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A special service at the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial today will mark the eighth anniversary of the earthquake that struck Canterbury in 2011 and forever changed the region.
Christchurch City Council is planning a “low-key event” for this year’s service, Stuff reports. The service will begin at 12:30pm on the north bank of the memorial site, on the corner of Montreal St and Cambridge Tce in the central city. People will also be given the opportunity to lay floral tributes at the memorial wall across the river. At 12:51pm, the time of the earthquake, a River of Flowers ceremony is also planned at The Bricks on the corner of Barbadoes St and Oxford Tce.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel told the publication an exhibition of photos and stories from the Avonside communities will also open in Retreat Reserve.
Eight years on from the devastating quake, how are the Canterbury quake insurance claims progressing? As of December 31, 2018, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) was managing 2,277 Canterbury quake claims, down from the 2,337 claims in November. Data from EQC shows it settled 428 new claims generally for remedial damage or drainage repairs and settled 555 claims in December.
“We acknowledge there is still room for improvement, but claims settlement is certainly speeding up and this work will continue in 2019,” EQC said.
