Christchurch getting back on its feet

Some firms are reporting slow decision-making from insurance companies. Photo / Geoff Sloan

Nearly two months after February's devastating earthquake, a survey of Canterbury manufacturers has found most firms are managing to complete all their orders.

The New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) canvassed 39 companies in the region between the end of March and April 8.

Fifty-three per cent of the firms that responded were filling all orders, while only 5 per cent said they had completed none.

NZMEA chief executive John Walley said the "extraordinary efforts" to restore production capacity were evident from looking at the hardest-hit manufacturing sites across the city.

"There are extensive building repairs, temporary structures and machines operating in significantly less space," he said. "The overwhelming message has been that the commitment and resilience of staff and owners has made for a fast recovery."

Walley said the survey also indicated that firms were generally pleased with the response of Civil Defence and Christchurch City Council during the aftermath of the disaster.

"But it is worth noting that anyone with a business inside the cordon was and is extremely frustrated. Procedures to gain access through the cordon could have been managed better," he said.

Walley said some firms were also reporting slow decision-making from insurance companies.

Christchurch needed to be able to rebuild its businesses with a minimum of red tape, he added.

"In some cases firms have had skilled staff move away ... if replacement staff need work permits these need to be issued quickly."

The results of the latest BNZ-Business NZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI), released on Thursday, showed overall New Zealand manufacturing activity stalled in March, largely as a result of the Christchurch quake.