Residents grateful for outside help

CHRISTCHURCH people affected by the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck their city in early September were extremely appreciative of the help received from outside agencies, according to one of the Manawatu District Council specialists involved in post-quake assistance programmes. 

Roading Team Leader, Jim Mestyanek, who helped assess the structural integrity of damaged buildings, felt residents had shown a positive attitude regarding their situation and were determined to “press onward and upwards”. 

“But it’s a serious disruption for them, with some unable to return to their homes, and initial assessments were for a five to eight-year recovery period. It was easy enough for me to go down there and come out after six days and be able to sleep in my own bed.” 

Assets Group Manager, Richard Kirby, was the other MDC representative to head south. He has been assisting Civic Assurance, the local government insurance provider, to assess water and wastewater infrastructural service needs in Christchurch City and the Waimakariri District. 

Mr Mestyanek, who initially trained in structural design including earthquake engineering, was part of a large team of outside building inspectors, engineers and consultants assessing buildings on whether they were safe to occupy or not. 

“It wasn’t about what needed to be repaired or as an insurance assessment, but a public safety exercise on a wide range of buildings ranging from residential homes on suburban properties to medium-rise buildings in town.” 

After the inspections, buildings received either green (not perfect, but inhabitable), yellow (seriously damaged, with limited accessibility to remove property) or red (highly dangerous, don’t go near) stickers. 

“We were mainly issuing green stickers, but there were some yellow and a few red.”

Mr Mestyanek said he experienced up to four after-shocks a day and said that people in the Manawatu-Wellington regions would describe them as a “good shake”.  

He described the damage as what he expected, after earlier viewing television images, and felt good at being given the opportunity to go to Christchurch and help people in need.