University Of Canterbury: Earthquake Update

University Of Canterbury: Earthquake Update

The University of Canterbury campus is secured and closed to staff and students until Monday 13 September. We will be assessing the situation again late Wednesday afternoon. We will use postings to our web site to keep everyone advised. With over half of our 20,000 students coming from outside the Canterbury region, keeping them out of the region for even a week will help the city as well as give the University time for its assessments, planning and initial clean up.

There is no doubt we were extremely lucky with the timing of the earthquake; no loss of life or injuries, no collapses, no fires. This is not bad for over 80 separate physical structures. There has been some structural damage, and there is a need for assessment of other superficial damage, some chemical spills and water damage. There is a substantial amount of broken glass and more than a million books are off their shelves. Some treasured specimens and collections have been lost and there will no doubt be some very sad specific cases affecting some staff and students more than others.

Today we begin planning the recovery. At this stage time is what we need.

While there is power to the campus and we have brought power back on in many buildings, the combination of chemical spills and water precludes bringing power back to the Rutherford Building at this time.

While we have water to the campus, it is far from clear what the state of the storm water systems and waste water systems underground, both on and off campus, might be and how they will respond to the southerly rains that will follow the Nor-Wester coming through this afternoon.

During the week we will be making assessments, involving staff invited back in an orderly manner by members of the senior management team once spaces are secure. We will then develop plans for reinstatement, alternative provision of services and make decisions about likely impacts on teaching and research plans.

At this stage it is the impact of the earthquake on libraries and laboratories that seems to be likely to have the greatest effect on the University while there will be specific impacts on staff and students that are more random.

Dr Rod Carr
Vice-Chancellor

ENDS