Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Little pieces of a big picture

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  • Islander,

    Library shelves of that size need to be both floor and ceiling anchored...what caught my eye especially were the totally unanchored filing cabinets (well, it appears that way.) The packed cabinet trays come shooting out, and whoa! over goes the whole shebang-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    On the other hand I'm sure Rodney Hide would have loved to have got his hands on that pile of local cash, or Rodney Council for that matter.

    Speaking of Wodknee. Anyone heard from him since the Big Bang? He must be spitting tacks that the Gummint is going to bankroll the repair of the earthquake as well as the SFCers.

    "Let them eat cake" isn't it?

    Wondering how the new Auckland Super City will handle such things once it is up and running.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Little different - dealing with something on this scale is hard for whoever is in power.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    BTW The Civil Defence website has the best rolling updates for Cantabrians. And the buses are back on tomorrow.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I wouldn't see any reason for local councils to do more than take in the money and pass it to EQC, just as insurance firms do now.

    So everyone's insurance would get slightly cheaper, rates would be slightly more and every property would be covered.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    University libraries are Library of Congress

    No wonder I couldn't find anything in the Library, damned yanks.
    :-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    So everyone's insurance would get slightly cheaper,

    Ha Ha Ha.... Ha.. Ha.
    You're such a card Rich.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Also, what did the War Damages Board do, given there were no attacks on NZ territory during WW2? Shipping insurance?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Another little piece of the big picture: band-of-the-moment Night Choir were due to play in Christchurch on Saturday night -- and, understandably, the show was cancelled.

    So a few calls were made and they wound up playing what is said to have been a very rockin' party in Lyttelton that night instead.

    Rock 'n' roll endures.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Chad C Mulligan,

    'What if Hurricane Katrina struck Mangere & Otara? I suspect the SAS would be sent in, instead of disaster relief workers. And not for relief efforts either'.


    Hah! Half the SAS comes from Mangare or Otara.

    Currently in exile, plott… • Since Sep 2009 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Cabinet decides how much to help out the uninsured.

    The Government will give $5 million to the Mayoral Relief Fund for those affected by the 7.1 earthquake in Cantebury, Prime Minister John Key said today.

    The Government estimated a $94m cost for infrastructure repair and replacement in the area, he said.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    The War Damage fund was oriented more toward general disaster coverage from the outset, Churchill said that rather that reimburse those that had paid into the fund the fund should be used to give "grants to persons who have had damage done to their property as a result of Earthquakes or other disasters" (Legislative council debates, 9 October, 1941) ref

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    I've been listening to Key's press conf via r2.co.nz (thanks Russel for help with Twitter)

    To be fair, he made it clear that the $5m is very much a first contribution to the Mayoral Fund, which will be for hardship. He makes a Ministerial Statement in Parliament at 2pm and then he, Brownlee (the new Minister for Reconstruction) and others go to Chch to meet Mayors. There will be a lot more money flowing from the Crown he said.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Just found your tweets, Phil, including this one:

    Q about uninsured people. Key fudged the answer, talked about most people have to have insurance due to mortgage #eqnz

    Matches the dodging on television when the matter is raised. I guess time will tell and they have a lot of other things to sort out.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Apocalypse Now (Redux): DEMOLISH EVERYTHING

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    And the next one Sacha:

    Wen(t) on to talk about an elderly person with no insurance being a hardship case Agreed it would be case by case #eqnz

    Any help appreciated as to why my Tweets (via website) didn't show up in the eqnz stream. (signed) Noob.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Bomber is less restrained (warning, contains CAPITALS):

    Let's get this straight, $1.6 billion to bail out Mr Magoo was not a moral hazard even though once National included him in the guarantee scheme for political reasons, SCF went onto behave and lend in the exact manner people knowing they will be bailed out by the Government do.

    THAT WASN'T A MORAL HAZARD, oh no, that was prudent arse kissing for the wealthy wankers who jumped in to milk this system for as much as they could, we had to bail out National's well connected money mates for the 'National Interest'.

    ...


    So what about the 10 000 Christchurch residents who are uninsured? What about them? Will we bail them out with the speed John Key bailed Mr Magoo out? Like hell he will, all of a sudden those 10 000 Christchurch residents are a 'MORAL HAZARD' - note, bailing John Key's wealthy chums out with $1.6billion wasn't a moral hazard, but helping the 10 000 uninsured residents from one of the worst earthquakes this country has seen in 80 years IS A MORAL HAZARD.

    The unblinking manner Key used to just dump those 10 000 uninsured Christchurch quake survivors on The Nation and Q+A yesterday was jaw dropping...

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Matches the dodging on television when the matter is raised

    Matter raised? Or matter razed?

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Do I have permission to imagine Bomber Bradbury gesticulating loudly at a camera?

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • paulalambert,

    Yeah sure. Being a beneficiary, in terms of income I'd be considered at the lowest end of the scale. I'd rather eat slightly less than forego insurance, so that is what I do. I'm a bit peeved that for EQC claims under $20,000 I still have to pay a darn excess of $200 though, lol.

    chch • Since Dec 2006 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    Key was not in full-fledged-dumping mode at the 4.30pm press conf today. (I didn't see The Nation.) His speech notes included this:

    There are just over 160,000 homes in the Selwyn, Christchurch and Waimakariri areas, and there are estimates that 100,000 of them may be damaged, some beyond repair.

    We do not yet know how many people are uninsured, but officials, EQC and the insurance companies are working on that. I am advised that the national average of uninsured houses is around 5 per cent.

    It is important to note that any homeowner who has a mortgage or business that has borrowings, will almost certainly have insurance as a requirement of that liability.

    So yes, 5% of 100,000 houses may be uninsured, or 5,000 homes / 10,000 adults (ballpark)

    I will watch carefully to see what the Govt actually does in the coming weeks.

    I tend to like the thought of funding EQC's Natural Disaster Fund via a levy collected on top of rates instead of a levy collected on top of insurance - that will get almost 100% coverage.

    Also Key said in response to a question that EQC funds the first $1.5b from the fund, after which reinsurance of $2.5b starts to kick in.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • paulalambert,

    Many of that 5% may be older people who have finished paying off mortgages? My elderly disabled cousin finished paying her mortgage off three years ago and earlier this year went to the US for a large family wedding. She hasn't had insurance since then. Her home only lost its chimney and this morning I steered her in the direction of the Mayor's Fund, so here's hoping.....

    On the other hand I'm hoping there may be a silver lining and am keeping my eye on seek.co.nz for reliable diligent record-keeping typist or anything similar. There's got to be an upside somewhere!

    chch • Since Dec 2006 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Do any of the smart people out there understand this figure of 100,000 damaged homes in Canty?

    Do we even have that many homes?

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    At the 2006 census there were 201,657 'occupied private dwellings' in the Canterbury region.

    The region is Kaikoura south to Waitaki, with 2/3 of the population in Christchurch - say 135,000 homes.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Oh thanks, Phil. From the (residential) bits of Chch I've seen, the seriously damaged homes are a tiny, tiny minority. Thousands of homes will have lost a chimney, tens of thousands will have had a few possessions broken, which may or may not be worth claiming for.

    I struggle to imagine that the 100,000 figure is likely.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

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