Search

Today’s launch of the Economic Recovery Programme is an opportunity to reflect on how far Canterbury has come since the earthquakes, and the many reasons we have to be optimistic about the region’s future.

It’s an incredible testament to the resilience of the business community that based on recent estimates regional GDP for Canterbury has bounced back to pre-earthquake levels.

Economic activity data has shown Canterbury to be the fastest growing region in New Zealand over the past 18 months, and the rebuild proper is only just beginning.

We’re now just a few days shy of the second anniversary of the first earthquake, when we were so lucky that no one was killed.

I want to provide you with an overview of the recovery process to date and the significant progress that we are making.

But first, I want to thank the rest of New Zealand for the incredible level of support and assistance that the Canterbury region has received over the last two years. From all ends of the country, New Zealanders came to our aid and continue to support us.

Good morning everyone.

First let me introduce who is here this morning for this announcement.

I would like to very warmly welcome Mayor Bob Parker.

Also with me are CERA Chief Executive Roger Sutton and CERA Operations Manager Warwick Isaacs.

The reason we’re here today is because the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act required the Christchurch City Council to prepare a draft CBD plan, which was presented to me as Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery on the 21st of December 2011.