O'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 06 March 2014. Volume:696;Page:16419. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First) to theMinister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Does he accept the conclusion in the Human Rights Commission’s reportMonitoring Human Rights in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery that “many people affected by the earthquakes continue to experience deteriorating standards of living and impacts on their quality of life that go beyond the immediate effects of the disaster”?Hon AMY ADAMS (Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery) on behalf of theMinister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: No the Minister does not accept this conclusion as there are considerable programmes of work under way to improve residential conditions in Christchurch. This includes the Winter Make it Right campaign which is focused on increasing the winter resilience of homes in Greater Christchurch and is also being made available to help those with housing issues following this week’s floods. Other work includes the residential advisory service the Ministry of Social Development’s support services the provision of temporary housing and the completion of more than 150000 home repairs by the Fletcher EQR programme. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority also regularly surveys and monitors well-being in Canterbury and there is a team within the department focused on social and cultural recovery.Denis O’Rourke: Given that reply does the Minister agree with the chief commissioner that there needs to be new kinds of people-centred thinking especially to ensure that people have secure habitable and affordable homes?Hon AMY ADAMS: I know that the bulk of the commissioner’s report actually relates to issues around housing and I can assure the member that those issues are all being worked through by the Government under a number of agencies. In respect of the different ways of thinking I can assure the member that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is leading a number of community-led initiatives such as the Choice Christchurch summertime events and other projects. We are working through supporting communities in their homes and in their own ways to deal with these issues and I think we are doing it successfully.Denis O’Rourke: What does the Minister say to the thousands of Christchurch people who are now facing a fourth winter since the quakes without a secure warm dry affordable and properly repaired home?Hon AMY ADAMS: I think the Minister would certainly be the first to acknowledge that the times have been incredibly difficult for those in Canterbury who are still seeking to resolve their claims but he would equally reiterate that this has been an event of unheralded proportions. The fact is that they are incredibly difficult issues that are being worked through. But I would suggest to that member that he like all members in this House ensures that members of the public in Canterbury are made aware of the services available to them like the Winter Make it Right programme to make urgent weathertight and heating repairs to properties like the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service to provide housing where that is needed and like the residential advisory service and the complaints service to help them progress through their claims.Denis O’Rourke: With the already historically high home rentals still increasing faster than anywhere else in New Zealand what does the Minister say to Christchurch people who are having to pay those rentals such as the person who told me recently that the best he could do for a four-bedroom house for his family was to agree to a rental of $980 per week while his own home is still under repair?Hon AMY ADAMS: As I mentioned a number of the issues referred to in the commissioner’s report relate to these housing-based issues and they are being looked at and considered by the Minister of Housing. I am sure that if the member wants to put specific issues to the Minister of Housing he would be happy to come back to him. What I would say to him is that the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service has been set up for the very purpose of helping to connect homeowners in need of short-term accommodation with the available housing.Denis O’Rourke: What does the Minister say to the thousands of people who are still suffering interminable delays because their insurers and the Earthquake Commission cannot even agree whether their repairs will be under the $100000 cap or over it?Hon AMY ADAMS: What we would say to them as I said before is that this is an incredibly difficult period for people in Canterbury. We are aware of that. We acknowledge that. But it does not take away from the fact that this is an unprecedented event not only in its size but in the complexity of the issues. Everybody engaged in the process is doing all that they can to resolve it as fast as possible.Denis O’Rourke: What does the Minister say to the people whose homes are being repeatedly flooded because of dysfunctional andunrepaired drainage systems?Hon AMY ADAMS: There is no doubt that the flooding events of the last week have been incredibly difficult for a community that is already dealing with more than it should have to deal with. There are a number of issues around that one of which is that this is being regarded as a one-in-100-year flood. The timing of it is cruel and not fair on the people of Canterbury but it is what it is and the reality remains that everybody is working as hard as they can. Perhaps that member should direct his queries to the Christchurch City Council flood prevention strategy and see where that is at.Hon Ruth Dyson: Has he apologised to John Key and Cantabrians for turning the Prime Minister’s statement that “No one will be worse off as a result of these quakes.” from a promise of hope and support to a lie?Hon AMY ADAMS: I completely reject the assertion in that question.