Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: Christchurch: Square Two, in reply to Hebe,
The short version is: the developers wanted to do Pacific Park, council said no, developers appealed and got their way.
Not true, according to this Press story after the first quake last September.
Homeless residents in the Christchurch suburb of Bexley, devastated by this month's earthquake, are considering suing the city council.
They want a class action lawsuit against the Christchurch City Council, which backed the Pacific Park development in Bexley by changing the zoning to allow it and profited from the sale of part of the swampy block to a developer.
In an area where whole streets could be bulldozed, residents say the council should meet any shortfalls if Earthquake Commission and insurance payments don't match property values.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker had to apologise last week after he wrongly said the council opposed such subdivisions because of concerns over land quality, taking cases to the Environment Court.
There was no court case, and it was Bexley residents who opposed plans by the council, which had proposed more of the wetland for housing.
The Planning Tribunal eventually reduced the area available for development.
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Affected residents consider legal action; Brownlee confirms government knew about the problem.
Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron, who represented the families of those who died in the 1995 Cave Creek disaster, said he had been approached by a group of residents who were "disenchanted" with their insurance companies and the Government package.
He would meet the residents today to discuss their concerns and determine a course of action.
He could not go into the specifics of any case until he met them, but said a group action against insurance companies was one option.
"People can find it very difficult to move ahead with their case without having a group behind them."
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said insurance companies had been "quite clear about their position" during several months of discussions with the Government.
The potential problems around insurance policies were partially responsible for the Government's offer to purchase red-zone residents' homes and land, as well as their land alone, Brownlee said.
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Hard News: That's Entertainment!, in reply to Tim Michie,
Nah, that would be "peppered with stupid".
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Southerly: Tower Insurance Have Some Bad…, in reply to giovanni tiso,
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John Armstrong offers some wishful opining from within the Thorndon bubble.
He wanted the voters of Te Tai Tokerau to give him and his Mana Party a fresh and sizeable mandate. They have instead sent Hone Harawira an ultimatum.
Their message is clear. They want something more than someone who seems to see his role as an MP purely as a lone conscience in a parliamentary den of compromise.
They want less of playing the outsider and more supping with the devil to get some gains for his constituents.
Without a hint of irony he then castigates the Maori Party for their deal with National. But our out-of-touch honky still hasn't finished reading those Tai Tokerau tea-leaves.
In swinging in behind Davis in comparatively large number, voters have put Harawira firmly on notice.
More than half of those who voted yesterday obviously don't care for his brand of confrontational politics.
They now expect him to shape up as a constructive politician working inside the parliamentary process or he will be shipped out in November.
No, John, you're the one who had better lift your game and stop making shit up or regurgitating National Party talking points.
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the values both Mana and the Maori Party attest
Isn't part of the reason for Mana existing a sense that the Maori Party was not acting consistently with such claimed values? And are they the same anyway?
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Southerly: Tower Insurance Have Some Bad…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
What's the council gonna do?
Interesting.
Another earthquake in Christchurch could prove the most costly yet, with the city's insurance policies expiring on Thursday and no commercial insurers willing to touch Canterbury.
The Waimakariri and Christchurch councils have been told they won't get new earthquake cover, leaving the councils - or the Government - having to pay if assets such as AMI Stadium, the Town Hall, the convention centre, all council buildings and even underground infrastructure are further damaged.
Councils have been forced to go cap-in-hand to the Government.
In Christchurch's case, the above-ground assets it owns are worth $1.85 billion.
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Southerly: Tower Insurance Have Some Bad…, in reply to Gregor Ronald,
Brownlee and Key's "preserving owners' equity" mantra
Might be wisest to read that as owners of shares in property development and international reinsurance companies.
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Revealing snippet about the mindset behind this, from a story just before the announcement.
It is unlikely the Government will deem any area so badly damaged it must be abandoned.
Mr Brownlee said yesterday that no area was too damaged to be fixed.
"All land can be repaired," he said. "There is an issue then about how easily that is achieved, the time it will take and what will be the disruptive factors for communities."
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Herald editorial says Christchurch folk should be grateful. Note that it may, as it so often does, represent the views of the National party but not all Aucklanders.
But it is to be hoped that, after more sober reflection, any disgruntlement would fade. For by any reasonable standard, the people of Christchurch have been well-served by the Government and the taxpayers who will have to fund their decisions.
...In such circumstances, it behoves the people of Christchurch to count their blessings. Taxpayers do not seek - nor do Cantabrians owe - a debt of gratitude. They are being looked after as they should be, as we all would expect to be in their situation.
But they know better than any of us that nothing can make it completely right again. What is offered is fair and reasonable, a solid basis for making a new go of things. They will put the silted past behind them with the blessing of all of us.