Government's Temporary Accommodation Assistance package, announced prior to February's quake. The assistance provides $180 to $330 a week in rent support until 2013, to assist people with damaged or destroyed homes. This constituent was forced from her Richmond home with her daughter after September's quake. In three weeks her insurance runs out and she was expecting the Government's accommodation support to kick in. But this is not the case. The emails and my own inquiries suggest red-zoned home owners are not deemed eligible for the assistance as announced because it was intended for people who would return to live in their houses. This creates more worry for many of the current 5,100 homes in the red zone with more to come once orange zones are confirmed red or green. The Government must urgently clarify the situation. Last Friday, I visited Ashburton and Timaru to talk to constituents who have moved from Christchurch Central since the quakes started. A highlight was visiting Ballantynes Timaru store where the previous staff of 23 has been swelled by around a floating population of 100 Christchurch staff, most doing part time work on short stay visits. The store is hosting busloads of visitors ever week from Christchurch. My mother-in-law went last week and had a ball. Well done Ballantynes on all fronts, especially Timaru manager Hayley Larsen and her very accommodating colleagues. Several other Christchurch Central businesses have relocated more fully to Timaru. I visited an antique dealer whose Colombo St store was destroyed now on Stafford St and doing well. We had dinner at Little India, which used to trade on the New Regent St corner. This is all contributing to something of a boom in Timaru. Great for Timaru, but bringing some challenges. Getting children into Timaru schools isn't as easy as it used to be. One Christchurch couple I saw say they are paying almost as much for a Timaru flat as the one they left behind in Hornby but they get a much lower Accommodation Supplement. That aside, some constituents want to stay permanently, others miss Christchurch and hope to return. No one going anywhere today though!

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