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Source: ONE News -
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The state of emergency has been lifted after the magnitude 7.1 jolt that rocked Christchurch and the surrounding districts 13 days ago.
The state of emergency in Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri was lifted at midday today and the newly-created Earthquake Recovery Commission will now take over from Civil Defence as the lead agency in the rebuilding effort.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says although the state of emergency has been lifted, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Parker said while the move is a sign things are returning to normal the community will need to continue to be patient as the road to recovery is long.
He said authorities are still working incredibly hard on the
recovery effort.
Building Minister Phil Heatley is in Christchurch today inspecting
damaged homes and announced a package to help people forced from
their homes to rent properties in the short term.
The Housing Emergency Lease Programme (HELP), will see Housing New Zealand Corporation managing the rental of private homes to people whose own home has been deemed uninhabitable.
Heatley said the aim is to source houses that would not usually be offered for lease, including farm cottages, holiday homes and homes that may have otherwise been intended for sale.
"Many people have no experience with, have never considered or don't want the hassle of renting out their property but we need them to consider it now," he said.
Tenants will not have to pay a bond and rental payments can be deferred for the first month.
Meanwhile, authorities say that although the water supply is safe to drink, there are still concerns that sewage has contaminated waterways and their advice to Christchurch residents is to stay away from the water.
Another concern is the continuing aftershocks with several
wake-up calls overnight. The strongest jolt at 3.15am measured 4.5,
but its shallow depth and the loud boom preceding it made it all
the more frightening. The aftershock was centred 20 kilometres
south-west of Christchurch at a depth of six kilometres.
There were three jolts before this ranging in magnitude from 3.5 to
4.4 and another two after it at 4.3 and 3.4.
The latest aftershock hit at 10.47am with a magnitude of 3.3. It was centred within 5km of Darfield at a depth of 9km.
Residents unhappy
Authorities in Canterbury are coming under pressure from unhappy residents as they look to rebuild after the big quake.
More than 1,000 residents gathered at a meeting in Kaiapoi to ask authorities about the rebuilding process.
Chris Ryan of the Insurance Council told the meeting the
insurers have no interest in turning down claims that are
legitimate because if insurers do not meet claims they do not have
a business.
But some residents are questioning why the local council has now
given their houses the all clear, even though it initially deemed
them unsafe.
Kaiapoi resident Margaret Bartholomeusz has received a notice that says her property has been re-evaluated and has no restriction on occupancy.
"They say re-evaluated but in what regard have they re-evaluated it? They haven't re-evaluated it," she said.
Other residents are also concerned that safety inspectors may be too busy to do thorough checks.
Recovery assistance centre
As the Waimakariri District lifts its state of emergency, a recovery assistance centre will open next week in earthquake-ravaged Kaiapoi to support residents.
The earthquake on September 4 left more than 100 homes in Kaiapoi inhabitable and at least 300 others badly damaged.
The new assistance centre will open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm in the Kaiapoi Community Centre, starting September 20, and will provide support to residents as they try to get back on their feet.
"Not only is there months of work ahead of us to reinstate crumbled infrastructure, but as a community we also need to be conscious of the tough times ahead for the dozens of residents who still have to deal with the loss of their homes. We will all need to do what we can to support them through it," Waimakariri Mayor Ron Keating said.
For the first week, the recovery assistance centre will also operate as a one-stop shop where residents can access support from organisations, including Work and Income, Housing New Zealand, Department of Labour and Inland Revenue.
The welfare centre at the Kaiapoi Rugby Football Clubrooms will continue to operate this weekend, and the Kaiapoi Community Support will continue to assist with food and have people available to provide support.
The council is also establishing a temporary service centre offering limited services at the community centre.
Keating said "even though the 'emergency' itself is over there is still a lot to be done, and we would ask the community to be patient with us as we get on with the business of rebuilding. The journey to recovery has only just begun, and it will be a long one."
The council said it could take months, in some cases years to return services in Kaiapoi, The Pines and Kairaki Beach to the state before the quake.
Keating acknowledged Waimakariri will continue to need outside assistance and thanked the government, other councils and aid organisations for their help and commitment.
But he said "much of the responsibility for getting our own lives back on track now lies with us".
Residents in Kaiapoi, Pines Beach and Kairaki are reminded to continue to boil their water for three minutes before drinking, as E. Coil has been found in the water for a second time.
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