Opting out of a future left in limbo

Bexley resident Betty Sweeney. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Bexley resident Betty Sweeney is one of about 10,000 homeowners who face an uncertain future in the orange zone, where further assessment is needed before the fate of the houses will be known.

But the 80-year-old Scottish immigrant, who has lived in her home in Pages Rd for 49 years, is in a unique position. She has already decided to move, though she is still uncertain where she will go.

"There's nobody around me. Everybody's gone. There's nothing either side of me. There's nothing across the road.

"At my age, I don't think my nervous system could take them coming to clean it all up and starting again. I don't have the energy. It's too much work."

She expects her home will eventually be in the red zone, and she will be compensated for its $300,000 value.

Is she worried about the future?

"Not at my age, dear. If I was these younger people, having to start again and get a mortgage and rebuild ... they've got those years in front of them. I don't. That's just life."

But her decisive approach does not mean she will not miss her home, which has been devastated by the earthquakes.

"I lost my husband 20 years ago and I've kept it as a family home. It's been a happy house, a lovely house. It was a family home. I look at the drive, it's a mess. My garden's ruined."

Her daughter, Roseann Gardner, grew up in the house before moving to neighbouring Kia Ora St, which is in the red zone. "We'll stick together. It'll all work out," Mrs Sweeney said.

Damage to homes in the orange zone ranges from moderate to severe, and these homeowners face a nervous wait until further work can be carried out.