22 July Closing Date for Quake Expressions of Interest

People who want to make submissions to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission have until July 22 to do so.

All people need to do is complete a form indicating their area of interest and the involvement they would like to have in the inquiry. This does not have to include participating in public hearings. Lawyers are not required in order for people to participate in the Royal Commission’s inquiry.

“The form is just an initial expression of interest. Detailed information and submissions are not required by 22 July. Many people have information that may be helpful to us and we urge them to complete the form as soon as possible to help us progress our inquiry,” says Royal Commission Chair Justice Mark Cooper.

The Royal Commission in Christchurch has advertised for expressions of interest in newspapers throughout the country and on its website. In the last two weeks expressions of interest have been received from a range of interested parties including people who were trapped in buildings, building owners, business owners, building professionals and academia.

Since the inquiry began in May the Royal Commission has been gathering information from various sources including the Christchurch City Council, the New Zealand Police and other agencies. It has also commissioned numerous technical reports from New Zealand and international engineering and earthquake experts. The Department of Building and Housing’s investigation of key building performance will be considered once its report is available.

The Royal Commission’s terms of reference are wide ranging and its findings will have implications for the entire country, not just Canterbury. The Commission is seeking expressions of interest about six principal issues and any other issues that are considered to be within the Royal Commission’s Terms of Reference which are available on the Commission’s website. The six issues are:
1. New Zealand seismicity
2. Inquiry into buildings in the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD)
3. Inquiry into legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction and maintenance of buildings in CBDs in New Zealand
4. Change of New Zealand design standards/Codes of Practice over time
5. Development of technical expertise in the design and construction of seismic resistant buildings
6. Future measures for new and existing buildings

The Royal Commission is committed to providing an open and transparent process therefore expressions of interest may become public unless there is a good reason for them to remain confidential.

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About the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission in Christchurch was established in response to the building failure and loss of life caused by the Canterbury earthquakes in February 2011.

A Royal Commission is the most serious response available to the New Zealand Government. The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission is chaired by sitting High Court judge Justice Mark Cooper. The other two Commissioners are University of Canterbury Associate Professor Richard Fenwick and Sir Ron Carter.

The Commission will provide an interim report to the Government by 11 October 2011. The Government requires the final report no later than 11 April 2012.

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