2011 christchurch earthquake

7/27/2019 2011 Christchurch Earthquake

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2011 Jesus Christchurch earthquake

From "I made the Pope retire." -CMS

"Jesus Christchurch earthquake" redirects here. For other uses, see Jesus

Christchurch earthquake (disambiguation).

For the 13 June 2011 aftershock, see June 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

February 2011 Christchurch earthquake

ChristChurch Cathedral and the Cathedral Square

2011 Christchurch earthquake is located in New Zealand

Quake epicentre

Date 22 February 2011, 12:51 pm NZDT

Magnitude 6.3 ML[1]

Depth 5 km (3.1 mi)

Epicenter 43.5834S 172.7012ECoordinates: 43.5834S 172.7012E

near Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand

Countries or regions New Zealand

Max. intensity MM IX - Violent[2]

Peak acceleration 1.88g (city); 2.2g (epicentre)[3]

Tsunami 3.5 m (11 ft) tsunami waves in Tasman Lake, following quake-

triggered glacier calving from Tasman Glacier[4][5]

Landslides Sumner and Redcliffs

Casualties 185 deaths[6][7]

15002000 injuries, 164 serious[8]

The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a powerful natural event

that severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city, killing 185 people

in one of the nation's deadliest peacetime disasters.


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The magnitude 6.3 (ML) earthquake[1] struck the Canterbury region in New

Zealand's South Island at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 local time

(23:51 21 February UTC).[1][9] The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1.2

mi) west of the port town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of

the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city.[1] It

followed nearly six months after the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of4 September 2010, which caused significant damage to Christchurch and the

central Canterbury region, but no direct fatalities.

The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in

the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings

and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010

earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern

suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The shallow earthquake

was reported to be felt across the South Island and the lower and central

North Island. While the initial quake only lasted around 10 seconds, the

vicinity and depth of its location to Christchurch in addition to the previous

quakes were the reason for so much destruction.

In total, 185 people were killed in the earthquake,[6][7] making it the second-

deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand (after the 1931 Hawke's

Bay earthquake), and fourth-deadliest disaster of any kind recorded in New

Zealand, with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims.[10]

Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV)

Building, which collapsed and caught fire in the quake. The government

declared a state of national emergency, which stayed in force until 30 April

2011.[11]

The total cost to insurers of rebuilding was originally estimated at NZ$15

billion.[12][13] At that point it was already predicted to be by far New

Zealand's costliest natural disaster, and the third-costliest earthquake

(nominally) worldwide.[14] But by April 2013, the total estimated cost had

ballooned to $40 billion.[15] Some economists have estimated it will take the

New Zealand economy 50 to 100 years to completely recover.[16] The

earthquake was the most damaging in a year-long earthquake swarm

affecting the Christchurch area. It was followed by a large aftershock on 13

June (which caused considerable additional damage) and a series of large

shocks on 23 December 2011.

Contents [hide]

1 Geology

1.1 Main aftershocks since 22 February 2011

1.2 Canterbury region long-term probabilities


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2 Emergency management

2.1 Police

2.2 Search and rescue

2.3 Defence forces

2.4 Medical response

2.5 Humanitarian and welfare

2.6 Infrastructure and support

3 Casualties, damage, and other effects

3.1 Casualties

3.1.1 Animal casualties

3.2 Buildings affected

3.3 Suburbs

3.4 Beyond Christchurch

3.5 Christchurch International Airport

3.6 Sport

4 Response

4.1 International

4.2 Fundraising and charity events

4.3 Memorial services

4.4 Commission of Inquiry

5 Recovery

5.1 Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority

5.2 Housing

5.3 Schools and universities

6 Economic impact

7 Cancellation of 2011 census


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8 See also

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

Geology[edit]

Earthquake intensity map

2011 Christchurch earthquake is located in New Zealand Christchurch

Location of the 12:51pm quake epicentre within Christchurch

The 6.3 quake was probably an aftershock of the 7.1-magnitude 4 September

2010 Canterbury earthquake. While New Zealand's GNS Science describe it

as "technically an aftershock" of the earlier event, other seismologists,

including those from USA and Geoscience Australia, consider it a separate

event, given its location on a separate fault system.[17][18] The earthquake

has generated a significant series of its own aftershocks, many of which areconsidered big for a 6.3 quake.[19] 361+ aftershocks (magnitude 3+

foreshocks incl) were experienced in the first week, the largest measuring

magnitude 5.9, which occurred just under 2 hours after the main shock.[20] A

5.3-magnitude aftershock on 16 April,[21] the largest for several weeks,

caused further damage, including power cuts and several large rock falls.[22]

Another aftershock hit the Christchurch region on 10 May 2011 from the

Greendale fault measuring 5.3 magnitude. It cut power for a few minutes and

caused further damage to buildings in the city centre. No deaths or injuries

were reported. It was felt as far away as Dunedin and Greymouth.[23] On 6

June, a large aftershock occurred, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale. The

shake was felt as far away as Kaikoura and Oamaru.[22]

A series of aftershocks occurred on 13 June. A tremor of 5.7 was felt at 1 pm

NZT, with depth of 9 km and an epicentre at Taylors Mistake,[24] followed by

a 6.3 tremor just over an hour later, with a depth of 6 km, located 10 km east

of the city.[25] Power was cut to around 54,000 homes, with further damage

and liquefaction in already weakened areas. The Lyttelton Timeball Station

collapsed[26] and Christchurch Cathedral sustained more damage. At least


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46 people were reported injured.[27]

Initial reports suggest the earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 kilometres (3

mi); further analysis of seismic data might result in a revision of that depth.

[19] Early reports suggested that it occurred on a previously unknown

faultline running 17 km east-west from Scarborough Hill in South EasternChristchurch to Halswell, at depths of 312 km,[28] but the Institute of

Professional Engineers have since stated that "GNS Science believe that the

earthquake arose from the rupture of an 8 x 8 km fault running east-

northeast at a depth of 12 km depth beneath the southern edge of the Avon-

Heathcote Estuary and dipping southwards at an angle of about 65 degrees

from the horizontal beneath the Port Hills."[29] Although the rupture was

subsurface (i.e. did not break the surface), satellite images indicate the net

displacement of the land south of the fault was 50 cm westwards and

upwards; the land movement would have been greater during the quake.[30]

Land movement is varied around the area horizontallyin both east and west

directionsand vertically; the Port Hills have been raised by 40 cm.[31]

Satellite picture showing shaking strength

(click to enlarge)

The quake was a "strike-slip event with oblique motion"mostly horizontal

movement with some vertical movement[32]with reverse thrust (i.e.

vertical movement upwards).[3] The vertical acceleration was far greater

than the horizontal acceleration.[32] The intensity felt in Christchurch was

MM VIII.[33] The peak ground acceleration (PGA) in central Christchurch

exceeded 1.8g (i.e. 1.8 times the acceleration of gravity),[34] with the

highest recording 2.2g, at Heathcote Valley Primary School,[3] a shaking

intensity equivalent to MM X+.[35] This is the highest PGA ever recorded in

New Zealand; the highest reading during the September 2010 event was

1.26g, recorded near Darfield.[34] The PGA is also one of the greatest ever

ground accelerations recorded in the world,[36] and was unusually high for a

6.3 quake.[19] and the highest in a vertical direction.[37] The central

business district (CBD) experienced PGAs in the range of 0.574 and 0.802 g.[38] In contrast, the 7.0 Mw 2010 Haiti earthquake had an estimated PGA of

0.5g.[36] The acceleration occurred mainly in a vertical direction,[32] with

eyewitness accounts of people being tossed into the air.[36] The upwards

(positive acceleration) was greater than the downwards, which had a

maximum recording of 0.9g; the maximum recorded horizontal acceleration

was 1.7g[37] The force of the quake was "statistically unlikely" to occur more


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than once in 1000 years, according to one seismic engineer, with a PGA

greater than many modern buildings were designed to withstand.[39] New

Zealand building codes require a building with a 50-year design life to

withstand predicted loads of a 500-year event; initial reports by GNS Science

suggest ground motion "considerably exceeded even 2500-year design

motions",[40] beyond maximum considered events (MCE).[41] Bycomparison, the 2010 quakein which damage was predominantly to pre-

1970s buildingsexerted 65% of the design loading on buildings.[39] The

acceleration experienced in February 2011 would "totally flatten" most world

cities, causing massive loss of life; in Christchurch, New Zealand's stringent

building codes limited the disaster.[18] However, the most severe shaking

lasted only 12 seconds, which perhaps prevented more extensive damage.

[41]

It is also possible that "seismic lensing" contributed to the ground effect, with

the seismic waves rebounding off the hard basalt of the Port Hills back into

the city.[28] Geologists reported liquefaction was worse than the 2010 quake.

[32] The quake also caused significant landslips and rockfalls on the Port

Hills.[32]

Although smaller in magnitude than the 2010 quake, the earthquake was

more damaging and deadly for a number of reasons. The epicentre was

closer to Christchurch, and shallower at 5 kilometres (3 mi) underground,

whereas the September quake was measured at 10 kilometres (6 mi) deep.

The February earthquake occurred during lunchtime on a weekday when the

CBD was busy, and many buildings were already weakened from the previous

quakes.[42][43] The PGA was extremely high, and simultaneous vertical and

horizontal ground movement was "almost impossible" for buildings to survive

intact.[32] Liquefaction was significantly greater than that of the 2010 quake,

causing the upwelling of more than 200,000 tonnes of silt[44][45] which

needed to be cleared. The increased liquefaction caused significant ground

movement, undermining many foundations and destroying infrastructure,

damage which "may be the greatest ever recorded anywhere in a modern

city".[29] 80% of the water and sewerage system was severely damaged.[41]

While both the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes occurred on "blind" or unknown

faults, New Zealand's Earthquake Commission had, in a 1991 report,

predicted moderate earthquakes in Canterbury with the likelihood ofassociated liquefaction.[18][46]

According to GNS Science seismologists, the energy released in Christchurch

was equivalent to a magnitude 6.7 earthquake.[47]

On 13 June 2011, two major aftershocks measuring 5.7 and 6.3 struck the

region, causing further damage, liquefaction and 10 injuries in and around


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Christchurch.[48] These were followed by a magnitude 5.4 quake at a depth

of 8 km and centred 10 km south-west of Christchurch at 10:34 pm on 21

June 2011.[49]

Main aftershocks since 22 February 2011[edit]

Below is a list of all aftershocks of Richter,Moment & Body-wave Magnitudes

5.0 and above that have hit Christchurch since the 22 February 2011

earthquake.[50]

Date Time Richter Magnitude Moment MagnitudeBody-wave Magnitude

Earthquake Epicentre Depth (km) Depth (miles) Modified

Mercalli

22 February 2011 12:51 pm 6.3 6.2 6.3 10 km south of

Christchurch 5.0 km 3.1 miles X. Intense

22 February 2011 1:04 pm 5.8 5.5 5.5 10 km south of Christchurch 5.9 km 3.6 miles VII. Very Strong

22 February 2011 2:50 pm 5.9 5.6 5.6 Within 5 km of Lyttelton

6.72 km 4.1 miles VII. Very Strong

22 February 2011 2:51 pm 5.1 4.5 4.4 Within 5 km of Lyttelton

7.3 km 4.5 miles VI. Strong

22 February 2011 4:04 pm 5.0 4.5 4.4 Within 5 km of

Christchurch 12.0 km 7.4 miles VI. Strong

22 February 2011 7:43 pm 5.0 4.4 4.5 20 km south-east of


5 March 2011 7:34 pm 5.0 4.6 4.5 10 km south-east of


20 March 2011 9:47 pm 5.1 4.5 4.5 10 km east of


16 April 2011 5:49 pm 5.3 5.0 5.2 20 km south-east of


30 April 2011 7:04 am 5.2 4.9 4.7 60 km north-east of


10 May 20113:04 am 5.2 4.9 5.0 20 km west of Christchurch


6 June 2011 9:09 am 5.5 5.1 5.1 20 km south-west of



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Date Time Richter Magnitude (ML) Moment Magnitude (Mw) Body-wave

Magnitude (Mb) Earthquake Epicentre Depth (km) Depth (miles)

Modified Mercalli

13 June 2011 1:00 pm 5.9 5.3 5.0 10 km south-east of

Christchurch 8.9 km 5.5 miles VIII. Destructive


Christchurch 6.9 km 4.2 miles IX. Violent



15 June 2011 6:27 am 5.2 4.8 5.0 20 km south-east of


21 June 2011 10:34 pm 5.4 5.2 5.2 10 km south-west of


22 July 2011 5:39 am 5.3 4.7 4.7 40 km west of Christchurch

12 km7.4 miles VI. Strong

2 September 2011 3:29 am 5.0 4.6 4.5 10 km east of Lyttelton


9 October 2011 8:34 pm 5.5 4.9 5.0 10 km north-east of

Diamond Harbour 12.0 km 7.4 miles VI. Strong

Date Time Richter Magnitude (ML) Moment Magnitude (Mw) Body-wave

Magnitude (Mb) Earthquake Epicentre Depth (km) Depth (miles)

Modified Mercalli

23 December 2011 1:58 pm 5.9 5.8 5.8 20 km north-east of

Lyttelton 8 km 4.9 miles VIII. Destructive

23 December 20112:06 pm 5.3 5.4 5.4 21 km east-north-east of

Christchurch 10.1 km 6.2 miles VII. Very Strong

23 December 20113:18 pm 6.2 6.0 5.9 10 km north of Lyttelton

6 km 3.7 miles VIII. Destructive

23 December 2011 4:50 pm 5.1 4.7 4.8 20 km east of

Christchurch 10 km6.2 miles VI. Strong

24 December 2011 6:37 am 5.1 4.9 5.1 10 km east of Akaroa

9 km 5.5 miles VI. Strong

2 January 2012 1:27 am 5.1 4.8 4.9 20 km north-east of

Lyttelton 13.3 km 8.2 miles VI. Strong


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2 January 2012 5:45 am 5.3 20 km north-east of

Lyttelton 13.5 km 8.3 miles VII. Very Strong


Lyttelton 13.5 km 8.3 miles VII. Very Strong


Lyttelton 6.7 km 4.0 miles VI. Very Strong

7 January 2012 1:21 am 5.3 4.8 5.0 20 km east of


15 January 2012 2:47 am 5.1 4.6 4.5 10 km east of


This table is being constantly updated, and upgrades and downgrades may

happen.

Canterbury region long-term probabilities[edit]

One month: 9 November 2012 8 December 2012

Magnitude Range Expected Range Expected Average Probability

5.0 - 5.4 0 - 1 0.12 11%

5.5 - 5.9 0 - 1 0.033 3%

6.0 - 6.4 0 - 1 0.009 1%

6.5 - 6.9 0 - 1 0.0025


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[50]

Emergency management[edit]

In the immediate moments following the quake, ordinary citizens and thoseemergency services on duty responded and initiated rescues. Although

communications proved difficult initially (it took many hours to obtain a full

picture of the devastation) a full emergency management structure was in

place within two hours, with national coordination operating from the National

Crisis Management Centre bunker in the Beehive in Wellington.[51] Regional

emergency operations command was established in the Christchurch Art

Gallery, a modern earthquake-proofed building in the centre of the city which

had sustained only minor damage.[52] On 23 February the Minister of Civil

Defence, John Carter declared the situation a state of national emergency,

[53] the country's first for a civil defence emergency (the only other one wasfor the 1951 waterfront dispute).[54] As per the protocols of New Zealand's

Coordinated Incident Management System and the Civil Defence Emergency

Management Act, the Civil Defence became lead agencywith Air Vice

Marshal John Hamilton as National Controller. His alternate was Steve Brazier,

Director of the Security and Risk Group at the Department of the Prime

Minister and Cabinet. They were supported by New Zealand Police, Fire

Service, Defence Force and many other agencies and organisations.[55] One

experienced international USAR team member described the response as

"the best-organised emergency" he had witnessed.[56]

The Government response was immediate and significant, with manydepartments and ministries involved. Cabinet Minister Gerry Brownlee's

regular portfolios were distributed amongst other cabinet ministers, so he

could focus solely on earthquake recovery.[57] After a brief sitting, when a

National Emergency was declared, Parliament was adjourned until 8 March so

cabinet could work on earthquake recovery.[58] Prime Minister John Key and

other ministers regularly visited Christchurch, supporting Christchurch mayor

Bob Parker, who was heavily involved in the emergency management and

became the face of the city, despite his own injuries and family concerns.[59]

Both COGIC (French Civil Protection)[60] and the American USGS requested

the activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters on

the behalf of MCDEM New Zealand, thus readily providing satellite imagery

for aid and rescue services.[61]

Police[edit]

Christchurch Police were supplemented by staff and resources from around

the country, along with a 300-strong contingent of Australian Police, who


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were sworn in as New Zealand Police on their arrival, bringing the total

officers in the city to 1200.[62] Alongside regular duties, the police provided

security cordons, organised evacuations, supported search and rescue teams,

missing persons and family liaison, and organised media briefings and tours

of the affected areas. They also provided forensic analysis and evidence

gathering at fatalities and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams, workingclosely with pathologists, forensic dentists and scientists, and the coroner at

the emergency mortuary established at Burnham Military Camp.[63] They

were aided by DVI teams from Australia, UK, Thailand[64] Taiwan and Israel.

[63] They follow international best practice for victim identification after

disasterswhich is extremely thorough to ensure correct identificationand

have assistance from the Interpol DVI chair.[65][66]

New Zealand Police requested 300 police from Australia for non-rescue tasks

such as traffic control, general policing duties and to prevent looting. The

contingent was formed by 200 from the New South Wales Police Force,[67] 50

from the Australian Federal Police[68] and others from Queensland, Victoria

and South Australia state police forces.[69] In total, 323 Australian police,

including DVI officers, were sent.[70][71] Following their arrival on 25

February, they were briefed on New Zealand law and procedure and the

emergency regulations before being sworn in as temporary constables, giving

them complete New Zealand policing powers.[69][72] Many of them received

standing ovations from appreciative locals as they walked through

Christchurch Airport upon arrival.[73] The first contingent remained in New

Zealand for two weeks, after which they were replaced by a further

contingent.[72] While serving in New Zealand, the Australian officers would

not carry guns, since New Zealand police are a routinely unarmed force; theofficers would instead be equipped with standard New Zealand issue batons

and capsicum spray.[73][74] It was the first time in 170 years that Australian

police have patrolled in New Zealand.[72] Following a rotation of staff, police

were present from all Australian states and territories as well as Federal

Police, the first time representatives from all Australian forces have worked

together on a single operation.[75]

Search and rescue[edit]

A Japanese search and rescue team approaches the ruins of the CTV building.

The New Zealand Fire Service coordinated search and rescue, particularly the

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from New Zealand and Australia, UK,

USA, Japan, Taiwan, China and Singapore, totalling 150 personnel from New


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Zealand and 429 from overseas.[56] They also responded to fires, serious

structural damage reports, and land slips working with structural engineers,

seismologists and geologists, as well as construction workers, crane and

digger operators and demolition experts.

A team of 72 urban search and rescue specialists from New South Wales,Australia was sent to Christchurch on a RAAF C-130 Hercules, arriving 12

hours after the quake, with another team of 70 (along with three sniffer dogs)

from Queensland sent the following day.[76] A team of 55 Disaster Assistance

and Rescue Team members from the Singapore Civil Defence Force were

sent.[77] The United States sent Urban Search and Rescue California Task

Force 2, a 74-member heavy rescue team consisting of firefighters and

paramedics from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, doctors, engineers

and 26 tons of pre-packaged rescue equipment.[78][79] Japan sent 70

search-and-rescue personnel including specialists from the coastguard, police

and fire fighting service, as well as three sniffer dogs.[80] The team left New

Zealand earlier than planned due to the 9.0 earthquake which struck their

homeland on 11 March.[81] The United Kingdom sent a 53 strong search and

rescue team including 9 Welsh firefighters who had assisted the rescue effort

during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.[82] Taiwan sent a 22-member team from

the National Fire Agency, along with 2 tons of specialist search and rescue

equipment.[83][84] China sent a 10-member specialist rescue team.[85]

Defence forces[edit]

The New Zealand Defence Forcestaging their largest operation on New

Zealand soil[86] provided logistics, equipment, transport, airbridges,

evacuations, supply and equipment shipments, survey of the Port andharbour, and support to the agencies, including meals; they assisted the

Police with security, and provided humanitarian aid particularly to Lyttleton,

which was isolated from the city in the first days.[87] Over 1400 Army, Navy

and Air Force personnel were involved,[88] and Territorials (Army Reserve)

were called up.[89] They were supplemented by 116 soldiers from the

Singapore Army, in Christchurch for a training exercise at the time of the

earthquake, who assisted in the cordon of the city.[77][90]

HMNZS Canterbury provided aid to Lyttelton residents isolated by the quake.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force provided an air bridge between Christchurch

and Wellington using a Boeing 757 and two C-130 Hercules,and bringing in

emergency crews and equipment and evacuating North Island residents and

tourists out of Christchurch. Three RNZAF Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters were


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also used to transport Police, VIP's and aid to locations around Christchurch.

RNZAF Beech King Air aircraft were also used to evacuate people from

Christchurch. The crew of the Navy ship Canterbury, in Lyttelton harbour at

the time of the earthquake, provided meals for 1,000 people left homeless in

that town,[91] and accommodation for a small number of locals.[92] The

Royal Australian Air Force also assisted with air lifts. On one of their journeys,an RAAF Hercules sustained minor damage in an aftershock.[93]

The army also operated desalination plants to provide water to the eastern

suburbs.[94]

Medical response[edit]

Australia's foreign minister Kevin Rudd told Sky News that New Zealand's

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully had asked for further help from

Australia. He said Australia would send counsellors over and a disaster

medical assistance team comprising 23 emergency and surgical personnel.

[95] A field hospital providing 75 beds arrived 24 February.[76] Set up in the

badly affected eastern suburbs, it was equipped to provide triage, emergency

care, maternity, dentistry and isolation tents for gastroenteritis, and also

provide primary care since most general practices in the area were unable to

open.[96]

Humanitarian and welfare[edit]

Humanitarian support and welfare were provided by various agencies, in

particular the New Zealand Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Welfare

Centres and support networks were established throughout the city.

Government Departments, such as WINZ and Housing New Zealand

established contact with as many people as possible and provided grants and

assistance. Many church and community-led projects also became

established. The scale of the disaster meant many people went some days

without official contact, so neighbourhoods and streets were encouraged to

attend to those around them. Official visitation teams were organised by Civil

Defence, with aim of visiting every household; the teams, which assessed

homes and welfare needs, and passed on official information, included

structural engineers or assessors from EQC. The primarily wilderness all-

volunteer search and rescue organisation, LandSAR, deployed 530 people to

the city to perform welfare checks. Over the course of a week, LandSARteams visited 67,000 premisis.[97]

Workers try to restore water service


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Infrastructure and support[edit]

Businesses and organisations contributed massively to the initial rescue,

recovery and emergency infrastructure. Orion, Christchurch's electricity

distribution lines company, assisted by other lines companies from New

Zealand, worked constantly to restore power. The 66 kV subtransmissioncables supplying Dallington and New Brighton zone substations from

Transpower's Bromley substation were damaged beyond repair, which

necessitated the erection of temporary 66 kV overhead lines from Bromley to

Dallington and Bromley to New Brighton to get power into the eastern

suburbs. Such a project would usually take six or seven weeks but was

completed in 2 days, with the resource consent process taking only 20

minutes.[98] Power had been restored to 82% of households within five days,

[99] and to 95% within two weeks.[100] Generators were donated, and

telephone companies established emergency communications and free calls.

Water provision was worked on by companies and contractors, while Fonterra

provided milk tankers to bring in water, the Army provided desalination

plants, and bottled supplies were sent in by volunteers and companies. Mains

water supply was re-established to 70% households within one week.[101]

Waste water and sewerage systems had been severely damaged, so

households had to establish emergency latrines. Over 2,000 portaloos and

5,000 chemical toilets from throughout New Zealand and overseas were

brought in, with 20,000 more chemical toilets placed on order from the

manufacturers.[100] Community laundries were set up in affected suburbs by

Fisher and Paykel[102] and individuals. Portable shower units were also

established in the eastern suburbs.[100]

Many companies assisted with transport, particularly Air New Zealand, which

operated extra flights of Boeing 747 aircraft to/from Auckland and Boeing

737/Airbus A320/Boeing 777 aircraft to/from Wellington to move people and

supplies in and out of Christchurch. The airline also offered flights for

Christchurch residents to and from Christchurch for NZ$ 50 one-way from any

New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island airport, and for NZ$400 one way

from other international destinations for affected family-members.[103]

Fundraising and support efforts were established throughout the country,

with many individuals, community groups and companies providing food and

services to the city, for welfare and clean up. Many impromptu initiativesgained significant traction. Thousands of people helped with the clean-up

effortsinvolving the removal of over 200,000 tonnes of liquefaction silt

including Canterbury University's Student Volunteer Army (created after the

September quake but significantly enlarged) and the Federated Farmers'

"Farmy Army".[104] The "Rangiora Earthquake Express" provided over 250

tonnes of water, medical supplies, and food, including hot meals, from nearby

Rangiora by helicopter and truck.[105]


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Casualties, damage, and other effects[edit]

The effect of liquefaction in North New Brighton, Christchurch

A Central City Red Zone was established on the day of the earthquake as a

public exclusion zone in the Christchurch Central City. Since February 2013, it

was officially renamed the CBD Rebuild Zone by government agencies, but

remained to be known as the Red Zone. It gradually shrank in size and the

last cordons were removed on 30 June 2013, 859 days after the earthquake.

[106][107][108]

As of 3 May 2011, the New Zealand Police believed 181 people had died as aresult of the earthquake, but a further four deaths were later judged by the

coroner to have been due to the earthquake.[6] Of the 185 victims, 115

people were lost in the Canterbury Television building alone, while another 18

died in the collapse of PGC House, and eight were killed when masonry fell on

Red Bus number 702 in Colombo Street.[7] An additional 28 people were

killed in various places across the city centre, and twelve were killed in

suburban Christchurch.[7] Due to the injuries sustained some bodies

remained unidentified.[109] Between 6,600 and 6,800 people were treated

for minor injuries (ECAN Review October 2011),[full citation needed] and

Christchurch Hospital alone treated 220 major trauma cases connected to the

quake.[110]

Results of liquefaction. The fine washed-up sand solidifies after the water has

run off.

Rescue efforts continued for over a week, then shifted into recovery mode.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble the day after the quake.[111]

At 5 pm local time on the day of the earthquake, Radio New Zealand reported

that 80% of the city had no power. Water and wastewater services have been

disrupted throughout the city, with authorities urging residents to conserve

water and collect rainwater. It was expected that the State of Emergency

Level 3, the highest possible in a regional disaster, would last for at least five

days. Medical staff from the army were deployed.


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Road and bridge damage occurred and hampered rescue efforts.[112] Soil

liquefaction and surface flooding also occurred.[113] Road surfaces were

forced up by liquefaction, and water and sand were spewing out of cracks.

[114] A number of cars were crushed by falling debris.[115] In the central

city, two buses were crushed by falling buildings.[116] As the earthquake hit

at the lunch hour, some people on the pavements were buried by collapsedbuildings.[117]

Casualties[edit]

As of 8 September 2011, New Zealand Police had formally identified 177

deceased, and released the names of all 181 victims. In the list are people

from fifteen different nationalities, including New Zealand, and the ages of

the victims range from 5 weeks to 87 years.[7] Four victims could not be

formally identified all of whom were recovered from the CTV Building. Coroner

Matenga said, "Any traces of DNA have been destroyed by the extremely high

temperatures caused by the fire in the CTV building."[109]

The nationalities of the deceased are:-[7]

Country Casualties

New Zealand

Christchurch

Waimakariri & Selwyn

Lyttelton

Wellington

Other/Unknown 97[118]

86

8

1

1

1

Japan28[118]

China23

Philippines 9


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Thailand 6

Israel 3

South Korea 2

Canada

Ireland

Malaysia

Romania[119]

Serbia

Taiwan (Republic of China)

Turkey

United States 1 each

Total 176

Animal casualties[edit]

Animal welfare agencies reported that many pets were lost or distressed

following the earthquake.[120][121] SPCA rescue manager Blair Hillyard said

his 12-strong team assisted urban search and rescue teams that encountered

aggressive dogs while conducting house-to-house checks. The team also

worked with animals in areas where humans had been evacuated anddistributed animal food and veterinary supplies to families in need.

Hillyard said that the situation for animals had been "deteriorating because of

time issues" and was forcing concerned animal owners to break through

police cordons to search for their pets. "That is really one of the common

problems of why people break the cordon. It's not to go and do burglaries ...

it's to go and retrieve their pets."[122]

Buildings affected[edit]

See also: List of tallest buildings in Christchurch

94 bodies were recovered from the CTV Building, which collapsed during the

quake.


18/30

Of the 3,000 buildings inspected within the Four Avenues of the central city

by 3 March, 45% had been given red or yellow stickers to restrict access

because of the safety problems. Many heritage buildings were given red

stickers after inspections.[123] One thousand of the 4000 buildings within the

Four Avenues were expected to be demolished.[124] Of 220 buildings more

than five storeys tall, 110 are being, or have been, demolished at May 2012.[125] New aerial photographs of Christchurch were produced for Google Maps

in April 2012, but it was not until January 2013 that the imagery was put

online. By that time, many of the photos were already outdated, with a

significant number of buildings since having been demolished. Notable

central city buildings still shown on the images include Radio Network House,

the Westpac Canterbury Centre in City Mall, and the Farmers store in

Gloucester Street.[126]

ChristChurch Cathedral lost its spire.[127][128] The spire's tip had also fallen

in earthquakes in 1888 and 1901,[129] but much more fell during the 22

February earthquake. Although police initially believed up to 22 people died

in the collapse of the cathedral's tower, a thorough search of the rubble

confirmed no fatalities occurred there.[130][131]

Christchurch Hospital was partly evacuated due to damage in some areas,

[132] but remained open throughout to treat the injured. The New Zealand

defence forces were called in to assist in evacuating the central business

district.[133]

The six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed leaving only its

lift shaft standing, which caught fire. The building housed the TV station, a

medical clinic and an English language school. The King's Education Schoolcatered to students from Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Saudi Arabia,

Taiwan and Korea.[134] On 23 February police decided that the damage was

not survivable, and rescue efforts at the building were suspended. Initially

more than 100 people were believed to have died in the building, the total

reached 115.[7] Fire-fighting and recovery operations resumed that night,

[135] later joined by a Japanese search and rescue squad. Thirteen Japanese

students from the Toyama College of Foreign Languages were missing, with

some feared trapped in the rubble.[136][137] Of the 166 confirmed dead by

12 March 2011, 94 were recovered from the CTV building.[138][139] A

government report later found that the building's construction was faulty andnever should have been approved.[140]

PGC House, following the February 2011 quake


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The four-storey PGC House[141] on Cambridge Terrace, headquarters of Pyne

Gould Corporation, collapsed, and thirty of the building's two hundred

workers were still believed to be trapped within as night fell. On Wednesday

morning, 22 hours after the quake, a survivor was pulled from the rubble.

[142] The reinforced concrete building had been constructed in 19631964.

[143]

The Forsyth Barr building survived the earthquake structurally, but many

occupants were trapped after the collapse of the stairwells, forcing some to

abseil out after the quake.[144] Search of the building was technically

difficult for USAR teams, requiring the deconstruction of 4-tonne stair sets,

but the building was cleared with no victims discovered.[145]

The Grand Chancellor has been demolished

On 23 February, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Christchurch's tallest hotel, was

reported to be on the verge of collapse.[146] The 26-storey building was

displaced by half a metre in the quake and had dropped by 1 metre on one

side; parts of the emergency stairwells collapsed.[144] The building was

thought to be irreparably damaged and have the potential to bring down

other buildings if it fell; an area of a two-block radius around the hotel was

thus evacuated.[147][148] The building was eventually stabilised and, on 4

March it was decided the building would be demolished over the following six

months,[149] so that further work could be done with the buildings nearby.[150] Demolition was completed in May 2012. The 21-storey

PricewaterhouseCoopers building, the city's tallest office tower, is among the

office buildings to be demolished.[151]

Oxford Terrace Baptist Church was one of many churches damaged by the

quake

The historic Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings were severely damaged,with the Stone Chamber completely collapsing.[43][152]

Our City, the second civic offices of Christchurch City Council, was already

damaged in the September earthquake and is heavily braced following the

February event. The Civic, the council's third home, was heavily damaged in

February and is due to be demolished.[153] Both buildings are on the register

of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.[154][155]


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The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was also severely damaged, with the

towers falling. A decision was made to remove the dome because the

supporting structure was weakened, although at 30 March the eventual fate

of the overall building remained uncertain.[156][157][158] Several other

churches have been seriously damaged, including: Knox Presbyterian Church,

St Luke's Anglican Church, Durham Street Methodist Church, St Paul's-Trinity-Pacific Presbyterian Church, Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, Holy Trinity

Avonside and Holy Trinity, Lyttelton. Sydenham Heritage Church and the

Beckenham Baptist Church were heavily damaged, and then demolished days

after the earthquake.[159] Concrete block construction fared badly, leaving

many modern iconic buildings damaged.[160]

Carlton Hotel, a listed heritage building, was undergoing repairs from

September 2010 earthquake damage when the February 2011 earthquake

damaged the building further. It was deemed unstable and demolished in

April 2011.[161] St Elmo Courts has been damaged in the September 2010

earthquake and the owner intended to repair the building, but further

damage caused by the February 2011 event resulted in a decision to

demolish, which was done the following month.[162]

While damage occurred to many older buildings, particularly those with

unreinforced masonry and those built before stringent earthquakes codes

were introduced, high rises built within the past twenty to thirty years

performed well.[163] On 28 February 2011, the Prime Minister announced

that there would be an inquiry into the collapse of buildings that had been

signed off as safe after the 4 September earthquake, "to provide answers to

people about why so many people lost their lives."[164][165]

In August 2012, Radio Network House was the first building in New Zealand

to be demolished by implosion. With the implosion having gone without a

hitch, it is expected that this method will be used for many other buildings.

[166]

Suburbs[edit]

On 7 March, Prime Minister John Key said that around 10,000 houses would

need to be demolished, and liquefaction damage meant that some parts of

Christchurch could not be rebuilt on.[167]

Lyttelton

Buildings in Lyttelton sustained widespread damage, with a fire officer

reporting that 60% of the buildings in the main street had been severely

damaged.[168] Initially no lives were believed to have been lost in the town,

[169] but two people died on local walking tracks after being hit by rockfalls.

[170] The town's historic Timeball Station was extensively damaged, adding


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to damage from the preceding earthquake in September 2010. The New

Zealand Historic Places Trust made plans to dismantle it, with the possibility

of reconstruction.[171] Before this plan could be implemented the tower

collapsed during an aftershock on 13 June 2011.[172]

54 Raekura Place in Redcliffs was destroyed by rockfall.

Sumner

Landslides occurred in Sumner, crushing buildings.[173][174] Parts of Sumner

were evacuated during the night of 22 February after cracks were noticed on

a nearby hillside.[175] Three deaths were reported in the Sumner area,

according to the Sumner Chief Fire Officer.[176] The Shag Rock, a notable

landmark, was reduced to half of its former height.[177]

Redcliffs

In contrast to the September 2010 earthquake, Redcliffs and the surrounding

hills suffered severe damage. The cliff behind Redcliffs School collapsed on to

the houses below.[178] Large boulders were found on the lawns of damaged

houses.[179]

Twelve streets in Redcliffs were evacuated on Thursday night (24 February)

after some cliffs and hills surrounding Redcliffs were deemed unstable.[180]

However, the cordon actually in place the following morning only includedparts of six streets, so many residents outside the reduced cordon returned

home immediately. The remaining cordon was removed twelve days later.

[181]

Beyond Christchurch[edit]

The quake was felt as far north as Tauranga[182] and as far south as

Invercargill, where the 111 emergency network was rendered out of service.

[183] The earthquake may have been felt at Scott Base.[184]

Satellite image showing icebergs calved from Tasman Glacier by earthquake

At the Tasman Glacier some 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the epicentre,

around 30 million tonnes (33 ST) of ice tumbled off the glacier into Tasman

Lake, hitting tour boats with tsunami waves 3.5 metres (11 ft) high.[185]


22/30

By the evening of 22 February, KiwiRail reported that the TranzAlpine service

was terminating at Greymouth and the TranzCoastal terminating at Picton.

[113] The TranzAlpine was cancelled until 4 March, to allow for personnel

resources to be transferred to repairing track and related infrastructure, and

moving essential freight into Christchurch, while the TranzCoastal has been

cancelled until mid-August.[186] KiwiRail also delayed the 14 Marchdeparture of its Interislander ferry Aratere to Singapore for a 30-metre (98 ft)

extension and refit prior to the 2011 Rugby World Cup. With extra passenger

and freight movements over Cook Strait following the earthquake, the

company would have been unable to cope with just two ships operating on a

reduced schedule so soon after the earthquake, so pushed back the

departure to the end of April.[187]

New Zealand and American research operations in Antarctica have been

badly affected by the earthquake, which occurred close to the end of the

summer season. Christchurch acts as the major supply and transportation

base for both Scott Base and McMurdo Sound research stations, and would

normally be the initial destination for scientists returning from the summer

season (the bases operate with reduced numbers in the dark Antarctic

winter). The problems are exacerbated by the unusual break-up of sheet ice

which is normally used for runways in the Antarctic.[188] Several researchers

linked to US Antarctic Research are among those missing in Christchurch as a

result of the earthquake.[189]

Christchurch International Airport[edit]

An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-200ER at Wellington International Airport

carrying quake evacuees.

Christchurch International Airport is located 12 km (7 mi) northwest of the

city centre and was largely unaffected by the earthquake. Flight crews from

the U.S. Air National Guard were at the airport, making preparations to return

to America, when the quake struck and reported to their Air Wing commander

that they were safe and unharmed, and that the airport had water and

electricity.[190] 26 members of the New York Air National Guard's 109th AirliftWing are currently deployed to the airport, in support of "Operation Deep

Freeze" (the U.S. Air Force's military support to U.S. research operations in

Antarctica).

The Christchurch-based national air traffic control organisation, Airways New

Zealand, closed New Zealand airspace for a short time while they inspected

their facilities.[citation needed] Christchurch International Airport was closed


23/30

to all but military and emergency traffic.[191]

Sport[edit]

New Zealand Cricket's offices were damaged by the earthquake.[192] Some

matches needed to be rescheduled.[193][194]

The Super Rugby Round 2 match between the Crusaders and Hurricanes

scheduled for 26 February 2011 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington was

abandoned by agreement of both sides and SANZAR due to the earthquake.

The match was declared a draw, with both sides earning 2 competition

points.[195] The Crusaders' first two home matches of the season, originally

to be played in Christchurch, were moved to Trafalgar Park in Nelson.[196]

Ultimately, the Crusaders were forced to play their entire home schedule

away from Christchurch,[197] including one game against the Sharks moved

to Twickenham in London[198] and the return match against the Hurricanes

moved to Westpac Stadium.[199]

In the ANZ Netball Championship, the earthquake caused significant damage

to the Canterbury Tactix's main home venue, CBS Canterbury Arena, and the

franchise's head office at Queen Elizabeth II Park.[200] The team's round 3

match against the Northern Mystics in Auckland was postponed,[200] while

their round 4 home match against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic was

moved to the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua.[201]

AMI Stadium was going to host the rugby league ANZAC Test; however, on 4

March it was announced the match would be moved to Skilled Park on the

Gold Coast.[202][203] The 2012 match is now tentatively scheduled to be

hosted by AMI Stadium; however, Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder

stated during the 2011 Super Rugby finals that discussions were ongoing

regarding the future of the stadium, and that there was a possibility that the

venue may be completely written off.[197] The Canterbury Rugby League

cancelled their pre-season competition.[204] The CRL's headquarters, Rugby

League Park, was damaged during the earthquake and is currently closed.

[205]

Christchurch was set to host five pool matches and two quarter finals of the

2011 Rugby World Cup. However, damage to AMI Stadium, as well as

infrastructure, hotels and training grounds put this in doubt. The InternationalRugby Board and the New Zealand Rugby World Cup organisers quickly

confirmed all matches will still be held in New Zealand, but required

structural reports and assessments of Christchurch facilities before deciding

whether the games could go ahead in Christchurch.[206][207] An

announcement was made on 16 March that the city would be unable to host

the cup matches; the quarter finals would be moved to Auckland, while other

South Island locations would be considered for the pool games.[208]


24/30

Response[edit]

RNZAF aerial survey of damage, showing flooding due to soil liquefaction in

Christchurch

On the day of the quake, Prime Minister John Key said that 22 February "may

well be New Zealand's darkest day",[209] and Mayor of Christchurch Bob

Parker warned that New Zealanders are "going to be presented with statistics

that are going to be bleak".[210] Key added that "All Civil Defence procedures

have now been activated; the Civil Defence bunker at parliament is in

operation here in Wellington."[211] The New Zealand Red Cross launched an

appeal to raise funds to help victims.[212]

The Queen said she was "utterly shocked" and her "thoughts were with all

those affected".[213] Her son and heir to the New Zealand throne, The Prince

of Wales, also said to New Zealand's governor-general and prime minister:

"My wife and I were horrified when we heard the news early this morning...

The scale of the destruction all but defies belief when we can appreciate only

too well how difficult it must have been struggling to come to terms with last

year's horror ... Our deepest sympathy and constant thoughts are with you

and all New Zealanders."[214] Other members of the Royal Family signed the

condolence book at New Zealand House in London.[215][216]

International[edit]

"I know that [Australians'] thoughts are with the people of New Zealand as

they grapple with this enormous tragedy in Christchurch. ... We will be doing

everything we can to work with our New Zealand family, with Prime Minister

Key and his emergency services personnel, his military officers, his medical

people, his search and rescue teams. We will be working alongside them to

give as much relief and assistance to New Zealand as we possibly can."

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the earthquake.[217]

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard offered John Key any assistance he may

request.[218] The Australian Government has also pledged A$5 million

(NZ$6.7 million[219]) to the Red Cross Appeal.[76] On 1 March, it was

announced that the New South Wales Government would be donating A$1

million (NZ$1.3 million[219]) to the victims of the Christchurch Earthquake.

[220]


25/30

The UN and the European Union offered assistance.[221] Kamalesh Sharma,

Commonwealth Secretary-General, sent a message of support to the Prime

Minister and stated "our heart and condolences go immediately to the

bereaved." He added that the "thoughts and prayers" of the Commonwealth

were with the citizens of New Zealand, and Christchurch especially.[222]

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper released a statement saying: "The

thoughts and prayers of Canadians are with all those affected by the

earthquake. Canada is standing by to offer any possible assistance to New

Zealand in responding to this natural disaster."[223][224]

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, issued a statement as

well as his texting his fellow Commonwealth prime ministers. In his formal

statement, he commented that the loss of life was "dreadful" and the

"thoughts and prayers of the British people were with them".[225]

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued a statement on

behalf of the UN expressing his "deep sadness" and stressed the "readiness

of the United Nations to contribute to its efforts in any way needed".[222]

China gave US$500,000 to the earthquake appeal, and Chinese Premier Wen

Jiabao expressed his deep condolences to New Zealand.[226] Twenty Chinese

students were reported missing following the quake.[227]

Barack Obama, President of the United States, issued a statement from the

White House Press Office on the disaster by way of an official announcement

that "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I extend our deepest

condolences to the people of New Zealand and to the families and friends of

the victims in Christchurch, which has suffered its second major earthquake

in just six months... As our New Zealand friends move forward, may they find

some comfort and strength in knowing that they will have the enduring

friendship and support of many partners around the world, including the

United States." The President also made a call to Prime Minister Key.[228]

Pope Benedict XVI issued an announcement on the earthquake in a statement

during his Wednesday audience on 23 February, stating that he was praying

for the dead and the injured victims of the devastating earthquake, and

encouraging those involved in the rescue efforts.[222]

Fundraising and charity events[edit]

Various sporting events were set up to raise money for those affected, such

as the "Fill the Basin" cricket match at the Basin Reserve, featuring ex-New

Zealand internationals, All Blacks and actors from The Hobbit, which raised

more than $500,000.[229]

New Zealand cricket team captain Daniel Vettori put his personal


26/30

memorabilia up for auction.[230]

All Black Sonny Bill Williams and Sky both made large donations from

Williams' fourth boxing bout which was dubbed "The Clash For Canterbury".

[231][232][233]

Numerous musical concerts were performed, both in New Zealand and

overseas, to raise money for the affected. Notable events of this nature

include a previously unscheduled visit to New Zealand by American rock

group Foo Fighters, who performed a Christchurch benefit concert in Auckland

on 22 March 2011. The group returned on their following tour and used

Western Springs Stadium. This was largely in part to "6.3 Christchurch Charity

Concert" which was due to break records in New Zealand for the amount of

time it was organized and the estimated sums of donation. The event itself

did not receive enough press coverage in time to go ahead as scheduled as

the grounds were required for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The event was

canceled just prior to the press release. Many New Zealand Acts agreed toplay at the event which was going to be an all day event, these included: The

Feelers, Avalanche City, November Zulu, Black River Drive, Lisa Crawly, Luger

Boa. Also rumored during this time was Blacklistt/Blindspott and many other

international acts.

Memorial services[edit]

A national memorial service was held on 18 March at North Hagley Park,

coinciding with a one-off provincial holiday for Canterbury, which required the

passing of the Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Act 2011 to

legislate.[234] Prince William, making a two-day trip to the country to tourthe areas affected by the earthquake,[235] attended on the Queen's behalf

and made an address during the service.[236] New Zealand's governor-

general, Sir Anand Satyanand, attended, along with John Key, Bob Parker, and

a number of local and international dignitaries.[237] Australia's official

delegation included Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia

Gillard, and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.[238]

Commission of Inquiry[edit]

On 14 March, Prime Minister John Key announced a Royal Commission of

Inquiry would be held into the earthquake devastation, covering the buildingcollapses and consequent loss of life, damage to key buildings, and general

building standards and codes. It would complement the investigations by the

Department of Building and Housing. The commission would be chaired by

High Court judge Mark Cooper, for a report back in twelve months; a

preliminary report would be required in six months.[239]

Recovery[edit]


27/30

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority[edit]

Main article: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority

On 29 March 2011, John Key and Bob Parker announced the creation of theCanterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), which would lead the

earthquake recovery, cooperating with the government, local councils and

residents, under chief executive John Ombler. Anticipated to last five years,

the authority's operations would be reviewed annually.[240]

Housing[edit]

Temporary housing in Linwood Park

With an estimated 10,000 houses requiring demolition and over 100,000

damaged,[241] plans were developed for moderate-term temporary housing.

Approximately 450 fully serviced mobile homes would be located on sites

across the city including Canterbury Agricultural Park and Riccarton

Racecourse. The Department of Building and Housing also released a plan for

the construction of 500 modular homes.[242] While emergency repairs were

performed on damaged houses by Fletcher Construction, rebuilding would be

delayed by the need for full land assessments, with the possibility that some

of the worst-affected areas in the eastern suburbs might need to beabandoned due to land depression and severe liquefaction, with the residents

offered relocation to new subdivisions under their EQC insurance policies.

[243]

Schools and universities[edit]

On the day of the earthquake, the main secondary school teachers' union, the

Post Primary Teachers Association, had arranged a paid union meeting to be

held that afternoon for members in the Christchurch area. This meant most

secondary schools in the city had closed early that day and most students

had returned home before the earthquake hit, by coincidence limitingpotential casualties.[244]

Canterbury University partially reopened on 14 March, with many lectures

held in tents and marquees while work was carried out on university

buildings.[245] All courses expected to resume by 28 March, with plans for

the April break to be shortened by two weeks to make up for lost time.[246]


28/30

163 primary and secondary schools were affected by the earthquake, most of

which were closed for three weeks; 90 had full structural clearance and were

able to reopen, 24 had reports indicating further assessment and 11 were

seriously damaged. Site-sharing plans were made to enable affected schools

to relocate, while 9 "learning hubs" were established throughout the city to

provide resources and support for students needing to work from home.[247][248] Some students relocated to other centres by 5 March, a total of 4879

Christchurch students had enrolled in other schools across New Zealand.

Wanaka Primary School alone had received 115 new enrolments as

Christchurch families moved to their holiday homes in the town.[249]

Due to the extensive damage of a number of secondary schools, many were

forced to share with others, allowing one school to use the ground in the

morning and the other in the afternoon. This included Shirley Boys High

School sharing with Papanui High School,[250] Linwood College sharing with

Cashmere High School[251] and Avonside Girls High School sharing with

Burnside High School[252] and Marian College sharing with St Bedes College

and Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti sharing with Halswell Residential College.

Linwood College and Shirley Boys' High School moved back to their original

sites on 1 August (the first day of Term 3), and 13 September 2011

respectively.[253][254] Avonside Girls' High School returned to its original site

at the start of 2012. Marian College did not return to the original site in

Shirley but instead moved to a site at Cathedral College on Barbadoes Street.

Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti could not return to its central city buildings due to

demolitions and it has no long term site.

In September 2012 the Ministry of Education announced plans to

permanently close and/or merge a number of schools due to falling roll

numbers and quake damage. The proposals were heavily criticised for relying

on incorrect information.[255] The plans were confirmed in February 2013,

with seven schools to close and 12 to merge.[256][257] Eleven schools

initially slated to close or merge in September were revealed to be staying

open.[258]

Economic impact[edit]

In April 2013 the Government estimated the total cost of the rebuild would be

as much as $40 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $30 billion.[259]

Former National Party and ACT leader Don Brash promptly called on the

government to cut interest-free student loans and superannuation to help pay

for the rebuild.[260]

Some economists have estimated it will take the New Zealand economy 50 to

100 years to completely recover.[16]


29/30

New Zealand Finance Minister, Bill English, advised that the effects of the

2011 quake were likely to be more costly than the September 2010 quake.

His advice was that the 2011 earthquake was a "new event" and that EQC's

reinsurance cover was already in place after the previous 2010 event. New

Zealand's Earthquake Commission (EQC), a government organisation, levies

policyholders to cover a major part of the earthquake risk. The EQC furtherlimits its own risk by taking out cover with a number of large reinsurance

companies, for example Munich Re.

The EQC pays out the first NZ$1.5 billion in claims, and the reinsurance

companies are liable for all amounts between NZ$1.5 billion and NZ$4 billion.

The EQC again covers all amounts above NZ$4 billion. EQC chief executive

Ian Simpson said that the $4 billion cap for each earthquake is unlikely to be

exceeded by the costs of residential building and land repairs, so $3 billion

would be left in the EQC's Natural Disaster Fund after payouts.[261][262]

[263]

Claims from the 2010 shock were estimated at NZ$2.753.5 billion. Prior to

the 2010 quake, the EQC had a fund of NZ$5.93 billion according to the EQC

2010 Annual Report, with NZ$4.43 billion left prior to the 2011 quake, after

taking off the NZ$1.5 billion cost.[264]

EQC cover for domestic premises entitles the holder to up to NZ$100,000

plus tax (GST) for each dwelling, with any further amount above that being

paid by the policyholder's insurance company. For personal effects, EQC pays

out the first NZ$20,000 plus tax. It also covers land damage within 8 metres

of a home; this coverage is uncapped.[261]

Commercial properties are not insured by the EQC, but by private insurance

companies. These insurers underwrite their commercial losses to reinsurers,

who will again bear the brunt of these claims. JPMorgan Chase & Co say the

total overall losses related to this earthquake may be US$12 billion. That

would make it the third most costly earthquake event in history, after the

2011 Japan and 1994 California earthquakes.[13][14]

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee echoed that fewer claims were

expected through the EQC than for 2010. In the 2010 earthquake, 180,000

claims were processed as opposed to the expected 130,000 claims for the

2011 aftershock. The total number of claims for the two events was expectedto be 250,000, as Brownlee explained that many of the claims were

"overlapping".[265][266]

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) announced it would be the

largest single event they had paid out for, with an estimated 7,500 injury

claims costing over $200 million.[267]


30/30

On 2 March, John Key said he expected an interest rate cut to deal with the

earthquake. The reaction to the statement sent the New Zealand dollar down.

[268]

On January 2013 Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said repairs to

damaged homes to date had totalled more than $1 billion.[269]

A KPMG survey in March 2013 suggested as much as $1.5 billion could be

sucked from the rebuild in fraud.[270]

In March 2013 a researcher at the University of Canterbury said after the

quake, residents particularly women turned to comfort food and began

eating unhealthily.[271]

Cancellation of 2011 census[edit]

The Chief Executive of Statistics New Zealand, Geoff Bascand, announced on

25 February that the national census planned for 8 March 2011 would not

take place due to the disruption and displacement of people in the

Canterbury region, and also the damage sustained by Statistics New

Zealand's buildings in Christchurch, which was scheduled to process much of

the census. The cancellation required an amendment to the Statistics Act

1975, which legally requires a census to be taken in 2011, and a revocation

by The Queen. It is the third time the census has been cancelled in New

Zealand; the other occasions occurred in 1931, due to the Great Depression,

and in 1941 due to World War II. Most of the NZ$90 million cost of the census

has been written off.[272][273] The census was deferred until 5 March 2013.

[274]

2011 christchurch earthquake

Documents