christchurch Archive

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  Cutting Canterbury Uni staff is short-sighted - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  In the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake, the University of Canterbury’s plan to cut more than 350 jobs over the next three years is a short-sighted way to cut costs. Documents released today by concerned staff at Canterbury reveal that there is no expectation that the government will allow the institution to carry a shortfall [...] read more
  September 1, 2011 2:21 pm - 3 Comments
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  Visions for Christchurch - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  On Sunday, I convened the 2nd of my series of Vision Christchurch public forums.  Their aim is to engage the public in the challenge of rebuilding greater Christchurch.  This one was held in New Brighton and concentrated on Christchurch East.  What a difference a day makes. Within 20 hours of finishing our meeting in which [...] read more
  June 16, 2011 10:07 am - 16 Comments
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  Another hard day in shake city - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  As you will know by now we were hit once again in Christchurch with two more earthquakes. We were fortunate that no one was killed – for that we can be thankful. On behalf of the Green Party, our thoughts go out to the people hurt yesterday and those whose houses, businesses and lives suffered [...] read more
  June 14, 2011 10:46 am - 3 Comments
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  Dalai Lama raises spirits in Christchurch - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Realising Cantabrians could do with a moral boost the Dalai Lama altered his schedule and fitted in a talk in Christchurch before his Australian tour. The Canterbury Arena was packed for the event. The only sour note was from the Chinese Embassy, which approached our government after they heard about the visit. Presumably, as they [...] read more
  June 9, 2011 5:20 pm - 2 Comments
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  Visions of Christchurch: My Public Forum Series - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  For the first few weeks, it was shovelling.  Then it was door-knocking.  Then it was fund-raising to buy food and deliver it to welfare centres, attending memorial services, participating in MP briefings, and travelling into the suburbs and Lyttelton for meetings with Green members and others. Now it is time to refocus and plan for [...] read more
  April 29, 2011 3:57 pm - 3 Comments
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  Podcast: How to pay for Christchurch - by frog

  
  
  
  The Green Party have a plan to pay for Christchurch — a temporary levy on income — one that avoids adding more debt to the Government’s books. I talked to Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman about the details of that plan. Click the arrow thing to listen… Click to play If you’re having problems [...] read more
  April 4, 2011 11:43 am - 2 Comments
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  Lows and Highs in Christchurch - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Last week I spent some time in Christchurch, with family and friends, and went door-to-door distributing food and advice with the Green team in the hard-hit suburb of Aranui. Everyone is suffering trauma of one sort or another. My friend, who was in the Cathedral Café when the rocks came down. My relations with badly [...] read more
  March 5, 2011 5:09 pm - 5 Comments
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  Student Volunteer Army defeats student stereotype - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Today I got to spend time with the students and organisers behind the Volunteer Student Army in Christchurch as they wound down major operations. Organised by Canterbury students, the student army recruited hundreds of volunteers, including a Green Party contingent to shovel liquifacted soil, leaflet, and door knock in areas badly affected by Christchurch’s devastating [...] read more
  March 4, 2011 5:55 pm - 122 Comments
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  Greens soldier along with the clean up army - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  I’ll be going door-to-door again today in some of Christchurch’s hard hit eastern suburbs. A small group of Greens are now attached to the Student Volunteer Army. Yesterday, as a team of five, we were in Parklands. ( Thanks to Marilyn, Anne, Dot and Liz.  Thanks also to Nick, a local in Parklands.  And thanks to [...] read more
  March 2, 2011 12:23 pm - 13 Comments
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  Lyttelton Street Party – 26 February 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  Great to see! read more
  March 2, 2011 7:51 am - 5 Comments
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  The purgatorial delights of liquefaction - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  From middle distance it looks ugly – alien and threatening. Something from another planet, menacing to humans. Actually, from Middle Earth. At shovel distance, it starts to attain a character you can come to terms with. If that is a metaphor for this stricken city, then not all is lost. This morning I volunteer to [...] read more
  February 26, 2011 5:59 pm - 1 Comment
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  Day two in Hell - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Thursday night I convene a meeting of Green members in my house. Twelve turn up, one from the eastern suburbs. He is not sure if he can get back or, if not, where he will stay. He has student friends, so he is not worried. He is young, so he is not worried. We exchange [...] read more
  February 26, 2011 9:25 am - 1 Comment
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  Libyans join hands with the people of Christchurch - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  At lunchtime today I joined a group of Libyans in Wellington’s Midland Park. They were calling for an end to the cruel Gaddafi regime.   The first placard I saw was not about Libya at all. It read: “Our hearts go out to the victims of the Christchurch earthquake.” The vigil began with a minutes [...] read more
  February 23, 2011 5:25 pm - 3 Comments
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  Another earthquake in Christchurch – twitter feeds - by frog

  
  
  
  A sad day for us all. Our thoughts are with the people of Christchurch. I’ve found twitter to be a good way to get a feel for what’s happening: Tweets from people in/near Christchurch All earthquake-related tweets Photos tagged with eqnz read more
  February 22, 2011 2:12 pm - 81 Comments
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  Christchurch rocked by mag 7.4 earthquake - by frog

  
  
  
  The details are sketchy as the sun has just come up, but there are reports of widespread damage, the airport is closed and the civil defense folk have activated the national response centre. I’ve already heard from one Green party member downtown, whose doing alright. The Press has finally put out something worth reading. Our [...] read more
  September 4, 2010 7:37 am - 50 Comments
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  Taking a bet with gambling - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  It’s ironic that on a day that is supposed to be about not gambling Sky City choses to eschew all responsibility for problem gambling. Their release this morning, entitled “The issue isn’t gambling, it’s PROBLEM gambling” (note the capitalisation of PROBLEM) is a slap in the face to all the people who have gone through [...] read more
  September 1, 2010 1:57 pm - 32 Comments
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  Strong reaction against ECan sacking - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  It was standing room only at a public meeting organised by the Green party in Christchurch last night to protest the government’s sacking of Environment Canterbury. 100 people who couldn’t get into the meeting held an impromptu meeting outside. The meeting hadn’t even been advertised in the media—who knows how many would have turned up [...] read more
  April 15, 2010 2:01 pm - 41 Comments
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  Covered with tar, full of smoke and short of fish - by frog

  
  
  
  KiwiRail toys with idea of moving people from A to B (and sometimes C) with trains. Why has this never been tried before? Which reminds me of this quote from Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: “The trouble with most forms of transport, he thought, is basically one of them not being worth [...] read more
  April 6, 2010 9:06 am - 56 Comments
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  The mysterious case of the missing shipping container - by frog

  
  
  
  Judith Collins is the David Copperfield of New Zealand. Many magicians have attempted and failed to do this trick; I have never seen a disappearing act quite like this one. The Set Up Take one forty-foot shipping container filled with about $5000 worth of timber. Place the shipping container in a non-descript lot somewhere in [...] read more
  March 9, 2010 3:01 pm - 18 Comments
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  The last ocean - by frog

  
  
  
  The Ross Sea is described as the world’s last ocean. The Greens support making the Ross Sea a Protected Area, which would mean protecting the Ross Sea’s Antarctic toothfish from fishing. Do you agree? read more
  November 5, 2009 9:33 am - 8 Comments