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In Christchurch today Social Development Minister Paula Bennett visited employers working alongside Work and Income to give New Zealanders jobs.

“Hawkins Construction and Fletcher Building have shown a real commitment to recruiting Cantabrians who’ve been relying on benefits,” says Mrs Bennett.

Today Fletcher Building announced a Work and Income manager will oversee recruitment of locals from the company headquarters while an on-site Work and Income work broker helps Hawkins Construction place people with their Canterbury based sub-contractors.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced the NZ Defence Force and Fulton Hogan have signed a deal to help accommodate workers involved in the Christchurch earthquake rebuild.

The NZDF has signed a lease agreement with Fulton Hogan for 42 empty defence houses next to the Burnham Military Camp.

Both organisations have been searching for solutions to the shortage of accommodation to house workers and their families who have relocated to Christchurch to work on the rebuild.

Prime Minister John Key says the new and innovative central city design unveiled in Christchurch today is an exciting next step in the rebuild and recovery of New Zealand’s second-largest city.

Today’s announcement marks the completion of the Christchurch Central Development Unit’s work over the past 100 days, which culminated in the Recovery Plan being released today after being approved by Cabinet.

Mr Key says the redevelopment and rebuild of Christchurch is important not just for residents and businesses, but to the rest of the country.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says with the design of the new central Christchurch area set out in the Recovery Plan it’s now time to start discussions about the transfer of land ownership.

Commercial sensitivities meant it was not possible for CERA’s Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) to start direct negotiations with land owners during its 100-day work programme.

Invest Christchurch is a new investment facilitation service operating within the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA). 

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the unit’s initial focus will be the local and national investor, business and development communities, with an international investment marketing campaign set to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year.

Facilities for high performance sports, health and innovation, and a new convention centre are some of the highlights of the new central Christchurch, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The Recovery Plan released today showcases the new city, providing for the replacement of the key facilities a city like Christchurch requires. Christchurch will be divided into precincts of health, arts and entertainment, retail, and the justice and emergency sectors.

Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the establishment of Invest Christchurch – a new facilitation service to encourage investment into the new Christchurch CBD.

The new service, which will be part of the Christchurch Central Development Unit, will work with local, national and international investors, businesses and developers to facilitate private sector-led initiatives throughout the new CBD.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says today’s decision by his Honour Justice Chisholm to grant an application by Independent Fisheries Limited and other land owners inside the 50 decibel noise contour line around Christchurch Airport won’t hinder recovery because important elements of the Crown’s decision still stand.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee will fly to Japan today to participate in the World Ministerial Conference on Disaster Reduction in the Tohoku region from 3 to 4 July.

Hosted by the Japanese Government, the conference will be held in the city of Sendai in Tohoku, which was struck by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Over 300 people from 100 countries and international organisations will attend.

Of the 1558 Port Hills properties awaiting land zoning decisions today, 166 will still need further assessment before a decision can be made, and will stay zoned white, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The land in question is potentially at risk of landslip and rock roll.

In particular this involves eight properties in Lucas Lane where the ground is at risk of land slip and requires further work. It is expected this information will be available and assessed by the end of October.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the rezoning of 1107 residential properties on the Port Hills from white to green, meaning the houses are safe for residential occupation and their owners can begin discussions with their private insurers and the Earthquake Commission (EQC) about repairs.

Mr Brownlee says comprehensive ground truthing analysis and complementary work by geotechnical engineers has been as site-specific as possible and has mapped areas where risk of rock fall and cliff collapse is most severe.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the Government’s red zone offer will be extended to the owners of 285 severely at-risk or largely destroyed residential properties in the Port Hills.

This land has been subject to severe cliff collapse or rock roll, or is in grave danger of being so.  Of these properties 191 relate to cliff collapse and 94 to rock roll.

The government has received the first part of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, dealing with matters that will inform the rebuild of Christchurch, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ministers will now consider the report and its recommendations. An announcement about the government’s response and about the public release of the report will be made in due course.

The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust will donate over $1 million to fund repairs to the damaged Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre, Prime Minister John Key announced today.

“The earthquakes have created a shortage of pool spaces in the Canterbury region, so the funding decision is a big boost to the community groups which use this facility,” says Mr Key.

Social Housing Unit funding is to provide 25 new housing units for vulnerable people living in Christchurch.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley today announced the distribution of over $2 million of SHU funding earmarked for Canterbury.

“These new units will help vulnerable Christchurch people who need help to find suitable housing,” he said.

The largest grant, of $1.3 million, has gone to the Comcare Charitable Trust and will support a total project cost of $2.8 million to develop 20 single-person flats in four housing communities throughout Christchurch.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the extension of the residential red zone offer to include residential properties that were under construction at the time of the 22 February 2011 earthquake, and a small number of not-for-profit non-residential buildings.

“Today’s announcement is consistent with the Crown’s Recovery Principles and will enable these people to also get on with their lives following the hardship caused by the earthquakes,” Mr Brownlee said.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced the introduction of a review process for those insured residential property owners who wish to query their land zoning.

“Flat land property owners wishing to query their zoning have until June 30 to making an application for review to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA),” Mr Brownlee said.

A similar review structure will be implemented for Port Hills residents following their zoning process, which is due for completion by the end of June.

A major milestone has been reached in the offer and settlement process for residents in the residential red zone as the one year anniversary of the programme approaches, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

“Our first land zoning decisions were made on 23 June last year, and the first offers were sent to red zoned residents in August.

“This week our 5000th property owner signed a sale and purchase agreement with the Crown, meaning 70 per cent of those in the residential red zone have chosen an offer.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today released the Recovery Strategy which sets out the directions and priorities for the region’s recovery.

Developed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), the Recovery Strategy is essentially a roadmap through the rebuild.

It has been developed following months of consultation and collaboration with the community and CERA’s key stakeholders, including Te Rünanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Christchurch City Council, Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils and Environment Canterbury.

Investment from the $5.5 billion Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund is on track, with thousands of people benefiting, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says a thorough review of the state of the land in Parklands East following the December 23 earthquake has shown the original decision to zone the area green remains appropriate.

Properties in Parklands East were zoned green and given Department of Building and Housing (DBH) Technical Category 3 (TC3).

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the final decision in almost 11 months of flat land residential zoning in Canterbury.

“Today’s news delivers certainty to the owners of 401 properties in Southshore West, following a long and frustrating wait,” Mr Brownlee said.

“It brings the number of residential properties zoned red because they are unsuitable for residential occupation to 7256.”

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the green zoning of 421 residential properties in the Port Hills, leaving 1679 houses still under review.

“This announcement is part of an ongoing programme of technical modelling and mapping work to determine risks from rockfall and cliff collapse, and the feasibility of addressing those hazards,” Mr Brownlee said.

The recovery of Canterbury is on track and is starting to hit its stride, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

In a pre-Budget announcement with Prime Minister John Key in Christchurch today, Mr Brownlee said the Government will have spent $2.45 billion of the $5.5 billion Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund by 30 June this year on important rebuild and recovery initiatives in the wider region.