Dozens of people were seen on the streets of central Christchurch on Saturday 27th August 2011. The attraction was the moving back of one of the cordons around the severely damaged CBD.
Reduction of the Earthquake-Damaged Red Zone in Christchurch
In spite of public pressure to allow people to access the damaged heart of Christchurch, Civil Defence and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) have consistently denied access.
As buildings have been demolished, road blocks and cordons manned by the police and military personnel have slowly moved inwards. The Cera website reported that the cordoned off area in August was one-quarter of the size it was after the 6.3 magnitude, 22nd February earthquake.
At noon on Saturday 27th August 2011, a small section of the red zone was opened up where a number of buildings had been demolished in preceding weeks. Crowds of people milled around with cameras in hand, expressing their feelings about the damage and cordons. “I think it’s a Kiwi thing. They’re being too careful, too cautious,” said a middle-aged man. “They’ve crippled businesses that could still be up and running.”
A younger man commented on the ongoing demolition inside the fence. “Isn’t that a horrible noise? Concrete and bricks falling and the digger scraping.”
There were vast open areas where dozens of buildings have already been flattened and the land cleared. An update on the Cera website read as follows: ‘Demolitions manager, Warwick Isaacs, says the reopened area gives an indication of how the city’s CBD will look as more areas are opened up in coming months. “As they approach Colombo Street, people will see a number of demolitions have been completed which have significantly altered the face of the city. They’re also going to see continuing repair and demolition work on other sites in the area.”’
The air in the central city area was filled with dust as families, couples and individuals moved from street to street, peering through the barricades. A young woman with a group of visiting friends waved her hand towards High Street. “So that’s my broken city.”
Damage was apparent in every direction and apart from the sounds of demolition, and trucks rumbling in and out of the CBD, the area was eerily quiet. Frontless buildings left furnishings and stock exposed and roads and sidewalks were lifted and warped. A dog sat patiently where his owners had tethered him to an orange traffic cone while they pressed their faces up to the cordon fence. It certainly wasn’t business as usual.
Debbie Roome - Debbie Roome is an award-winning freelance writer, journalist and novelist with over 25 years experience.
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