Bay Harbour: March 03, 2021

Christchurch 6.3 Earthquake 10 Years On
Christchurch earthquake 10 years on
a pictorial snapshot of how Christchurch is moving forward
Steve McCaughan
General Manager
This week marked 10 years since the devastating
February 6.3 earthquake, which struck Christchurch
killing 185 people, injuring thousands, and leaving a trail
of destruction.
It is a time none of us will ever forget. But I am filled
with pride when I recall the efforts and actions of
everyday Cantabrians in the weeks following. To all the
professionals, volunteers and the countless unsung
heroes who helped our recovery, I want to thank you for
your tireless work. The kindness and actions of people
in many ways all accumulated to help us all get through.
It did make a difference and made me proud to be part
of the Canterbury tribe. I also want to acknowledge and
thank my team at Star Media, publishers of Bay Harbour
News. With our building and press destroyed in the
February quake, we were in a perilous position. I recall
meeting with my senior team, first thing the next morning
at McDonalds Riccarton (they still had power on), and
we planned to publish a daily newspaper from a double
garage at our IT manager’s home. We did this for several
weeks, until we moved into the St Albans Cricket Club in
Hagley Park. The tenacity and resilience shown by our
people at the time was tremendous. It ensured we kept
Christchurch connected and informed, with vital updates
and information for those weeks following.
Our story was just one of thousands, where Cantabrians
rallied, picked themselves back up and just got on with it.
We all battled the odds and the 11,000-odd aftershocks
that followed. We all had our
own personal journey and
challenges to deal with. We
should stand proud of the
recovery we have all made.
Today we are publishing a
pictorial look at our city 10 years on and the progress
made. We still have more work to do yet, but I am excited
about the fact that everyday our city just gets better and
is constantly improving.
In the words of CHCHNZ – “We are a city where you can
choose how to live your life – surrounded by stunning
natural landscapes”.
John Bridgman
Chief Executive Otakaro Ltd
We’re planning to hold the first events towards the end of
this year.
I start with that because the question about when Te Pae
Christchurch Convention Centre will be open is the one I’m
most often greeted with.
It’s great that there is such anticipation around this Crown-led anchor project and it’s
not the only one to get excited about, as we push to get all our spaces and places
completed by the end of next year.
In April we’ll be opening the North Frame pedestrian bridge, the final element to be
added to the largest ever public realm transformation undertaken in New Zealand –
Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct.
We’re working on the final few hundred metres of the South Frame. This new, gardenlined
cycle and pedestrian laneway across the city should be near complete come
the end of the year.
And the Metro Sports Facility has become hard to miss on Moorhouse Ave, as we
look to complete construction of the nine indoor courts and eleven pools and spas by
the end of next year.
This leads to another common question – Why has it taken this long?
I can only speak for the time since Ōtākaro Ltd was established early in 2016. By then
a lot of significant planning and demolition work had been done, but many sites were
still bare. So off we went, asked by the Government to deliver some of the largest
horizontal and vertical infrastructure projects in the country, in a relatively confined
space, on tricky ground, with a stretched construction sector and a global pandemic
at the tail end. It was a big ask and I am proud of what we have achieved so far.
The reality is the regeneration of Christchurch will never be finished, and you wouldn’t
want it to be.
In the near future this city is going to be home to some of the best business, sports
and recreation facilities in New Zealand. The Crown and Council have tackled the big
stuff, the hard stuff, the infrastructure that will draw the masses in and set Christchurch
up for success for generations to come. The next stage in the city’s evolution is what
happens in the spaces in between.
Lianne Dalziel
Christchurch Mayor
An anniversary is a time when we come together to
remember the events of the day and to reflect on all that
means to us.
The 10th anniversary of the February 22, 2011 earthquake
recalls the loss of 185 lives, and the impact this had had on
their families and friends. Our hearts go out to all of them
both here in New Zealand and in the 20 other countries where they came from.
We also remember those who were injured or experienced trauma on that day. For
many there is no erasing of the memory of what occurred, nor the scars – seen and
unseen – that remain.
We acknowledge the changes to our laws, requiring buildings to be built to stronger
seismic standards, as well as decisions to retrofit buildings, that have made our city
safer than it was. Lessons we have learned here have been shared across New
Zealand and the world, leaving a legacy that will help protect lives in the future.
And we again express our gratitude for all those who tried to help save lives regardless
of their own safety on that day, and all those who helped over the days and weeks
that followed.
I often think about the thousands of people who flooded the damaged suburbs
with support. I think of the existing community leaders who stepped up in their own
communities and the emergent leaders who, like Sam Johnson and the team who
set up the Student Volunteer Army. The SVA is an enduring example of the legacy
they have left.
We also remember that this was the earthquake that changed our landscape forever,
seeing thousands of residents forced from their homes and communities.
The promise that now sits in the Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan is
another legacy for the future.
When we experience loss on this scale, it can be hard at the time to gauge the sheer
enormity of the recovery that lies ahead.
When I look along Oxford Tce by the Bridge of Remembrance, that one snapshot
helps me see the essence of what we imagined we could be when we contributed to
‘Share an Idea’. And that always gives me optimism for the future of our city.
Stories of courage and hope, and the science behind the quakes
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