18
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER2014
d
&
ri
SITE REPORT
facilities, anew central libraryandother
keynotebuildings.
Not all of itsplans areuniversallypopular.
Controversially,ChristchurchCityCouncil
passeda resolution last year to fully conserve
theTownHall, badlydamagedas a result of
liquefactionand the related lateral spreading
of theground towards theAvonRiver. It is
undergoing extensive remedialworks after
catastrophic floodingand contaminationby
pathogenicmould.Currently, contractors are
engagedon strippingout thebuilding’s fixtures
and fittings,manyofwhichare regardedas
‘heritage’ items, ready for reinstallationat a
futuredate. These includearchitectural panels,
wall hangings and flooring.
TOWNHALL RESTORATION
Just four years andaweekafter the2010
earthquake, the council launchedan expression
of interest (EOI)process for contractors
interested in tendering for its conservation.
DesignedbySirMilesWarrenandMaurice
Mahoney, it is consideredof significant
architectural value.
Theprojectwill go to tender later this year.
Construction is likely to take threeyears,with
theproject due for completion in early2018,
explained theCouncil’sunitmanager for the
anchorprojects, LiamNolan.
He said theEOI and tenderprocesswill
give theCouncilmore certaintyaround the
cost of conserving theTownHall.Meanwhile
theCouncilwantspotential contractors to
look for innovativeways to reduce the cost of
restoration.
“This is the final step inaprocess that
will helpus to confirm thebudget set aside
is sufficient.We’ll be looking for cost savings
whereverpossiblebeforegoingback to
councillorswitha recommendation for a
preferred contractor to carryout thework,”
Liam told
D&Ri
. InAugust 2013, theCouncil
set asideNZ$127.5million (US$103.5million)
for the conservationof theTownHall that
includes repairing it to100%ofNewBuilding
Standard.
Demolitionon sucha scalehaspresented
theauthoritieswithanunprecedented
challenge. John explainedwhy. “After the
[Recovery]planwas established,wewere faced
withdealingwithwhatwouldotherwisebe
40-50years’worthof demolition [arisings]
in just 12months.Wehad tomove fast.”
One solutionwas foundat anearby largebut
disused landfill site.
BurwoodLandfill operated from1984
until 2005, but reopened following the2010
earthquakeas a safeplace to temporarilyhold
waste.After the2011 earthquake, demolition
rubblewas sent thereand to threeother smaller
areasof the surroundingBottleLakeForest
on theauthorityof theCivilDefenceNational
Controllerduring the emergency.Without
the recoverypark, therewas thepotential for
rubble tobe left in the central city, orworse,
dumped inpaddocksor riverbeds, said John.
Otherwastes are receivedat theKateValley
landfill, innorthCanterbury.
The2011 earthquakedestroyedmuchof the
central businessdistrict (CBD)ofChristchurch
Christchurch
recovers – slowly
A
t a conservative estimate, itwill cost
more thanNZ$40billion (US$32.5
billion) to rebuildChristchurchand its
environs, and some economistspredict itwill
take theNewZealand economy50 to100years
to recover from the ‘quakes.
Gone is the ‘RedZone’ of the central
businessdistrict (CBD), avast areahastily
cordonedoff after theFebruary2011
earthquake. Its reopeningwas toppriority
for theCanterburyEarthquakeRecovery
Authority (CERA), theorganisation endowed
withwartime-likepowers tooversee the city’s
rebuilding. ButRedZones remain elsewhere.
JohnCumberpatch is generalmanagerof
operations atCERA. It ishis job tooversee
clearance, relocations, debris andwaste
management in the red zones. “After the
earthquakes,wewere facedwith theprospect
of somuchdemolition, itwas anightmare,
frankly. The [CanterburyEarthquake
Recovery]Act of 2011gaveus far-reachingand
verynecessarypowers to secure the city.”
Thosepowers includeda raft ofmeasures
requiringbuildingowners toact quickly
and responsibly to return theRedZone toa
stableand safe environment.An initial sumof
NZ$120million (US$98million)was set aside
to ensureurgent demolitionswereundertaken.
So far, said John, someNZ$107million (US$87
million)hasbeen recovered frombuilding
ownersor their insurers
CERA established theChristchurchCentral
DevelopmentUnit that, in2012, published
itsRecoveryPlan (theCCRP), essentiallya
blueprint for the futureof the city. Toppriority
were the ‘AnchorProjects’,which include the
provisionof justice, healthand emergency
Demolition of the Clarendon
Tower required an
innovative approach
Seem immediately after the quakes,
the collapse of the CCTV building
claimed 115 lives
Four years after the first of two devastating earthquakes
shookNewZealand’s secondmost populous city to the
brink of total destruction, Christchurch remains broken but
unbowed.
ChrisWebb
reports for
D&Ri
