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A workman's car inside the cordoned off red zone in Christchurch CBD. - Source: Getty
Roger Sutton, head of the body set up to rebuild Christchurch, says the one-year anniversary is "a time to remember those who lost their lives and those who are still healing", while Wendy Davie at the Red Cross says many residents feel like they are still at "square one" in the recovery process.
So just where is the city up to 12 months after the devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake?
Numbers
6.3 magnitude quake, 22.2.11
185 died
10,000 aftershocks Sep 2010-Feb 2012
20,000 road repairs done, 21,000 tonnes of asphalt laid, 200,000
cubic metres of metal laid, 535,000 tonnes of silt removed
12km of sewer mains and 4km of sewer pipes replaced, 27km of water
main replacements completed
The rebuild
A total of 6805 properties have been red zoned for demolition, encompassing the most severely damaged buildings.
At one stage, there were about 10,000 properties in the residential orange zone but this has now dropped to 653. Of these, 401 are in Southshore, 79 in Avon Loop and 144 in Richmond South. These are properties on which engineers need to undertake further investigation.
The vast majority of properties are in the green zone - roughly 181,000 - and have been given the go ahead for repair and rebuilding.
There are people still waiting for a decision on their land, frustrated because until zoning and assessment is carried out, payment of insurance and Earthquake Commission claims is not possible.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton said his message to them is that "these last decisions are the hardest and the most complex".
"We're working as fast as we can to make the right decisions that will deliver the very best outcomes we can for them."
The cost of rebuilding infrastructure is estimated to cost $2.5 billion and take about five years.
The Earthquake Commission has paid out $2.834 billion so far.
Demolition
Two weeks ago media were allowed into the city centre red zone for the first time in six months.
A bare landscape was revealed, with more than 600 buildings having been torn down, including the devastated Pyne Gould and CTV buildings.
Other tragedies for Christchurch include the Cathedral losing its spire, the Carlton Hotel being demolished in April 2011 and the Hotel Grand Chancellor set to be demolished by April this year.
Pre-Christmas aftershocks added a further six buildings to the demolition list and further building inspections pushed the lifting of the city cordon from Easter to late June.
There are still about 600 buildings to be demolished.
Warwick Isaacs from CERA compared the current scene to the changing of seasons, with new buildings appearing among the old destroyed ones.
"To me it's almost like spring in the CBD. You've got almost the winter of demolition on the smaller buildings largely over but there are some newer buildings starting to occur and that's really positive."
Migration
Many people have chosen to remain in Canterbury, bearing with myriad challenges to everyday life.
But a significant number have made the decision to relocate to other parts of New Zealand and overseas.
Statistics NZ said the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 "had a major impact on local population change in the June 2011 year".
While Christchurch's population increased by 4100 to 376,700 in the year ending June 2010, a stark reversal occurred the following year, according to figures released by Statistics New Zealand.
For the June 2011 year, during which the major February 22 quake hit, the city's population decreased by 2.4%.
A net total of 8900 people left the city, leaving the population at 367,700.
Aid
A day after the quake hit, the New Zealand Red Cross launched its 2011 Earthquake Appeal, which has so far raised $67 million.
An independent commission was set up to oversee spending of the money and more than $48 million has already been handed out.
Recently, grants have been made available to help the elderly and those with young children to cover winter heating costs, another to help people pay for storage, and another to assist children attending their existing school but having to commute a long way.
In the immediate aftermath, the response included distributing 1200 blankets, 400 tarpaulins, 150 stretchers and 15 mattresses to evacuees and welfare centres. Six tents were provided to a local Marae for temporary shelter, emergency water stations delivered over 275,000 litres of water and about 2000 hygiene message pamphlets in three Pacific Island languages were distributed.
The Red Cross has a team of volunteers who visit people struggling in the community, helping them in a variety of ways, such as getting them linked into community groups to reduce isolation.
Housing
A Temporary Accommodation Service has been established to help householders - both homeowners and people in rented accommodation - find suitable rental accommodation while their houses are repaired.
A temporary accommodation village called Linwood Park has also been set up. It has 41 homes which are fully serviced like any other normal residential neighbourhood.
Power cuts
Canterbury's power system has been fragile and outages common in the past year.
Power supply was cut to around 26,000 homes and businesses in the Christchurch region following large aftershocks on December 23, with most power restored by 10pm that night.
Just one day into 2012 a series of severe aftershocks left thousands of homes without power.
Temporary lines were built as an emergency measure after the February earthquake, when all 66,000 volt underground cables supplying power from the national grid to Dallington were damaged beyond repair.
Water
Christchurch's water supply systems have been badly damaged meaning water restrictions have been imposed on the city for the first time since the drought of 1998.
Christchurch City Council (CCC) says all Christchurch people should now have water back on.
There were major wastewater problems to the region following February 22 and many people had to use chemical and portable toilets
A CCC update in August said sewer services had been restored to all Christchurch streets, but there were still about 800 houses with damage to their private sewer pipes which needed to be addressed before full service was returned.
Sports stadium
A major blow for Christchurch was damage caused to AMI Stadium, home of the Crusaders rugby team.
Council engineers are recommending the Hadlee Stand be demolished, and the Paul Kelly Stand and Deans Stands have both dropped around 300-400mm. Engineers are still working to establish how to repair the stands. One method of repair could see piles driven 25 metres down to reach solid ground.
Seven 2011 Rugby World Cup matches scheduled to be played at the stadium were moved to other venues and the stadium will not be available at all during 2012.
The Crusaders' temporary home ground is Super Rugby Stadium at Rugby League Park.
Royal Commission
A Royal Commission was set up to inquire into the causes of building failure in Canterbury following not just the February 22 quake but those shakes before and since.
The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of Inquiry began in May 2011. Part one of the final report, containing recommendations to inform early decision-making about the central city's recovery, will be delivered by 29 June 2012.
A final report will be delivered to the Governor-General by November 12 this year.
It is examining issues around the building environment in the Christchurch CBD, including the CTV, Pyne Gould Corporation, Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings.
A report published by the Department on the CTV building blames weak and brittle columns for the building pancaking in the earthquake and found it failed to meet 1986 building standards.
The Christchurch Memorial Service will be live on TV ONE and tvnz.co.nz from noon on Wednesday, February 22.
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