Speech: Katene - the Canterbury Earthquake

Parliamentary Prayer Session; 7.30pm Parliament Grand Hall; Thursday 11 November 2010

'The Canterbury Earthquake' Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga, Maori Party

Last Friday night, eleven earthquakes hit Christchurch overnight, ranging from 2.5 to 4.3 on the Richter scale.

The all too familiar rumbling of the aftershocks have almost become 'business as usual' for anyone living in Christchurch. We have literally experienced thousands of aftershocks since the magnitude 7.1 quake hit the garden city on 4 September.

I say 'almost' because while the heightened level of seismic activity is now just part of life, the sense of anxiety and uncertainty never quite leaves us.

There is always the fear - will this be the big one?

Over the ten weeks since we were violently woken in the early hours of a September dawn, I have often returned to the words of Psalm 94:19, "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul".

While the physical turbulence of a city in chaos has been distressing, the emotional and psychological trauma is enormous.

For those of our community who face mental health issues, the aftershocks have created a persistent presence of unease and disquiet in their lives. I have listened to many of my constituents who are fretful, who worry about the next shock coming, and who have found it very difficult to settle.

The elderly and very young have also sought the reassurance of a caring neighbour, the comfort of family; the support of helping agencies. These are the times when our faith has been so fundamental to keeping our spirits strong; reminding us we are not alone.

This month, in Ngai Tahu's publication, Te Karaka, there was a moving story describing the experience of Gaye and Wayne Stanley from Kairaki, near Kaiapoi.

Their home was one of seven houses in a row that was severely damaged in the quake. It has been officially condemned; doors no longer close; cupboards have fallen from their base; their home has literally sunk into the sand.

They haven't spent a night in their home - their home of 23 years - since 4 September, but every day they have returned as part of their journey of 'letting go'.

While their trips home have enabled them to retrieve photographs and precious belongings, it is the memories and the history they have shared in their family home that will never leave them.

The sadness and the enormous challenge of starting again comes through their story with startling honesty. But while it is grief they may be their feeling, their words tell a different story - as in this comment from Gaye: Whatever's ahead you just have to deal with it. I have an enormous sense of hope - something like this reinforces you as a whanau - that great love that keeps you together.

At a time like this your possessions are secondary. It's whanau and love of life that are the most important things".

I think that has been the most salutary lesson we have taken away from this experience - the power of faith, of hope, of love.

I have travelled from street to street, listening to stories and seeing the destroyed homes, roads, businesses. I have been able to trace the faultline through collapsed roofs and walls of a new subdivision.

I have sat with a businessman, hearing his frustration at being offered $100,000 less than the agreed price put up originally.

We all know the extent of the damage has been massive. Almost 4000 State houses were damaged, 30,000 houses throughout the city. With broken water and sewerage pipes there has been a huge risk of contamination.

The Earthquake Commission has received thousands of claims for damage to buildings, contents and land every day - at the last count it had reached 140,176 claims.

Apparently they have already paid out $145 million, to just 13,000 of these claims - but there is a lifetime of work left to do. The damage is expected to ratchet up to billions of dollars with the Insurance

Council describing the earthquake as the largest single insurance event in New Zealand history. Insurance assessors are averaging up to 800 assessments every day, just treading water.

And so I come to this special prayer session, thankful for the amazing support that has manifest itself throughout these last ten weeks. I think of the immediate support at the local and central government level; the professional expertise of insurers, builders, plumbers, drainlayers, civil defence, electricians, council workers.

I think of the profound sadness that historians and locals have shared in watching heritage buildings crumble to the ground. I think about the families like the Stanleys who have lost the only home they knew. I think about the children, reliving the nightmares of that violent night.

And then I reflect on the amazing aroha, the manaakitanga that has been shown throughout Canterbury. So many people opening up their homes to complete strangers, emptying their freezers and cupboards to feed the neighbourhood; putting aside the chaos in their own homes to help out at the emergency centres that opened up to care for those who had nowhere else to go.

The powerful presence of love was evident in those centres - the energy and optimism of the volunteers was immeasurable; the resilience of the people of Canterbury will be a source of inspiration for years to come. These everyday heroes, are the living proof of the message of Matthew 7:7.Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you.

Of course we know that the generosity of New Zealanders throughout the world has also been evident. Facebook and email communication demonstrates the extent to which people across the globe have reached out to help.

>From the monetary contribution of the tiny island of Niue through to last week's visit from the American Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, we in Canterbury have felt the many kindnesses have helped to keep us motivated and focusing on our future.

A couple of weeks ago, a star-studded line-up treated the people of Canterbury to a free concert in Hagley Park. Over 100,000 people flocked to the Band Together concert, to sit and enjoy the sun and the music, putting aside for just one day the ongoing trauma of the aftershocks and the massive project of rebuilding a city.

And it reminded me, how much we have to be grateful for.

There are some very significant challenges ahead. The psychological and emotional toll of this time will have to be addressed. The situation for over 100,000 people who were not insured is inherently complex. The economic viability for so many businesses whose buildings have been demolished, whose livelihoods are shattered, remains a key concern for our region.

Thousands of homes are uninhabitable; recovery will be slow and arduous.

But there is a strong sense of gratitude and appreciation from those I speak with - who tell me how the strength of those around them has been vital in restoring hope.

Canterbury needs courage; it needs ongoing commitment; and it will need many, many cups of tea before our communities can truly feel out of the disaster zone.

And it also, more than any other time, needs our collective compassion and care, so that we can all be still and know that hope resides in us all.

ends

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