MEDIA ADVISORY 

                                                                         24 November 2011

 

Quakes Royal Commission Revises Hearings Schedule

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has changed the dates of some of the hearings it plans to hold as part of its ongoing inquiry into building collapses caused by the Canterbury earthquakes.  

The PGC building hearing will now be run over two weeks. It will begin on Monday 28 November and continue through to Thursday 1 December. The hearing will then adjourn and recommence on Monday 5 December. It is expected to be completed half way through the morning of Tuesday 6 December. A revised detailed PGC hearing programme will be available on Friday 25 November.

The Hotel Grand Chancellor building hearing will begin later on the morning of 6 December and is expected to continue until Thursday 8 December.

The Forsyth Barr building hearing was due to be held after the Hotel Grand Chancellor hearing but has now been rescheduled to begin Thursday 23 February. It is expected to be completed on Friday 24 February.

The rescheduling is necessary to accommodate the availability of key people involved in the hearings.

Hearings about other buildings (except CTV) that failed causing loss of life are still scheduled to begin the weeks beginning 12 December, 23 January and 30 January.

There is still uncertainty about the timing of the hearing concerning the CTV building because the Department of Building and Housing’s technical investigation has not yet been completed. On the assumption that the report is available this year, the Commission has made a provisional decision to conduct that hearing in March 2012.

Once there is more certainty about the timing of the CTV building hearing, the Commission will set dates for hearings in the first quarter of 2012 covering building assessments after earthquakes and the development of building codes and design rules.

The hearings will be held at St Teresa’s church hall on the corner of Puriri Street and Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Christchurch.

The updated Hearings Schedule is available on the Commission's website.

END

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 earthquake in February 2011.

The purpose of the Commission is to examine issues around the built environment in the Christchurch central business district and to inquire into the adequacy of relevant building codes and standards into the future.

The Commission is required to provide the Governor-General with a final report by no later than 11 April 2012.

 

For Further Information:

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Ph + 64 (0)3 741 3004 or + 64 (0)21 621 656
Email: robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz