Editorial: The full cost of a quake

If it's possible to take a disaster in your stride, the Canterbury earthquake on Saturday morning is a prime example. The terror experienced by people in the dead of night gave way not to panic but to relief at the lack of human cost, and camaraderie on the streets. In the end there wasn't much else to do.

But the coming weeks will be grim as the euphoria of survival gives way to the realisation of the work that remains to be done. Some will be coming to terms with the loss of their homes, while business owners will also be counting the cost of the destruction. At the psychological level, children in particular may be feeling vulnerable.

Earthquake strengthening showed its value as some older buildings survived. Others, built when no-one thought about such things, have been badly affected and a swathe of history encapsulated by the historic homesteads of the area may be at risk. That may prove to be the biggest tragedy of the event.

The ballpark figure of $2 billion has been mentioned as the full cost of the disaster, including claims from at least 100,000 households to cost about $1 billion. That is a massive sum and Prime Minister John Key is right to say local authorities can't be expected to pick up the tab for repairs to the likes of sewerage and water pipes. If ever there was a time for the whole country to chip in, this is it.

The Earthquake Commission is well set up to cope with the household claims, though about 10 per cent of Canterbury residents are without the necessary insurance, creating a major headache for politicians around how to help them out while remaining fair to the responsible majority.

The response of the politicians, both at the local and national levels, has been exemplary, including Mr Key arriving on the first flight to the city to express solidarity. Today, the real work started with Cabinet meeting to plan a way forward.

There are silver linings. One is a boost to the flagging building industry in the region. Another may be the restoration of confidence in our Civil Defence operation after scepticism following false alarms over tsunamis that never arrived.

It will also offer lessons for next time – with the what-ifs looming large in the mind. What if the earthquake had struck in the middle of a working day? What if the epicentre had been 20km closer to the city? What if it was Wellington?

But among the devastation, it's the little things that count. Canterbury photographer John McCombe summarised perfectly: "You've got the amazing spectacle of huge structural damage to our house, yet the shampoo is still on the shelf in the shower box. You just can't believe it could happen. One minute can change your whole life forever."

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