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End of an Era
30 June 2013
End of an Era
The
New Zealand Defence Force’s Red Zone Cordon in
Christchurch was officially lifted at a Civic Ceremony in
Christchurch today.
The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, John Key, Minister of Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, and the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General (LTGEN) Rhys Jones.
LTGEN Jones said, “The NZDF’s response to the tragedy which struck Christchurch on 22 February 2011 has been the biggest humanitarian assistance mission it has ever undertaken.
“At the height of our response nearly 1800 NZ Defence Force personnel – Regular, Reserve and civilian, and from all three Services – were directly involved on the ground, with more personnel providing support from camps and bases.
“Every one of those people, wherever they were in New Zealand, stepped forward and did here what they are trained to do anywhere – serve the people of New Zealand. I am enormously proud of them all.
“The Defence Force’s core values are courage, commitment, comradeship, and integrity, and they were to the fore in Christchurch. But we do not have a monopoly on these values - they have also been demonstrated daily by the citizens of this city,” LTGEN Jones said.
“As a Defence Force we are proud of the contribution we have been able to make in Christchurch’s time of need, and we are happy that we could help. I thank the people of Christchurch for their support and friendship as we worked alongside them and I admire the courage they have shown in the face of such disaster.
“The cordon operation that ends today has been an ongoing aspect of our commitment. It has been staffed in the main by people from our Reserve Forces. These people are drawn from all over New Zealand, and they put aside their normal careers - and lives - for a while, to serve New Zealand as Reservists. I thank them for their selfless efforts on behalf of their fellow citizens.
“This is the end of an era for us and a milestone for Christchurch. The pace of renewal now moves up a gear. We wish this wonderful city the very best possible future.”
ENDS
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