Hurunui Offers Help to Neighbours in Wake of Big Shake

The Hurunui District Council is making staff available to help out neighbouring districts in the wake of Saturday’s disastrous quake.

Mayor Garry Jackson says his district has been lucky with only very minimal damage or disruption to its communities.

“While the Hawarden area lost power for about an hour, our infrastructure has come through unscathed. That means all roading, bridges and water systems are operating normally.”

A couple of brick chimneys have collapsed and the Fire Service has secured others at risk of falling.

But there have been no known casualties and NO state of emergency has been declared, though the local civil defence continues to monitor the situation.

Neighbouring Waimakariri district has not been so lucky, with a state of civil emergency declared there and in Christchurch, 30 minutes south of Hurunui.

Mayor Jackson has spoken to Waimakariri Mayor, Ron Keating, this morning and says it is very obvious this event has taken its toll.

“Our thoughts are obviously with those people who have lost homes and possessions and with our local authority colleagues managing the aftermath of the very sizeable shake.

“Where we can help we are happy to, whether this is providing additional building inspectors or roading engineers to help confirm building and roading integrity, utilities staff to help with stormwater and sewage issues (particularly in Kaiapoi) or administration and civil defence headquarters staff simply to give those working on this emergency some relief.”

The council is liaising with Waimakariri and the other authorities on areas where it could be of assistance.

As people start to move more freely around the district, Mayor Jackson says there are also reports of some cracks and superficial building damage coming to light in Hurunui.

Where people have concerns any building may not safe he says they should immediately call 111.

Any other structural concerns should be reported to the council who will send an inspector out as soon as practical to check out the building. Anyone planning to light a fire in a brick chimney should also ensure it has been properly checked for damage before doing so.

If the damage is only minor, and not structural, people are advised to lodge their claim with the Earthquake Commission.

While the shake has rattled the region and the people in it, Mayor Jackson says, for those of us who have come through it virtually without a scratch, this is a timely reminder of the need to be prepared.

ENDS

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