Christchurch Earthquake - Information for Residential Building Owners

2pm Wednesday 8 September 2010

Residential Buildings:

There are 140,000 houses in Christchurch and most are suitable for occupation and have only suffered minor damage. Other homes have suffered moderate to serious damage or do not have essential services like power, water, drainage or sanitary facilities.

This information seeks to help you to undertake repairs, return to your homes or access further help, advice or assistance.

Building Evaluations: Insurance Companies, builders or building surveyors will provide you with immediate advice on how to repair your home. The Council Building Inspectors, Engineers, Environmental Health and Welfare Officers are visiting the areas most affected by the disaster and will evaluate houses using simple green, yellow and red placards to show their evaluation of the houses in the area. For those buildings with a green placard - this means the building is considered safe to occupy.

Minor Damage - Our advice for owners of most houses that have suffered only minor damage is to contact their insurance companies and EQC to get advice (where applicable) and/ undertake the repairs themselves or with help from builders. Keeping a complete record of repairs undertaken is essential, including photos

Unsafe or Restricted Access Houses - The situation is different for those houses where owners/builders/engineers have founds more major problems or Council Inspectors have attached a yellow or red placards In this case they might not be suitable for occupation at present.

For those buildings with moderate damage or a yellow placard, this means the building has limited access, as noted on the placard, and further assessment is needed by the owners or their builders.

For those buildings with serious damage or a red placard this means the building is considered unsafe to occupy or even enter because of structural defects or lack of services (water, power, sanitary facilities) and further assessment is needed.

Insurance: If you are insured please contact your insurance companies to gain their advice, help and assistance. We understand that you can undertake immediate necessary repairs to occupy your house but need to keep a complete record and evidence of work carried out. Your Insurance Company and EQC (Earthquake Commission), will advise.

Financial Aid: There is some financial aid available for owners most affected by the disaster. EQC (Earthquake Commission), the Government, Council and Welfare and Aid Agencies are all working together to help you to return to your normal lives. Financial aid will be available and details of eligibility and how to access this will be announced shortly. In the meantime please contact EQC if you are able to get through. Their website is www.eqc.govt.nz.

Council Building Recovery Office: From next Monday (13 September) the Council will have a Building Recovery Office in place in their new building in Hereford Street. This is for residential home owners affected by the Disaster. Owners needing to reoccupy their houses, undertake demolition, major repairs or rebuilds can access this office:

* to register the need for demolition, major repairs or rebuilds

* quickly obtain consents needed to proceed

* architectural/engineering advice

* property records

* to determine eligibility for financial assistance from EQC and Mayoral Fund

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