There is no hiding from the wintry weather anymore – it seems our long hot summer is well and truly behind us. And with winter comes the temptation to hunker down and hibernate, which in any other city would be fine. But as we head into our third winter since the earthquakes it may be a good idea for Cantabrians to think more about ensuring our social and physical activity doesn’t fall by the way side.
While it’s clear that for many people the EQC and insurer repair programmes are well underway, or completed, there are others who are not yet at the top of the queue. And for these people, winter will not be an appealing prospect.
It was great to see so many of those people turn out to the Rebuild and Recovery Expo on 27 and 28 April. Big thanks to ECan for putting on the free bus that many people used to get to the venue.
The Expo was a good opportunity for people in our community who still need help to come along and have so many organisations and agencies under one roof. Feedback we’ve had so far was that it was really useful and people left with a sense of feeling like they’d been able to have their questions answered.
As difficult as things may still be for some people, we should not overlook the hugely positive aspects of the recovery. The Christchurch City Council is currently receiving record numbers of consent applications for new homes. This means the insurance process is working and hundreds of families are moving on to newer pastures.
We can also measure progress directly from insurers. For example, Southern Response has already settled a third of its over-cap claims and has a rebuild/repair programme well underway.
Many of you will be aware of the significant changes to the CBD through further cordon reductions. It’s a great stroll along the city-side of the river from Re:START Mall to the Pallet Pavilion yet and the newly opened shops in New Regent Street are definitely worth a visit. Gloucester Street has had a bit of a make-over by council and is well worth a look. Why not make a day of it one weekend and take the family for a walk along these parts of the city that have been behind the cordon for so long?
Roger Sutton
Chief Executive
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
