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Work continues on clearing debris in Christchurch. - Source: NZ Defence Force -
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Official missing people hotline: 0800 RED CROSS, 0800 733 276. Overseas: +64 7 850 2199
8.55pm The ANZ New Zealand 2011 Canterbury
Earthquake Appeal now totals more than $2.1 million. This includes
donations from members of the public to the ANZ and National Bank
accounts, and also staff donations.
8.42pm
The SPCA is reminding residents who have lost pets
or anyone who has found an animal to call 0800 lostpet (567873).
This is a 24 hour contact and message service. The phones are
manned between 8.00am and 6.00pm
For inquiries about animals inside the cordon area phone: 03 941
8999
8.31pm More than 300 Christchurch people have arrived in Southland during the past couple of days and have registered with the various welfare centres set up to help.
8.18pm The Ministry of Health has created a series of fact sheets with advice and coping strategies for people experiencing stress or anxiety in the wake of this week's tragedy. These are available at www.moh.govt.nz.
8.00pm The Fire Service says there are still areas in collapsed buildings that have been impossible to access.
7.53pm Nine hundred and sixty portable toilets are on their way from the United States. Thirty thousand chemical toilets have been ordered - with 5000 arriving next week.
7.41pm There will be food parcels available at
3.00pm each day at the following locations:
- Corner of Wordsworth Street and Durham Street South
- Corner of Bordersley Street and Ferry Road, Phillipston
- Corner of Torlesse Street and Kerrs Road, Avonside
Light meals for night shelter clients and others will be available
at the same locations at 6.00pm.
Donations of non-perishable food items are being accepted at St
Matthews Catholic Church on Jeffreys Road in Bryndwr.
7.32pm Building assessors have now red-stickered 1300 buildings throughout Christchurch. 13,543 buildings have green stickers and yellow stickers have been placed on 2963 buildings.
7.13pm Telecom has 500 telephones for residents who have no power and need a home phone. The phones can be collected from the Telecom store at 70 Moorehouse Avenue.
7.02pm The Federated Farmers led 'Farmy Army' has today removed in excess of 1,100 tonnes of liquefaction from homes in the New Brighton area.
6.48pm John Key says his wife Bronagh, who was born and raised in Christchurch, will join him in the devastated city tomorrow to observe two minutes silence.
6.22pm Free GP care has been extended until Sunday 6 March. Prescription surcharges have also been waived until next Sunday.
6.02pm Fire Service Special Operations Manager Jim Stuart-Black says it is now "highly unlikely" that any person will be found alive inside any structure. But he added that it was "not beyond the stage of a miracle but realistically it would be a miracle if we encountered somebody at this stage on any of the sites we are currently working".
5.55pm 80% of buildings within the four central city avenues have now been searched. The operation at the CTV building will be scaled back to daylight hours from tomorrow.
5.48pm Cliff said police met the families of those who remain missing today. USAR staff showed a brief video outlining the search and rescue/recovery process.
5.45pm Supt Dave Cliff says the death toll remains unchanged at 148 but re-iterated police expect that number to rise.
5.42pm Council rates were due today, Parker has said there will be no penalty for anybody who failed to make a payment.
5.39pm Mayor Bob Parker has told a media
conference about his experiences in the suburbs today. He has
described the people in the city as "extraordinary".
"You take my breath away, I think you're incredible," he
said.
5.20pm
The Christchurch High court building will remain
closed for the foreseeable future. There is not as yet an
alternative venue for hearing fixtures in Christchurch but planning
is under way to hear fixtures elsewhere where convenient to counsel
and the parties.
5.07pm Key says WINZ, who will oversee the distribution of funds, will "err on the side of generosity" when it come to assessing eligibility. 42,000 people are expected to access assistance packages.
5.00pm The total cost of the earthquake is expected to be $10 - $15 billion. It is forecast the cost of the February 22 and September 4 quakes will be $20 billion, according to John Key.
4.51pm Key
told a media briefing it is
likely the EQC levy will double or triple to replenish the funds
that will be used to assist Christchurch. But it appears unlikely
any seperate levy will be imposed. Key says he is "reluctant to put
another levy on unless I have to because it will slow the economy
down."
4.40pm Prime Minister John Key has announced a
package to assist earthquake victims over the
next six weeks. It includes an earthquake support subsidy, with
wide criteria, to help employers continue to pay employees.
Earthquake Job Loss Cover will also be available to support
employees whose employer believes their business is no longer
viable. The package is estimated to cost between $100 - $120
million.
4.32pm A total fire ban for urban areas of
Christchurch city has been put in place, effective immediately. The
ban will continue until further notice.
There continues to be a restricted fire season in place for rural
areas in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. A restricted fire season
requires people seeking to light a fire gain a permit from their
local council.
4.28pm
HRV is making a donation of $50,000 to the
Christchurch Earthquake Appeal fund launched by
Prime Minister John Key yesterday. The Property Group and its staff
have raised $16,500 for the Red Cross appeal.
4.09pm A community meeting will be held at
5.00pm this afternoon at the old Sumner School in Wiggins
Street. Approximately 200 households have been evacuated in
the Redcliffs/Clifton area near Sumner.
3.58pm
Christchurch Catholic priest, Fr John O'Connor,
says grief is going to be a big part of life for Christchurch
people in the coming weeks and everyone needs to respect the
different ways people will be grieving.
3.39pm Foodstuffs South Island has advised
that, due to the severity of damage, New World stores at Redcliffs
and St Martins will not be re-opening.
3.24pm Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples is
visiting the Maori earthquake response command centre at Wigram
this afternoon.
3.15pm An Auckland based trauma team, which
specialises in working with survivors of war or torture, has been
called to Canterbury to help earthquake victims.
The team is from Refugees as Survivors New Zealand, an agency that
provides mental health treatment and rehabilitation for people from
war torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq or Burma.
3.05pm The Rangiora Earthquake Express road trains
continue to deliver food and essential supplies to the worst hit
areas of south-east Christchurch.
Donations received or promised during the past 24 hours include: A
container load of water bottles from Spring Fresh, an unlimited
supply of muesli bars from Griffins, an unlimited supply of burger
buns, 10,000kgs of bacon, 15,000 chicken nuggets from McDonald's,
6,000 chocolate bars from Cadbury, a pallet load of torches and
batteries from T K Global plus the use of a refrigerated
container, a sizeable donation from Canterbury earthquake Trust and
sanitizer and emergency supplies from Canterbury 4WD club. The
organisation still urgently needs donations of non-perishable food
items like baked beans, spaghetti, corn, peas, tuna, corned beef,
long life milk, sugar, and pet food. As well as empty and full
water bottles, nappies, food, formula, toilet paper, nappies,
feminine hygiene items, batteries, candles, lighters, matches and
boxes.
2.52pm The Fire Service is urging residents to
refrain from lighting rubbish fires in order to ensure that the
limited water supply is available for other fire emergencies. Any
residents that are concerned about the emission of toxic substances
are urged to call 111.
2.31pm:
Quake Escape has over 17,000 beds available for
displaced Cantabrians.
1.50pm:
Engineers are still assessing damage to
schools. 18 state schools and 11 integrated schools suffered
severe damage and work is underway to get temporary buildings
in place as well as looking at moving students to less damaged
schools.
1.45pm: Telecom has established Telecom Connect Hubs at welfare centres for people requiring assistance with communications. The hubs offer free calling, free internet access, mobile charging facilities and distribution of analogue phones for people without power at home.
1.40pm: A total fire ban is in place across the city, including Banks Peninsula. People should only use gas or electric barbeques because of the fire danger, and the lack of water and resources to fight fires.
1.35pm: Lyttelton Port has served state-owned coal miner Solid Energy with a force majeure notice following the quake.
1.23pm: MetService has issued severe wind and rain warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday which will impact on the Christchurch area.
1.20pm: Chief Coroner Neil MacLean has reassured the families of those lost in the quake that their loved ones are being treated with the respect they deserve and efforts will continue to release them as soon as possible.
1.11pm: A scheduled power price hike has been put on the back-burner. Mercury Energy says it will absorb Orion's increased line charges.
1.05pm: ANZ New Zealand is not soliciting donations from the public over the telephone. Fraudsters are pretending to collect donations for ANZ and emailing for security information asking for banking details.
12.55pm: Mercury Energy is reassuring customers in Christchurch it will support them during the recovery from this terrible tragedy. An initial customer welfare fund of $1million has been set aside to assist paying the energy bills of business and residential customers who are now facing hardship due to the earthquake.
12.48pm: Work and Income has seven mobile vans going directly to people in the hardest hit suburbs of Christchurch, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.
12.45pm: Countdown's supply chain is beginning to return to normal operations but some supermarkets suffered severe damage and are still closed. Ten of Countdown's 15 stores in Christchurch are open while eight out of 10 SuperValue & Fresh Choice stores are open.
To recap: 12.30pm
- strong winds are expected to bring warm blustery
conditions, making the clean up more difficult
- a series of aftershocks have rattled the city
- more helicopters have taken to the skies to assess building
damage
- work continues on identifying victims
- the student army and Federated Farmers are calling for
volunteers
- Civil Defence says the operational response has transitioned
seamlessly into the new working week
- 55,000 properties remain without water
- fuel supplies are returning to normal
12.28pm: The SPCA is calling for public help dealing with animals after the Christchurch quake. The SPCA had a huge number of dogs last week, and over the weekend there's been a cat influx, with evacuees needing to place their pets. There are no significant animal injuries so far, however the team are still waiting for go ahead to get into the worst hit areas.
12.25pm: Christchurch City Council rates are due today but all the Service Centres are closed. The council says rates can be paid at a future date to be confirmed, and no penalties will apply.
12.16pm: A Christchurch Earthquake vigil observance will be held on the steps of Parliament at 12.30pm tomorrow. The service will be open to members of the public. At the close of the observance the bells of St Paul will ring a half-muffled peal for 10 minutes.
12.14pm: Ethnic Affairs Minister Hekia Parata says people can call the government's 0800 help line and talk with someone who speaks their language. Parata says the government is liasing with community representatives to ensure their cultural needs are understood.
12.12pm: BP Oil NZ says fuel supplies are returning to normal.
12.09pm: More helicopters will take to the skies above Christchurch today to assess building damage. They are taking a closer look at buildings with collapsed stairwells and potential problems with internal access. Air Force Iroquois are now helping distribute food. The helicopters are picking up food from the Rangiora Raceway and flying it to the worst affected suburbs. Rangiora Earthquake Express organiser Jayne Rattray says they had been using two Robinson helicopters, but Civil Defence has now stepped in to help.
12.05pm: St John mechanics and a fleet manager are heading to Christchurch today to help keep the ambulance fleet on the road - dust and the dire conditions of the roads are affecting air filters and suspension.
Updates and information from Monday morning.
