Canterbury earthquake
Last Friday I went down to Christchurch to inspect the recovery work and thank the local firefighters for their efforts over the last week.
As the Minister of Internal Affairs I have responsibility for the Fire Service, and the local firefighters down there have done an outstanding job. I heard some amazing stories of firefighters who saw their own homes destroyed but rushed off to help others in need.
Many people are still shaken and upset by this event and the continuing aftershocks. Even just the presence of uniformed firefighters gives a real boost to the community.
The public feedback has been fantastic and I saw some wonderful ‘thank you’ notes from the public at one local fire station.
Additional crews are now being deployed from around New Zealand to relieve tired staff and increase the resources on the front line.
There is still plenty of hard work ahead, but this has been another reminder of how much our society relies on emergency services like firefighters in times of need.
The recovery will take a long time, but the government is making a huge effort to help the people of Canterbury.
Emergency assistance is available to help small and medium sized businesses keeping paying wages to staff. We are speeding up the processes where possible to make sure that damaged property is repaired quickly, and there is $94 million immediately available to repair roads.
An international study last week showed that New Zealanders – along with Australians – are the most willing in the world to donate their time and money to charity, which is not a big surprise to me. You can donate to the Canterbury relief effort at www.redcross.org.nz.
In terms of our region, it has reinforced to me just how important it is to get Transmission Gully built. In the event of an earthquake we need to have more than just one way in and out of Wellington.
We have an Emergency Management Office in Paraparaumu and local councils have plans for dealing with emergencies, but responsibility lies with all of us to prepare for events like this.
Every household should have emergency food and water stored along with a radio, first aid kit and any medical supplies you might need. You can find more information on how to prepare at www.getthru.govt.nz.