Wagner Nicky: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is subject to correction 
Wagner Nicky: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4198. Text is subject to correction.] 
NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central) 
: 
 I am pleased to take a call on the estimates for Vote Canterbury Earthquake Recovery—that is CERA or the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. It is a highly important part of Christchurch and Canterbury. Although it was established only in March 2011 the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has overseen an enormous amount of activity in the last year and has a huge amount of work to look forward to supervising in the next year.  
I just want to take up what Denis O’Rourke was talking about. This Budget covers the cost of running the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and it is for it to work in partnership with the three local councils and to plan and administer the recovery. But of course it does not cover the cost of the overall recovery or rebuild which Treasury actually estimates at over $20 billion; many believe that it is going to cost even more than that. The appropriation for this Budget in 2012-13 is $90.653 million.  
I would just like to pay credit to Roger Sutton and his team for the excellent work that they have done in the time they have been there under really difficult circumstances. This cost is much less now simply because of the work that has been done in the past. The last 22 months have been a time of great uncertainty for Cantabrians because we have had thousands of earthquakes—over 11000—and with those earthquakes have been many accompanying challenges and they have come in waves. But I think we are making some real progress. When I say the appropriation for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is significantly less this year it is because so much has been paid out in 2011-12. The majority of the red zone residents have been paid out. I think over 6000 people in the red zone have settled and 5000 of those have been paid out.  
There has also been over $1 billion of work done in terms of infrastructure. That is the repair work for roads for waterworks for pipes for sewers—the things that you do not see but the things that are incredibly important. That work is being done by SCIRT which is the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team of which the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is a participant. As Denis O’Rourke mentioned thousands of houses have been repaired. About 20000 have been repaired and people have gone back into them. That is more houses than there are in Timaru but of course there is still a lot more to do. They are saying that probably about another 40000 have work to be done on them. There has also been quite a lot of work done in terms of preparing land for subdivision and people are beginning to be able to move out of their houses and onto new land. Of course there are many more huge challenges in front of us and a huge amount of work to do.  
I would just also like to reflect on what happened this week when the CCDU which is the Christchurch Central Development Unit announced its blueprint for Christchurch. That blueprint was developed with the Christchurch City Council and Ngai Tahu. It was launched on Monday night and I think it was really impressive. In fact I think it was brilliant. Again I would like to give credit to Warrick Isaacs and his team who have worked long and hard to get that 100-day plan out there. It is inspirational it is innovative and it is going to create what looks like a very people-friendly and environmentally friendly city. The good thing about this is that it really builds on the ideas that have come from the people of Christchurch. The city council developed its Share an Idea campaign and 106000 submissions were put in by the ordinary people of Christchurch to go towards the development of this plan. I think the blueprint really delivers on their vision that came out of that project which was for a garden in the city.  
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
NICKY WAGNER 
: Before the dinner break I was talking about the new blueprint the 100-day plan for Christchurch and how well it has been received how it is inspirational and innovative and how I would like to congratulate the team of Warwick Isaacs and his people who have worked so long and hard to get this result. The blueprint identifies a dozen or so exciting anchor projects for the city. They will provide real amenities for local residents for the Greater Christchurch area and also for tourists. [ 
Bell rung 
] But the beauty of this new plan— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Order! The bell may not be very loud. 
NICKY WAGNER 
: Mr Chair. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Are you seeking another call? 
NICKY WAGNER 
: Yes please Mr Chair. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Well you must do that the moment the bell rings. 
NICKY WAGNER 
: Thank you Mr Chair. The beauty of this new plan is that it will build a more compact well-designed and we hope people-friendly and environmentally friendly city. I really like the idea of the green “frame” and the fact that the River Avon runs through the city and that will be a focus. It will be a focus for walking for sitting for biking for just enjoying the outdoors on the two sides of our city and on the other two sides we will have this large green space. I think that that is going to make our city something that we will all be proud of.  
It is also a compact city so near the Square you will have the convention centre and that will open up into Cathedral Square and Victoria Square. We will also have the theatre complex very close to it and on the other side of the retail area we will have the new justice and emergency services centre and also the bus exchange. Past that we are going to have the innovation centre which is based around the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology where young people will want to go. But the whole key here is that the whole city will be very walkable and will be a place that people will want to hang out in and spend some time there.  
It is particularly important that this city plan works well. There has been some debate in the community that we should really be focusing on the residential areas before we focus on the central business district and I agree with that—it is really important that people are in homes that are warm and safe—but the problem is that unless we get this central business district up and running we lose the attraction of our centre city. Not only do we have to be responsible to our local citizens and the Greater Christchurch area but also we have to be responsible to the South Island because Christchurch is the gateway to the South Island. We need to have a vibrant city that will attract tourists so that they not only will come to Christchurch but will feed out through Christchurch right around the South Island. We have seen a drop-off in tourism in the rest of the South Island because Christchurch has been damaged.  
I think this exciting new-look city will bring people back to the centre. Christchurch people have been amazingly resilient. It is hard to believe that before the earthquake 63000 people worked within the four avenues and there were 10000 people living there. All those 63000 people have found another place to work and gradually over the next few months and years they will be able to come back to the city.  
I also just want to focus on the residents within the four avenues for a few minutes because that is where I live. Before the earthquake there were 10000 people living within the four avenues. Of course that was immediately shut down after the quake in February. We had the police and the army at the end of the four avenues and nobody could go in and out. Many people had to leave their homes and could not get back to them. Some of the people who lived in the centre which is still under the red cordon never got back to their homes and could not even get their possessions out of them. So the people who live in the centre city have had a pretty long row to hoe. We have also got quite a large red zone around the Avon River and we have got plenty of technical category 3 land. So it is really good that the people who live there—and I think there are probably only about 5000 of that original 10000 left—have got these new things to look forward to and can use the amenities. The amenities are cleverly planned so that we will bring people into the city and they will be able to work there to play there and to enjoy our new city.  
Overall I would like to thank the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority for all the work it has done. I know it has been a really tough time. I know the authority has been challenged but it has managed to bring in a large number of really skilled professional people who have got through the work that had to be done. They have come up with innovative solutions in terms of the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team and also the Christchurch Central Development Unit with the 100-day plan. They have dealt with these issues creatively they have been innovative and I think they have come up with good results. I think that there is no doubt that the people of Christchurch will and can rebuild a stronger better more beautiful city. Thank you.