WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1 2012
MAINLAND PRESS
FREE1
EDITION
PROUDLY LOCALLY OWNED Athletics has new home P15
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1 2012
Scared Scriptless back at Court Theatre P14
Big protest today P3
‘We’re ahead, not behind’ Chris Tobin
having secured funds, largely due to the high amount of insurance funding available, for reconstruction.” Professor Ahlers said the recovery was doing well relative to the pace of other disaster recoveries of similar size and complexity. (See page 6 for Professor Ahlers’ comments). Christchurch’s positive points were: • A planning process with consultation and final central city plan has been completed. (After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, it took 10 months for rebuild concept plans to be released for the public. After the 1989 Loma Prietta earthquake in northern California which killed 63 people, it took two years before a comprehensive recovery plan was released. After Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, recovery planning took nearly two years to complete.) • Where buildings were unsafe, debris removal and clearance has occurred. (In New York it took two years removing debris at the World Trade Center site. After Hurricane Katrina most debris removal occurred sporadically without a government-led effort.) • Government purchases of properties in three suburbs have started with settlements being made within seven months of February 22. (In New Orleans it took two years for settlement of property.) • Most critical infrastructure has been repaired or a plan is in place to repair. (After September 11 in New York, it took approximately a year for the federal government to announce funding for work, which included stabilisation of the World Trade Center site and reconstruction of subways there).
WE’RE doing OK. That’s the verdict on the earthquake recovery of Christchurch according to experts of other natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and New York City following the World Trade Center terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. City businessman Tim Howe has sought information from experts in the United States, which shows the Christchurch recovery is progressing favourably. “We’ve done a huge amount. The public want to stop whinging and moaning that things are taking too long; we’re actually doing very well,” he said. “As long as you perpetuate negativity, people will leave town. “There’s plenty of capital waiting to come in now.” Two of the disaster recovery experts Mr Howe consulted were Laurie Johnson, of San Francisco, and Professor Doug Ahlers, of Harvard University. Both visited Christchurch for disaster recovery conferences last year. Ms Johnson said she was concerned about making broad comparisons between communities in recovery because the scale of the disaster, resources available for recovery, and the physical, social, and political contexts could be different. “However, for some key tasks, Christchurch is moving relatively quickly compared to some other communities,” she said. “Areas where Christchurch is making positive progress, comparatively speaking, are in the completion of the recovery planning process for the downtown, debris removal and clearance in the downtown area, and
Packing down for Christchurch Awesome threesome: CTV and Mainland Press receptionist Mary Anne Jackson found herself perched between a couple of knights, Sir Peter Leitch and Sir Graham Henry, on Monday as they formed an impromptu front row. Story page 2. Photo: Tom Doudney
Festival of Flowers liftout inside see centre pages
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