Work is underway on permanent repairs to Christchurch's water supplies, drainage and sewerage systems, roads, kerbing and footpaths which were damaged in the September Earthquake

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker and Minister of Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee this morning launched the city-wide project to permanently repair the city's infrastructure at a ceremony in Burwood Park which is in one of the worst affected areas, Avonside/Burwood/Dallington.

The Council has estimated that reinstating its infrastructure across the city will cost $460 million, much of which is funded by insurance. It is working with Central Government and the Earthquake Commission on rebuilding and land remediation.

Four lead contractors have been appointed to manage reinstating infrastructure in the worst affected areas: Halswell (City Care), Bexley/ Southshore (Fulton Hogan), Brooklands/ Spencerville (Downer) and Avonside/ Burwood/ Dallington (McConnell Dowell/Fletcher). The Council is managing the permanent repairs to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant, community facilities and parts of the city outside the defined areas with its existing frameworks.

Mr Parker said the Council had made temporary repairs to the water supply and sewerage systems in the city to ensure homes that are being lived in have service. Temporary repairs have also made the roads useable; however permanent repairs to roads cannot be made until the underground services have been repaired.

"All the contractors have had surveyors in the field since 19 November and all have now established site offices, where the public are invited to drop in for information in their areas," Mr Parker told the ceremony which included representatives from local residents' groups, churches, schools, agencies involved in the recovery.

In the Avonside/Burwood/Dallington area work is underway in Kingsford Street and will then move to Liggins Street, Cresswell Avenue and De Ville Place. In the Brooklands Spencerville area the contractors are due to begin work in Heyders Road in the next two weeks; in Bexley/South Shore the contractors are starting work on Monday in Owles Terrace, and work is also underway in Halswell.

"The rebuilding of our community infrastructure is a great challenge. Our goal is to complete this challenge as swiftly as possible. I think we would all like to get back to normality sooner rather than later."

Mayor Bob Parker introduced the Infrastructure Rebuild Management Office (IRMO), a 25-strong team of Council project management and engineering staff who are overseeing the on-the-ground planning and sequencing of work.

"We want to create a situation of no surprises. Expectations will be well managed, what work is about, what the impact is likely to be and how long it will last," he said.

The Council today launched a website, www.strongerchristchurch.govt.nz to provide up to date information about the rebuild in the seven areas of specified work. Newsletters will also be sent to residents in the worst affected areas every month.

The event is New Zealand's biggest insurance claim, and the world's fourth-largest for earthquake claims. There have been more than 4600 earthquakes and aftershocks since 4 September 2010.

In giving a damage assessment, Mayor Parker indicated that the rebuild work being coordinated by IRMO would fast-track progress - for instance, a city that normally repairs three kilometres of sewer a year will be able to repair more than 100km in just a few years. However, the city was committed to repair or rebuild on a "like for like" basis - meaning to the level that existed prior to the earthquake, within budget and following standards and regulation requirements.

ENDS

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