Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Te Komihana Rūwhenua o Waitaha Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission – Te Komihana Rūwhenua o Waitaha

Those who lost relatives and friends in the 22 February earthquake can be assured that there will be a very thorough inquiry into the failure of buildings that resulted in loss of life.
Chair, Justice Mark Cooper
View of Christchurch CBD skyline with snow-covered mountains in the background

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

On 22 February 2011 the Canterbury region of New Zealand, including the city of Christchurch, suffered a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in which 185 people died and many were injured.

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of inquiry was established to report on the causes of building failure as a result of the earthquakes as well as the legal and best-practice requirements for buildings in New Zealand Central Business Districts.

The inquiry began in April 2011 and was completed in November 2012.  

Final Report

The Commission's final report consists of seven volumes. It was delivered to the Governor-General, and released by the Government, in stages. Latest Part Three of the Final Report

Part One (Volumes 1, 2 and 3)

Part One (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) of the final report was delivered on 29 June 2012 and released by the Government on 23 August 2012. It contains recommendations to inform early decision-making about the central city's recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes.

Read Part One of the Final Report

Part Two (Volume 4)

Part Two (Volume 4) of the final report was delivered on 10 October 2012 and released by the Government on 7 December 2012. It contains recommendations about earthquake-prone buildings.

Read the Part Two of the Final Report  

Part Three (Volumes 5, 6 and 7)

Part Three (Volumes 5, 6 and 7) of the final report was delivered on 29 November 2012 and released by the Government on 10 December 2012. It includes the results of the investigation into the collapse of the CTV building and other aspects of the Terms of Reference not addressed in other parts of the final report.

At the request of bereaved families, a summary of the Commission's conclusions about the causes of the CTV building collapse has been translated into Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean. The translations are separate documents.

Read the Part Three of the Final Report