MEDIA RELEASE
7 February 2012
New Reporting Dates for Quakes Royal Commission
To support the rebuild and repair of the Christchurch central business district, the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission will deliver its final report in stages.
Part one of the final report will contain recommendations to inform early decision-making about the central city’s recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes. It will be delivered by 29 June 2012.
The rest of the Commission’s final report will be delivered no later than 12 November 2012.
“Many significant issues have been raised by the building failures that occurred in the Christchurch central business district in the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Delivering our final report in stages will allow others to make decisions about the central city rebuild as soon as possible while giving us the time we require to complete our inquiry and make final recommendations for all New Zealand central business districts later in the year,” says Commission Chairperson Justice Mark Cooper.
The recommendations contained in part one of the final report will be based on the performance of a representative sample of Christchurch central business district buildings as well as analysis of many of the technical expert reports the Commission has received and insights gained through the public hearings held so far. It will not deal in detail with specific buildings whose failure caused loss of life.
“Obviously the inquiry is also very important to the people who lost family members and friends in the 22 February 2011 earthquake and those who were injured on that day. We have not completed our investigations into the particular buildings that caused loss of life. For this reason our explanation of why these tragedies occurred will not be delivered until later in the year: by 12 November 2012 or earlier if possible.”
Now that the final reporting dates have been finalised, the Commission can complete the detailed planning required to set dates for the hearings about the CTV building, building assessments after earthquakes and the regulatory framework.
The timing of the CTV hearing is now under active consideration. The Commission needs to analyse the results of the Department of Building and Housing’s technical investigation about the CTV building as well as having time to complete its own investigations, which are currently ongoing.
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Media Contact
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
Background Information
The Commission’s request for extension to reporting date
The Commission’s reporting requirements
The Commission’s representative sample of buildings
Department of Building and Housing Technical Investigation
