7.1 Canterbury earthquake: State of emergency extended
LATEST: A state of emergency in earthquake-ravaged Christchurch has been extended until Wednesday, as a tired city faces the long haul ahead.
Much of the ruined city remains cordoned off this morning, while search and rescue teams assess buildings for damage in the wake of Saturday's pre-dawn magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
The state of emergency was due to be lifted at 12pm today. Extending it means the council has more power over access to the central city.
There are still around 60 streets where water mains are shut off. The council says the focus is now on restoring those and improving the reliability of water supply.
Some water and wastewater pump stations are still out of service due to loss of power or significant damage to buildings and plant.
Business owners are advised to check their premises for damage and to engage a structural engineer if they are in any doubt about the safety of their building.
Last night, more that 200 people sought refuge in welfare centres set up across the region, with the Linwood welfare centre hosteing around 90 people overnight; Addington another 90, and Burnside hosted 20 people.
A shelter was also set up in Kaiapoi, at Kaiapoi North School after 150 people were evactuated from the Riverlands Motor Camp at Waimakariri for fear of flooding.
FLOOD THREAT
Canterbury was spared the worst from wild weather overnight but the region could still be hit by floods from rising rivers.
Emergency services, councils and other agencies were yesterday called to "numerous instances" of felled trees and power lines, some of which knocked out power and blocked roads, as high winds hammered the region in the wake of Saturday's pre-dawn magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
The weather overnight was not as severe as authorities feared, but flooding could yet hit the region as stopbanks weakened by the quake may not be able to withstand rising waters.
Civil Defence said the Waimakariri River could burst its stopbanks today if it continued to rise at the expected rate.
Engineers would this morning inspect the stopbanks.
About 150 people were evacuated from a holiday park near Kaiapoi yesterday as a precaution.
Canterbury also continues to be rocked by aftershocks, with dozens of quakes of up to 4.8 magnitude striking overnight.
Hundreds of people spent their second night away from home in aid shelters in Christchurch after their houses were destroyed in the quake.
CBD OFF LIMITS
Inner-city Christchurch remains off-limits to an estimated 50,000 workers today and the city's mayor has warned it could be months before life returns to normal.
Public buildings such as the Christchurch courthouse, central library and Christ Church Cathedral will remain shut.
Engineers spent most of yesterday condemning many buildings as unsafe and ordering their demolition.
The Christchurch City Council's newly opened headquarters in Hereford St will remain closed until September 14. Other council service centres will remain closed, as will libraries and swimming pools until they have been structurally assessed.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said workers based inside the cordoned area should not go to work.
Council staff had not yet inspected other buildings outside that zone. Employers had to take personal responsibility and decide if their staff could return.
"We don't want employees coming into the CBD. That area is closed to the public because it is a dangerous area."
Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury's medical officer of health, said no building owners should allow staff or the public to enter shops or workplaces until they had been cleared by a structural engineer. "The message for people is if in doubt, stay out."
Schools, except for those in Rangiora, and all city buses will not operate until at least Wednesday and Parker said there would be "a significant amount of disruption to public life".
Parker praised the efforts of workers and volunteers and said it was a miracle no-one had been killed.
"This has been the most extraordinary, miraculous event. It is unbelievable we have been spared that."
One person remained in Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit with serious injuries after being hit by falling debris. According to the Civil Defence website, about 100 people were treated at the hospital on Saturday with earthquake-related injuries.
But the scale of the disaster was "enormous" and residents needed to understand things would not return to normal for "a significant amount of time".
"This was a moment of intense violence that ripped apart a community in 60 seconds. Yesterday (on Saturday) we were glad to be alive. Today (yesterday) we are worried about our lives."
Fewer than 5000 customers should still be without power by this morning, Orion chief executive Roger Sutton said.
There was the danger of lines lying on the ground and he urged everyone to treat all lines as live. Staff would be working for the rest of the week restoring power and making urgent repairs.
Police said there had been two incidents where "known criminals" impersonated tradesmen to enter the cordon area.
CABINET TO MEET
The Cabinet will meet today to discuss how to get quake-ravaged Canterbury back on its feet.
Prime Minister John Key said last night that early estimates putting the cost of repairs at $2b were a "finger in the air figure".
Hundreds of homes would need to be demolished and there would be thousands more where damage was not immediately apparent.
Mr Key said central government would look at where it could step in to fix local infrastructure, such as rail, road and water, that was usually funded by local government. "We can't expect them to pick up that tab twice."
Police and army resources would also be considered.
Mr Key said Cabinet would also appoint a civil defence commissioner to oversee reconstruction and aid. "This isn't a short-term thing."
The Earthquake Commission expects claims from at least 100,000 households to cost $1b.
The Government will have to decide if it gives help to people without insurance, which Mr Key said was "a moral hazard".
Providing assistance to those people would discourage others from buying policies. But not helping could leave people in "financial hardship".
Mr Key said he was pleased at how Civil Defence had responded to the emergency.
Civil defence planners warned, however, that many people in the country were without adequate emergency kits or plans, and some households risked significant financial hardship after a natural disaster because they were uninsured.
- with The Press, Dominion Post and NZPA
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