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_thumb.jpg "Photo Heather Spurway(2)") Ten thousand quakes and aftershocks in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a big enough deal to attract the whole world’s attention - and it has. Sadly it’s also furrowing the brows of those who lend money to our insurance companies. |
 A year on from last year’s February 22 earthquake, today sees Christchurch remembering those who were lost but also looking forward to the future with hope. |
The new Minister of Local Governent Dr Nick Smith has again referred to what might be called “excesses” in the LG sector. He recently remarked on the amount of borrowing by councils and the size of rates increases and now he has mentioned ‘employment costs’ in the sector are ‘out of step’. |
 The vital link between Hawke’s Bay, the Manawatu and Wellington won’t open before the middle of this year, as the NZ Transport Agency fights to clear the a massive slip site which closed the Manawatu Gorge on October 17 last year. |
 Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is predicting benefits to the Tukituki River from a proposed water storage dam for Central Hawke’s Bay. If the dam goes ahead, council believes it will take a lot of pressure of the river, especially in summer.
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Christchurch City Council has been assigned an extra ‘councillor’ after Local Government Minister Nick Smith decided a Crown observer will help rebuild “professional relations” between the Mayor, the chief executive and councillors.
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 Salvors are rounding up containers jettisoned from the stricken container ship Rena and which are now floating in coastal waters of the Bay of Plenty. This follows the weekend storm and big waves which finally split the ship in two.
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Rough seas off the Bay of Plenty have contributed to what now seems the inevitable partial sinking of the container ship Rena that has been stuck on Astrolabe Reef for months.
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Concerns over on-going aftershocks and rumours of tsunami threats from offshore quakes have been partly offset following a briefing session in Christchurch for local and central government representatives. Scientists studying volatile seismic activity in Canterbury have played down the chance of more major quakes. |
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Many Christchurch people have had only a brief chance to celebrate Christmas, as the need to clear silt and clean up inside their houses takes priority one more time. Meanwhile, GNS Science says more quakes are likely.
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