Port Hills decision impacts s124 notices

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says today’s Government announcement on Port Hills zoning has brought more certainty for many residents.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) today announced 1107 Port Hills houses would be re-zoned white to green, 285 re-zoned white to red and 166 would remain white while further geotechnical assessments were carried out.

This announcement has an impact on Christchurch City Council-managed section 124 notices issued in the Port Hills to prohibit occupation of any homes deemed too dangerous to live in by geotechnical experts. Section 124 notices can be issued for one of two reasons: because of geotechnical hazards including rockfall, cliff collapse and landslip or because of structural hazard. Today’s announcement affects only geotechnical s124s. The notices indicate a very real, localised danger to residents living in these homes based on the advice of geotechnical experts.

“The earthquakes caused huge damage in the hills and have led to ongoing instability and the threat of further rockfall, cliff collapse and landslip. Assessing the levels of risk to different properties has been a huge task, and in some instances we’ve asked geotechnical engineers and scientists to carry out work that’s never been undertaken such a densely populated area,” Mayor Parker says.

“All the while, our residents have been faced with uncertainty over the future of their homes. It has been a challenging time for them, and those remaining white are being asked for further patience to ensure the right decisions are made. We are all working as swiftly as possible to address the issues.”

My house was re-zoned white to green today – what happens with my s124 notice?

Section 124 notices will be removed from all properties re-zoned white to green today. There are 126 notices in this situation. Once CERA has informed you that your house has been re-zoned to green, you can move back home immediately. Council staff will visit each home to physically remove the notices.
My house was re-zoned white to red today – what happens with my s124 notice?

Section 124 notices will remain on all properties re-zoned white to red today. There are 206 notices in this situation. The notices remain because they indicate a very real, localised danger. Also, CERA’s decision on acceptable levels of life risk have found that it is not safe to live in these areas.

If your red-zoned house does not have an s124 notice, it is possible that ongoing, localised assessments result in the issue of a new notice. The Council will contact you personally in the next two weeks if that is the case.

My house is still zoned white – what happens with my s124 notice?

Section 124 notices will remain on properties that are still in the white zone. There are 114 notices in this situation. The Council will not issue any new s124 notices in this white zone as assessments are still ongoing, unless new hazards are identified as a result of aftershocks or weather events.

Existing green zone section 124s (areas zoned green prior to today’s announcement)

If your house was zoned green by CERA as a result of a past announcement, and you have been issued a section 124 notice, this will remain in place. Further investigations are required in these areas in coming months. These residents will be kept informed of progress and will be telephoned today by Council staff to outline the situation.

The Council will continue to work alongside CERA to address the geotechnical issues in the hills.

Visit www.ccc.govt.nz/porthillsgeotech for more information, including a letter being sent to residents and further Frequently Asked Questions.