simonsi

I disagree, due to the logistics and time delays to provide immediate aid it became clear that the aid such as dogs and digging teams wouldn´t be needed before they could be despatched. Secondary aid (ie finance), normally comes with conditions (and there weren´t TV screens full of deaths and orphans to drive a cash appeal in any case). So the govt has opted to circulate the $2Bn rebuild costs in the NZ economy, which seems sensible providing it isn´t allowed to leak out into foreign construction firms....

mickey_d

$4Bn now

Genesis

No worries. The tax payer will pick up the bill. We will just have less schools, doctors and coppers. No worries mate, she'll be right. Some times this country is soooooooooooooooooooo God damned pathetic. Rant over. Sick of one rule for you lot who lost the shirts off yer backs and another for you lot who suffered the same. If you like consistency give NZ a huge birth. I would suggest Oz if you are thinking of coming down under. The way I feel just now I would happily piss off to Taz.

luvwelly

And if no outside contractors come in, how long do you suppose the rebuilding will take? People have to live somewhere.

mickey_d

Be interesting to see how the insurance companies cope with the big payouts, saw last night they are already refusing new cover in Christchurch area. Huge rises for us I suppose.

simonsi

NZ construction is in recession isn´t it - or was? No problem with subbie labour as long as the corp profit stays in NZ - hence I used the phrase "foreign construction firms".

simonsi

I´m not sure thats a NZ-specific issue, the western worls is littered with bailed-out finance issues and collapsed firms - probably according more to which politicians were in with the firm than in which country the collapse (or rescue) happened....if you see what I mean...

Genesis

Yeah I am sure you are right. NZ might be a great place to raise my kids, have empty beaches et al but I am soooooooooo pissed off with this crap administration and the one that went before it for a whole raft of reasons. Judges allowing 17 drink drive convictions afore jailing. Pissed up fleeing from police twat driver kills woman. For xxxx sake home detention????????????????????????????????????? What kind of detterent is that..or closure for the grieving family? Give the idiot 10 years. That is what death by reckless is in the UK. Key not listening to the anti slap referendom..why bloody bother doing it then? And the final insult is that the NZ govt KNEW that SCF was failing and was a slow train wreck happening before their eyes and YET they let them join the guarantee scheme. What a weak bunch of individuals. I will never ever vote again. I am sick of all politicians. But no worries us tax payers will pay for the lot. Yeah right.

Bo-Jangles

Don't worry about them they have plenty of wonga and will replenish the coffers soon enough by putting up the premiums. They've been obscenely quick to be advertising this week, with non-stop insurance ads on the blooming radio.

I can remember being similarly blase about the earthquake risks at the time we were in full swing in making plans to move here and the comments above all sound very familiar. Having seen this week the evidence of people who have lost everything, they're homes, business and jobs in less than one minute on Saturday morning, it makes me go cold. I can't figure how we ever thought this was a good idea or how we cultivated that bullet-proof mentality of 'she'll be right'.

The emigration process is like some insane driving force that gathers so much momentum, the further in you get in, the more you invest the harder it is to back out and nothing was ever going to stop us. I'm sad and angry at myself: seriously questioning our sanity and I'm not sure I want to be here right now. No amount of community spirit, Kiwi kindness or bravado can ever make up for the sheer loss the people of Christchurch have endured and I think if I were seeing these scenes five years ago I would be having serious crisis talks about why I would unnecessarily put myself into what is essentially a disaster zone just waiting to happen. Is it really worth it?

Jan n Neil

There have been people in the UK over the last few years who lost everything in various floods....and could not get house insurance afterwards.

jmh

I think you make a good point but I don't know how people can get round that. We block off any negative information to chase our dream. A bit like marrying the wealthy millionaire or gorgeous babe, convincing ourselves it is love and that the money or large chest is irrelevant. Or getting a boob job and claiming that we are empowering ourselves. Yeah right.

Hopefully as we get older we can recognised the self imposed blindness, but I'm not sure how successful we are. Still I think taking a chance is worth the experience at least even if we find it was the wrong choice. At least we learned something.

chocolate cake

Should be covered by the earthquake commision it was set up after the Napier quake and supposedly had $5bn in it, so unless it's been raided there ought to be plenty in the tin.

Mrs Pointer

Yes it made me think but I already knew it was likely, but no one died. Remember the big storm in the UK in 1987 - killed 18 people. The planet does weird things.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._by_death_toll
and stay out of ships - far more dangerous

luvwelly

It's not just about deaths...it's a quality of life thing. Property-damage wise - there's no comparison....my house lost some roof tiles in that storm, the trains didn't run for 2 days, roof got fixed on Day 2 and all seemingly back to normal by Day 3. Difference is in NZ it is inevitable...it is in an earthquake zone - everyone can be in denial about this for years until a serious one - damage wise like this one happens.

I've always worried about this but thought I'd get away with it as only here for a few years.....the tremors I have experienced have been very frightening - there have been 3 in 3 years.....obviously they were nothing compared to the Christchurch one.....if I'd experienced that directly and all the aftershocks, I reckon I'd be looking to leave asap.

I always used to be horrified by tv coverage of hurricane damage in USA as well....why would you choose to live in those areas?
Seriously MrsPointer - stay in Lanarkshire where you are safe...scenery's just as good too.

luvwelly

I agree...hey we nearly always agree Bo.