Media Release - 31 October 2012

Zoning Review Applications Now Tallied

The initial applications for the Port Hills Zoning Review have now been assessed for validity and checked that all necessary information has been provided.

A total of 132 applications have been received from property owners in 14 suburbs across the Port Hills.

Of those, 60 who have been zoned Green would like to have been zoned Red, and 72 have been zoned Red but would prefer to be Green.

The majority of the applications are from Sumner, where 23 Red Zone property owners want to change, along with 15 of those who have land in the Green Zone.

Roger Sutton, the chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, says the Sumner applications are a fair reflection of how the community has responded to the zoning process.

“We acknowledge that not everyone is happy with the end result, but one solution definitely does not fit everyone. It is also interesting to note that only one out of every seven property owners in the Port Hills Red Zone have applied to be considered in the review.”

Mr Sutton says the zoning process has been an unprecedented Government response to a natural disaster, and is the best way to speed up the recovery.

“The volume and size of claims that the EQC and insurers would have had to tackle would have taken years. Through this zoning process the Government has given certainty and assurance to those who were so badly affected by the series of earthquakes.”

The Port Hills Zoning Review panel, which is led by Dr Keith Turner, will consider all of the information that was made available to officials in the zoning process, from both CERA and the Christchurch City Council.

Results will be finalised in December.

Port Hills rockfall modelling data released by CERA last week is now available on the CERA website at http://cera.govt.nz/port-hills-3d-rockfall-modelling-report

ENDS

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