30 June 2016

More time for relocations from red zone

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has allowed extensions beyond today’s flat land red zone clearance target so that dwellings wanted for further use can be spared from demolition and relocated.

As of 30 June, 6945 of 7041 – or 99 per cent - of properties owned by the Crown have been cleared of the dwellings in the flat land red zone by CERA and insurers.

The properties not yet cleared include 52 where the relocation of the dwelling is planned to happen by 31 July, and 44 where demolition cannot yet proceed because of insurance issues still to be resolved or issues such as unforeseen asbestos contamination holding things up.

“To get to this point of having cleared the dwellings from 6945 properties is an outstanding effort,” says CERA General Manager, Residential Red Zone, Ivan Iafeta.

“Putting aside those properties where there is more time given for dwellings to be relocated, CERA and insurers have managed to clear every property that we are physically able to at this point. It’s a credit to all of the organisations and demolition contractors involved in this very large programme of work.”

“We expect those few properties where there is not yet the permission to clear the dwellings will be dealt with in the next month or so.”

“With the remainder, where there is a firm intention to relocate the dwellings, we wanted to maximise the opportunity for these buildings to be reused elsewhere. But we also had to balance the extensions of up to another month with the need to move on with preparing the land in anticipation of decisions on future use, and the ongoing cost to the taxpayer while the dwellings are still there.”

More than 400 relocations of dwellings from the red zones have already been completed.

The focus now is removing any remaining built structures – such as sheds, driveway and paths - from the cleared flat land properties by April next year, so the land is in a suitable state ahead of any decisions on future use.

The clearance programme is continuing in the Port Hills red zones.

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