Christchurch Earthquake – General Update: 12/09

Christchurch City Council Media Advisory

Christchurch Earthquake – General Update

0730 hrs 12 September 2010

Welfare Centres

This morning at 0930 hours a welfare centre will open in Cowles Stadium on Pages Road. It will replace the welfare centre at Linwood College, as the College prepares to reopen. The Addington Welfare Centre remains open.

Welfare Centre queries can be directed to 941 8999 or 0800 800 169.

Roads

Sumner Road (Lyttelton to Evans Pass) has restricted access only for essential vehicles due to instability of rock above the road. On Monday 13 September rock blasting will begin to clear dangerous rock.

For updated information on road closures visit the Earthquake Information page on the Council website www.ccc.govt.nz

Building evaluations

As of 2250 hrs last night a total of 5639 inspections of buildings, residential and commercial, had been carried out in Christchurch. 4620 have been issued with green placards, 832 issued with yellow placards and 187 have been issued with red placards.

Of the 1165 buildings inspected in the CBD 839 have been issued with green placards, 245 with yellow placards and 81 with red placards.

Of the 3788 residential buildings inspected 3251 have been issued green placards, 489 with yellow placards and 48 with red placards.

A red placard means people should not enter or occupy the building because it has been determined unsafe. It is not a demolition order. Homes with a red placard require a further detailed structural assessment by a building professional. It is the building owner’s responsibility to contact the building professional to set this up. That assessment must then be discussed with the Christchurch City Council’s building evaluation and inspection team to determine options.

A yellow placard means the building has limited access and further structural assessment is needed by the owner’s consultants.

A green placard means the building has received a brief inspection only. While no apparent structural or other safety hazards have been found, a more comprehensive inspection of the exterior and interior may reveal structural or safety hazards. It is the homeowners responsibility to set up this further evaluation.

Operation East

Operation East is drawing to a close – On Sunday, the priority areas are North and South Brighton. As of 17:50hrs yesterday 3,625 buildings had been inspected as part of this operation.

Water and Sewerage

As of last night 7 streets remain without water, however a number of individual properties also remain without water.

A number of streets remain without sewer reticulation.

Misc

On Friday 35 food premises were inspected and more have been carried out over the weekend –Inspectors will endeavour to begin CBD food premise inspections on Monday.

Central City

New Regent Street is now open. The Historic Places Trust needs to undertake inspections on those premises that have received yellow placards.

Christchurch City Council carpark buildings that are open will be free for the coming week. The open car parks are: Tuam Street, Kilmore Street, Lichfield Street (partial), Crowne Plaza and Oxford Terrace.

Cemeteries and Council facilities

Cemeteries that are open: Ruru, Memorial, Avonhead, Yaldhurst, Belfast, Linwood, Memorial Park, Waimairi, Yaldhurst, Little River, Diamond Harbour

Cemeteries that are closed: Addington, Bromley, Lyttelton Anglican and Catholic, Akaroa Anglican and Catholic and Dissenters.

For information on Council facilities visit the Earthquake Information page on the Council website: www.ccc.govt.nz

Emergency Operations Centre move

The Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre, which was based at the Christchurch Art Gallery since the earthquake, is now in the Christchurch City Council building at 53 Hereford Street. It has been operating from there since Saturday evening.

The move allows the Art Gallery to open to the public on Monday, 13 September 2010 and continue business as usual.

For further information, please refer to the Christchurch City Council website www.ccc.govt.nz, email info@ccc.govt.nz or contact the Christchurch City Council call centre on (03) 941 8999.

ENDS