Quake: Christchurch cordon lifted

STUFF AND THE PRESS

The cordon around quake-damaged central Christchurch has been removed.

The area bounded by Worcester, St Asaph, Madras and Colombo streets had been closed since last weekend to ensure public safety after last Saturday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

Civil Defence Controller Peter Mitchell said members of the public should continue to exercise caution when entering the city centre.

Worcester, Manchester, Hereford, High, Cashel and Tuam streets remained partially closed.

VOLUNTEERS KEY TO QUAKE RECOVERY

Volunteers are going to play a huge part in the Canterbury recovery, Civil Defence controller Jon Mitchell says.

"While local authorities, central Government and its agencies, and emergency services will continue to put in a huge co-ordinated effort, we will also need members of the community to continue to pitch in and help each other when required.

"It is important that we, as a regional community, continue to support each other through the long-term process of recovering from this event."

Thousands of students and others in the community had put in a great effort so far helping out.

Offers of help had been received from all over New Zealand and even from as far away as Britain, Mr Mitchell said.

People had offered food, machinery, labour, accommodation and even emotional support for people at home or in welfare centres.

"While this is fantastic, we'd prefer that people sent financial assistance rather than stuff. Donated goods create more work for local organisations who are already busy meeting local needs. Normal retail services are available in Canterbury and an influx of donated goods can actually undermine the local economy which is trying to get back on its feet."

Waimakariri residents have been thrilled with the response of youth to the clean-up needed there, the district mayor Ron Keating said today.

"Several hundred" students and boy racers had arrived, offering to help the clean up this week.

"They came out in old cars ... they had wheelbarrows and shovels and it has lifted the spirits - not only because they're there, but they've cleaned up the streets ... the place is already looking tidier."

Fire crews from around the country are being deployed in Christchurch this weekend to relieve tired staff and increase resources at the front line, Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy said.

While most schools will reopen on Monday, but the students of some may end up at other schools such is the scope of the damage at some schools.

Gerry Brownlee, the minister responsible for coordinating the Government's recovery response to the Canterbury earthquake, announced the first stage of streamlined measures to deal with the large volume of claims arising from the earthquake, including the payment from early next week of claims for property and contents damage or loss where there has been no structural damage to the building.

The Christchurch City Council pushed through a new policy for earthquake-prone buildings, meaning they will have to reach a much higher standard of structural strength.

MAYOR WANTS QUAKE TOURIST ROADBLOCK

Waimakariri District Mayor Ron Keating says Kaiapoi may close off its roads this weekend, to stop "macabre" tourists descending on the ruined community, as aftershocks continue in the wake of the Canterbury earthquake.

About 400 aftershocks have hit the region since the destructive 7.1 magnitude earthquake at 4.35am last Saturday, causing more damage to already fragile buildings and causing people to fear being in their own homes.

More aftershocks were felt today, including a 4.5 magnitude at 7.10am at a depth of 6km 20km 20km south-east of Darfield and a magnitude 3.3 tremor at 12.59pm, centred within 5km of Christchurch at a depth of 4km.

Nearly 400 Kaiapoi, Pines Beach and Kairaki homes are categorised unsafe. The town is also losing one of its two supermarkets, its iconic department store Blackwells, the museum and its 104-year-old Post Office, as demolition begins today.

People were exhausted and could not cope with tourists driving around taking photos of their condemned homes, Mr Keating said.

"The rubberneckers are just driving everyone crazy. They just drive out of Christchurch. They just came off the motorway and last Sunday they were chocka. It's macabre, and they were bumper to bumper and unfortunately we weren't ready for it," Mr Keating told NZPA.

This weekend, the police and army may have to control all four entries into the town, "just to let people get on with their lives".

"They walk up the drive and take photos of the damage on the houses, just mindless things. No sensitivity to the feelings of the people who can see their house is badly damaged, (and) may have to be demolished.

Everyone was tired and worried and the rubberneckers were making them feel "dispirited", he said.

Civil Defence authorities have asked Christchurch partygoers to take it easy in the central city this weekend.

"I understand some people will want to have a few drinks this weekend after the intense week we've all had, however it needs to be constrained," Civil Defence controller Darryl Griffin said today.

$3.5 MILLION RAISED

More than $3.5 million has been donated for the Red Cross' Canterbury Earthquake Appeal.

And pledges from businesses take the total to over $4 million.

The distribution of the funds will be arranged by a commission headed by a former high court judge from Rangiora.

Chairman Sir John Hansen will lead Waimakariri District councillor Neil Cruickshank, former Selwyn District mayor Michael McEvedy, Christchurch deputy mayor Norm Whithers, and former NZ Red Cross chief executive Jerry Talbot.

The five commissioners will meet for the first time at 3.30pm today in Christchurch.

AFTERSHOCKS FOR WEEKS

Aftershocks rattling Canterbury and unnerving its inhabitants are likely to last for "weeks" rather than days but will get less frequent and probably weaker, says a Wellington seismologist.

"As time goes on, the likelihood of very large ones is reducing. But we really can't be sure about this, and I'm just aware that people in Canterbury are understandably getting very edgy and irritated and anxious and scared...but actually, a week isn't that long," Dr Warwick Smith, of GNS Science, SAID.

He said the number of aftershocks was expected after a magnitude 7.1 quake, and would not be stopping any time soon.

"We're looking at weeks, I'm afraid."

He said there was still a possibility of an aftershock larger than those of up to 5.5 experienced so far "but the chances of this happening are decreasing by the day."

RECONSTRUCTION PACKAGE

Claims to the Earthquake Commission have come in at a rate of 268 every hour since Saturday.

Bill English, the minister in charge of the commission, is visiting Canterbury this morning and the Government is poised to announce a reconstruction package this afternoon.

Latest figures released at 8am this morning show there have been 39,579 claims to the EQC since Saturday morning. Of the total, 32,395 have been in Christchurch, 3,340 in Selwyn, 2,329 in Waimakariri, 255 in Timaru and 436 in Ashburton.

EQC remains in talks with central and local government as well as private insurance companies about a speedy home reconstruction plan that is expected to be announced at 2:30pm this afternoon.

RISK OF FALLING DEBRIS AT CATHEDRAL

Engineers examined Christ Church yesterday and said it was in very good condition.

But aftershocks meant there was still a "risk of falling debris through fretting of stone", which was a hazard to the public.

The Cathedral's Choral Eucharist will proceed at 10am on Sunday, with seating outside in the square.

SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE OPEN

Bronwyn Marriott, who runs the Healthy Kiwi Dinners company in Christchurch, said people were still petrified but some were now so exhausted they were sleeping through that intense fear.

"People are sleeping with one eye open, their nerves are shattered.

"There are lot of very terrified people.

"People are petrified and frightened to be on their own."

She said a company near her Woolston office had a sleepover last night, mainly for people who were on their own and needed company.

"It has been like a frigging big train coming into the building.'

Mrs Marriott said every aftershock put people on edge and made them very nervous.

She said last night was the first reasonable sleep many people had since Saturday.

"Every time, even if the wind blew it was like another one and you had to fly out the door again.

"People have not been able to function."

Mrs Marriott said people were so scared they were "only half functioning" because fear of another big shake was dominating their lives.

She said people were finding it helpful to talk about the trauma.

"It is important to get it out instead of living with this fear thing all the time."

She said many people just wanted to be back in their own homes, especially children.

"Kids are terrified."

SCHOOLS REOPENING

A handful of schools have reopened, but most will remain closed until next week.

Education Minister Anne Tolley, visiting the region this morning, was set to visit Halswell School, which has severe damage.

Four schools yesterday re-opened for the first time after Saturday's quake, with parents allowed to keep their kids at home if they preferred. Some children went home from school at lunchtime "to be close to Mum," Southbridge School principal Peter Verstappen said.

Along with Southbridge, schools in Oxford, Cust and Akaroa re-opened yesterday.

Set to open today were Mairehau School and Belfast School.

A further 96 schools in the region have indicated they will stay shut until Monday.

CORDONS REMAIN

Cordons were meant to be lifted at 5am this morning, however Civil Defence has decided to keep them in place following concerns from the police about the structural stability of some buildings.

"It's our intention to relax the cordon as soon as possible," said Civil Defence controller Michael Mendonca today.

"However we have chosen to take a cautious approach at this stage to ensure public safety."

The situation was being reviewed continually and the cordon remains bounded by Worcester, St Asaph, Madras and Colombo streets.

THOUSANDS OF HOMES UNINHABITABLE

The Earthquake Commission said last night that 2376 Canterbury homes had been reported as uninhabitable.

By 6pm yesterday, the commission said it had received 38,719 damage claims, 31,699 of them from Christchurch. The most complex claims could take up to 12 months to settle.

Early estimates of 100,000 homes being affected by Saturday's quake are also likely to be reduced. A spokesman for Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said the figure was now likely to be about 40,000 homes.

RECOVERY GROUPS FORMED

The Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri districts are all forming recovery groups.

Yesterday officials in Kaiapoi gave a grim account of the tough job faced there.

"While we are doing everything we can to restore services as quickly as possible, the broken pipes we are currently fixing will ultimately need to be replaced," Civil Defence controller Bruce Thompson said.

"More large scale work will be needed to replace the pipes and mains, which mean there will be ongoing disruption for these communities for some months, and in some instances years, before our sewer and water systems are completely renewed."

Nearly 400 Kaiapoi and Pines Beach and Kairaki homes are under restricted access or considered unsafe.

The pain in that north Canterbury town was exacerbated with news that its New World supermarket there would have to close because of damage, leaving 86 people out of work, though Foodstuffs and the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce were working on finding them all jobs.

ALL BLACKS ENLISTED

All Black captain Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn, Kieran Read and Corey Flynn have been enlisted in a campaign that will advertise where people traumatised by the quake can ring to get help.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans hails from Canterbury and spoke about the disaster yesterday.

"The great thing is there's no human cost. Under those circumstances it tends to galvanise people, I'm sure the community will respond strongly," he said.

"My son is still in Christchurch. He's good, he was pretty relaxed in the first instance, I think he realises the gravity of it now."

New Zealand coach Graeme Henry, whose 94-year-old mother lives in the city, said it had been tough preparing for the test with the quake aftermath in the background.

"It's been a horrendous experience, a very scary situation for a lot of people. There's a lot of people from Canterbury in this rugby team. They're apprehensive, they wonder if they should be home instead of here. That's been difficult."

So are the All Blacks playing for Canterbury this weekend?

"I think we're always playing for those people, but there is an extra significance this weekend."

- with NZPA