Bishop wants ‘Fix or shut’ buildings call beach in Enforce standards, Square Marc Greenhill engineer urges
[email protected] Ben Heather An engineer from Lewis Christchurch’s Cathedral
[email protected] Bradford inspected the build- Square could be transformed ing after the September 2010 into an artificial beach with All quake-prone Canterbury quake. They found some large movie screens. buildings should be streng- damage and recommended Bishop of Christchurch thened or shut down, an repairs, which were then Victoria Matthews said the inquiry has heard. done. However, engineers proposal could help make the Craig Lewis, the director of were not asked to recheck the earthquake-damaged square engineering firm Lewis Brad- building after the Boxing Day ‘‘welcoming and engaging’’ ford, told the Canterbury 2010 quake. again. She spoke about the earthquake royal commission Lewis said the significant idea during the visit of the ongoing shaking meant a damage caused by the Boxing Australian governor-general minimum building strength Day shake had been a ‘‘wake- to Christchurch. standard needed to be en- up call’’ for engineers and led ‘‘One conversation that’s forced. to a more cautious approach. just beginning is to do a ‘‘There needs to be more ‘‘I often think, I wish I had Re:Start here [in the Square] immediacy and more definite picked up the phone and and having a giant movie boundaries for engineers to called a number of clients screen, [and] artificial beach work with,’’ he said. ‘‘It is [after Boxing Day],’’ he said. and trying to bring people better to be cautious than ‘‘In reality and given the into a place that has actually suffer the events that time commitments, we often caused fear to make it wel- occurred on February 22.’’ didn’t do that.’’ coming and engaging again,’’ An ‘‘absolute minimum’’ Christchurch property de- Matthews said.