Shaky residents want information

A growing mountain of silt on Breezes Road in the Christchurch suburb of Bexley. Photo / NZPA

Vulnerable Christchurch residents are anxiously awaiting information on whether their neighbourhood may need to be abandoned.

Prime Minister John Key said on Monday up to 10,000 houses could be demolished and whole suburbs relocated as a result of last month's magnitude 6.3 earthquake.

Distressed Burwood resident Janette Hinton told NZPA she feared her community might be on the list.

"They need to name the areas now - please tell us."

Ms Hinton said the community was already suffering without water and without enough portaloos to service the hundreds of families in the neighbourhood.

"We don't need to have that fear put to us at the moment. We are just struggling with day-to-day living and we don't need somebody to come and say our suburb won't exist anymore.

"If that is the case, we'd like to be told quickly. Our lives are on hold. It's not a nice feeling; it's not a nice feeling at all," she said.

Reports have named the worst-hit eastern suburbs like Avonside, Bexley and Dallington as areas that might have to be abandoned, but yesterday Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said such reports were baseless.

"We know where the damage is, but I think it's irresponsible to go casting that broader web over the whole of the district. We want to get good information.

"What we have put out is the concept and I think as nerve-wracking as that is, people in broken-up homes with a fair idea it could be them," he said.

"I'm sorry we can't be more specific, but I think it's going to take a long time for this city to go through a whole lot of emotional things about not only residential areas, but also in the inner-city and everything else."

Resident Marie Stevenson said the Government used poor judgement when they made the announcement.

"We are feeling incredibly vulnerable. Physically and emotionally, we are exhausted. We've absolutely had enough."

She said the majority of residents in the community would stay if the land could be remedied.

If the land cannot be remediated, the Government should inform people quickly so families can move on, she said.

"We've got no ability to plan for the future at all."

- NZPA