Orange zone limbo nearly at an end

A red stickered house in one of Christchchurches inner suburbs. Photo / APN

Canterbury homeowners living in limbo after the earthquakes are finally being told when they will learn if it is possible to stay on their damaged land.

Letters have been sent to thousands of property owners in the orange zones in Christchurch city and the neighbouring Waimakariri District setting out the timeframes for when they will be classified as being in red or green zones.

Red means the land isn't fit to keep living on, and the homeowner must decide whether to sell their land and home to the Government, or deal with their insurer.

Green means the homeowners can stay and get on with repairing or rebuilding damaged homes.

The Waimakariri District, to the north of Christchurch city, is being given first priority. It has about 1500 properties in the orange zone.

A Christchurch newspaper was criticised this week for publishing a report that 700 to 1000 properties in Kaiapoi, in Waimakariri District, would have to be abandoned.

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee called it speculation and said the issues were still being decided.

The letter to orange-zone residents in Waimakariri from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) says: "We are working toward a decision and an announcement about the reclassification of the first of these areas in Waimakariri within the next three to four weeks with the rest to follow as soon as possible. The exact timing for this has yet to be determined."

Cera chief executive Roger Sutton goes on to say in the letter: "I know this has been a long process since September 4 with many subsequent aftershocks. I have been greatly impressed by the resilience the people of the Waimakariri have shown. Please be assured Cera and the Waimakariri District Council have been working as hard and fast as we can to achieve some certainty for you and to progress the recovery."

Waimakariri District Mayor David Ayers said that given the possibility a significant part of what was now the orange zone would be declared red, the council's priority would be fast-tracking new residential developments to give people options.

"As soon as we know the scope and size of the red zone, we will be able to begin tackling the issues that flow from that."

Journalists yesterday toured the cordoned-off central Christchurch red zone. The removal of many large, buildings has left huge gaps in barely recognisable main streets.

A time capsule found during the demolition of Hagley Hostel was opened yesterday.

It contained two newspapers dated March 25, 1931, and a document describing some of Canterbury's hospital and nurses' hostel history from 1862 to 1931.