"I have a feeling that Cera has a strategy to leave the Eastern suburbs in limbo while they repair the other suburbs to the north and south west.
It seems that the eastern suburbs have no real value to Cera in the long term. Perhaps they hope the dwellers will just go away. "


You could be right there Joybel,there seems to be nothing much being done there.

Starting up an open-air bar in an earthquake hit city one on the brink of winter may not seem like the brightest idea But this is Christchurch and nothing surprises me anymore.SMASH PALACE @corner of Bealey Ave and Victoria Street joins the ever increasing list of new Canterbury boozers that can be described as innovative.Owned by Johny Moore the chap behind another legendary bar "GOODBYE BLUE MONDAY " Which was lost in the quakes in Poplar Lanes development SMASH PALACE is best described as an old bus(housing the bar) surrounded by scaffolding heaters,hipsters, chilly air,bright lights and a gigantic tarpaulin. The bus opens @4pm daily.Closes @11pm Sunday to Wednesday.and 1am Thursday and Saturday.

CZAR.............

JESUS..IS NO DEITY, IF YOU HAD TIME TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF YOU WOULD FIND THAT OUT FOR YOURSELF..TWO MANY PPL ARE WILLING TO CRITICIZE WHEN THEY HAVE NEVER TRIED IT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL ON HIS NAME AND HE WILL ANSWER YOU...

HE WAS THERE WHEN EVERY QUAKE HAS BEEN HERE, HE HAS ANSWERED TO THOSE WHO HAVE CALLED OUT TO HIM....
SOMETIMES IT IS NOT THE ANSWER WE WISH FOR, BUT WE GET AN ANSWER ALL THE SAME.......

TELL ME WHY SHOULD HE ANSWER PPL WHO IGNORE HIM UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY REMEMBER HIM AND CALL OUT JUST FOR THAT MINUTE TO IGNORE HIM AGAIN ONCE THEY ARE OUT OF THERE SITUATION....THE REST OF THE TIME THEY USE HIS NAME ALRIGHT, BUT AS A CURSE..IS THAT RIGHT DO YOU THINK, IS THAT THE WAY YOU WOULD HAVE IT.....IF IT WAS YOU AND YOUR NAME, THINK ABOUT THAT FOR AWHILE......

reine...............could you please stop using all capitals, it's like shouting at us.
Cheers

A member at morning tea tells us that her home is to be stripped down, the frame lifted and a new foundation laid then the house re finished. The insurance State won't agre. It is too dear. This is possible why a whole new home could be cheaper.

It was a year ago today that Canterbury Grownups group who had been @ McDonalds Cafe in Merivale were encouraged by myself to do a trip to Lyttelton to survey the damage and have lunch. About 10 of us arrived there and walked a block lamenting loss of Lyttelton Coffee Company, Harbourlight Theatre, Volcano Cafe & Lava Bar. etc. We had lunch in THE LOONS CLUB where comedy shows with Joe Bennett were had.The Loons Club was an old hall. The interior was dark with little light bulbs everywhere but no windows when just as we got our lunches the 5.13 earthquake struck. It was scary. We tumbled outside into alley , finished our lunch and headed for CHRISTCHURCH only to arrive home just in time for the 6 pointer which struck when we were with a group of residents in our courtyard. Desi fell over her mother fell on here and trees violently shook and ground moved oddly. I fell in rose garden.As a result of the 6 earthquake The Loons Club had to be demolished. We have not been back to LYTTELTON.

Nepotism , greed etc. in the rebuild.???
AV #20 12:58 pm Jun 13 2012


Does it enable the repairs to proceed a little faster? Since the sheer number of the claims are quite substantial, good on them and keep trying. It business.

It certainly does create a conflict of interest, but having it identified and monitored to enable the procedures to follow the correct necessary steps by the correct people, is just a AID. This negativity is not really needed and conspiracist theory remarks will always be in the air. its good to make things crystal clear.

ringo #19 12:35 pm Jun 13 2012

the biggest conflict of interest would have to be the fact that the reserve bank of nz is the major shareholder of fletcher building.so they pay out thru eqc and gouge all and sundry by paying themselves for the repairs.good trick eh????

te #18 12:16 pm Jun 13 2012

Sack the lot ! EQC will eventually be reviewed externally and when the light is switched on, the cockroaches will be scurrying for cover. I have opted out of EQC as their processes makes absolutely no sense at all. Now I feel relaxed and content rather than frustrated, baffled and angry

Builder's Wife... #17 11:06 am Jun 13 2012

Yeah, send them an email, that'll sort it out...NOT. I know firsthand of the implicit agendas that are rife at EQC, nepotism, greed and a culture of entitlement seem to be the primary drivers. It is farcical that these people are allowed to continue in their positions, but what do you expect when it is obvious that these same agendas are systemically embedded throughout all levels of power/government in NZ...? Think ACC, Immigration, etc, not to mention our own Dear Leader - We can all see what's happening, but how do we change it? Very disheartening when so many good people are struggling just to make ends meet...

Tarquin #16 11:04 am Jun 13 2012

Is this the 'tip of the iceberg'? What other conflicts of interest exist in EQC? This starts to explain some of the rather strange actions of EQC staff. If the Honourable Minister does not intervene he will have to apologise to the CCC

BR #15 10:38 am Jun 13 2012

There has been conflict of interests from the start with EQC and Fletchers. Its been not what you know but who you know with these companies and if EQC think this sort of things is going to help their reputation that ship has long since sailed and by just having one of them leave goes to show they still have not got a clue.

ARF #14 10:35 am Jun 13 2012

Way to late to try and protect there reputation unless they want to join the Muppets show

Bruce R #13 10:33 am Jun 13 2012

What reputation? I suggest they try and build a good one first.

Hugo #12 10:31 am Jun 13 2012

What with EQC, and misuse of ratepayers money by council, how can Transparency International credit NZ with being one of the least corrupt places in the world ? Maybe they have never looked under the rocks for the scorpions, eh ?

Jen #11 10:02 am Jun 13 2012

Conflict of interest - don't threaten to sack them, just do it

Fancy the REG STILWELL Council owned flats in New Brighton now only 34% of the New Earthquake code.Seven days to vacate. I hope the Councils Social housing Unit can find them alternatives. Some have lived there awhile.!

I find it hard to imagine people being forced to sleep rough in cars at all and particularly at the moment with the weather conditions we have.An article about HAGLEY-FERRYMEAD Community Board member Brenda Lowe-Johnson sleeping in her car to highlight awareness of Christchurchs housing crisis said there were 14 other people sleeping in their cars in the East that night and some cars had more than one person in them.

"I find it hard to imagine people being forced to sleep rough in cars at all and particularly at the moment with the weather conditions we have."


I think I may have a solution.

If I understand it correctly,Jerry Brownlee has a house here in CHCH,yet due to work,spends a lot of time in Welly.
Given that he's said on several occasions that he wants to help people here,I'm sure he'd have no objection to putting up those people in his house while he's away.....

And Gerry Brownlee won,t concede there is a housing crisis?Its just housing difficulties you know.?This is all part of this Governments Spin language. It was the same with Hekia Paratas education U Turn.
They are now going to do some research into overcrowding, homelessness and unsuitable living conditions in Christchurch. And for more than a year Lianne Dalziel has been submitting memorandums to CERA highlighting the immediate needs of residents in the EAST.All the social agencies Salvation Army, Methodist Mission, City Missioner have been appealing to Gerry to listen. With people sleeping in cars,and sleeping between sand dunes its been I,m Alright Jack from Gerry.The PM is in denial about the issue and continues to be so.!

This is the bit that I don't understand.

Winter was always coming. It came last year too. And the year before. It'll probably come again next year.

People were living in broken houses, caravans, tents, cars last year.

So how come housing was not at the very top of the government's To Do List?

Two possible answers spring to mind:-
1. The government thought far more people would leave Christchurch or want them to, or
2. The government don't think people matter.