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Cera bill Survivor plans rescue party under fire in House

John Hartevelt THEY SAY The Government is again ■ ‘‘Only those powers considered necessary have been provided raising questions about the for.’’ – Ilam MP and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry future of earthquake-hit Brownlee suburbs as it ■ ‘‘Let’s be under no illusion – this authority will have enormous rushes recovery legislation power, and if that power is exercised appropriately and through Parliament. correctly, that is all for the good.’’ – Waimakariri MP and Parliamentary select com- Labour earthquake recovery spokesman mittee hearings on the Can- ■ ‘‘By focus, the Government seems to mean that power will be terbury Earthquake Recovery concentrated enormously in one person.’’ – Green Party MP Bill started in Wellington last Kennedy Graham night after the post-quake ■ ‘‘We simply did not have the capability to deal with a disaster political accord shattered and of this magnitude.’’ – Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene the Greens voted against the ■ ‘‘For some reason, there is a view that public participation is bill’s first reading. in conflict with rapid decision-making.’’ – Wigram MP Jim Earthquake Recovery Min- Anderton ister told Parliament that an effective recovery would be impossible under existing laws. The bill, which is expected to pass into law tomorrow, Council angry would give the new Canter- bury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) the power it needed to ‘‘facilitate and at short notice direct’’ recovery work, he said. Giles Brown community, by doing things Back on track: leaves Burwood Hospital yesterday after five weeks rehabilitation for injuries suffered in the February 22 earthquake. Photo: DEAN KOZANIC ‘‘These powers, I think, in secret and not being up- will be exercised sparingly, The Christchurch City front and open,’’ he said. ‘‘It but they will be particularly Council was given just a day’s doesn’t bode well for the important for the recovery of notice that a parliamentary future.’’ suburbs as well as for the select committee on the People were usually given CBD,’’ Brownlee said. Canterbury Earthquake adequate notice to make sub- In step with ‘different world’ The bill includes specific Recovery Bill will meet in the missions to select committees, powers for Cera to get city today. Johanson said. information from any source, The committee will meet at ‘‘There’s been no public Marc Greenhill own room and was off bed concerned family members to requisition and build on the Addington Events Centre input requested for this bill,’’ rest,’’ she said. ‘‘Those who and friends. land and to carry out demoli- from 10am to 2pm. he said. ‘‘It’s pretty unusual After seven weeks in hospital, complain about crutches have Many of the helpers and tions. Brownlee said the Mayor and Cr for a select committee to give a Christchurch earthquake never been on bed rest, I can their families, some from as powers to get information Yani Johanson said they just a day’s notice.’’ survivor is ready to throw a tell you that.’’ far as Ashburton, have visited were especially important. found out about the meeting Parker said he heard about party. Brower’s plans include a her in hospital. ‘‘Gathering information yesterday. the meeting yesterday after- It will not be a celebration ‘‘rescue party’’ to catch up Brower recalls the bus for a large data set that will Johanson said it was noon. of Ann Brower’s escape from with those who helped save rocking and bricks hitting the help make informed decisions ‘‘outrageous’’ that he was told The council would decide a wrecked bus in Colombo St her life. roof, but decided not to look about the future viability of at such short notice – by a this morning whether he or but a thank you to those who ‘‘There were a good 16 to 20 back at the wreckage. some streets, and indeed some community board member another representative rescued her on February 22. [helpers], but about six or ‘‘I haven’t had nightmares suburbs, in Christchurch is who had heard the news in a should attend, he said. The Lincoln University seven main players,’’ she said. or anything, and when I absolutely essential,’’ he said. media report. ‘‘Speed is of the essence lecturer suffered a broken leg ‘‘There are the three remember it, I don’t have a ‘‘This information must be ‘‘I am just shocked that here. The most important and severed tendons in her construction workers who panic attack or anything,’’ she able to be shared to ensure they didn’t tell the council- thing is that we get this hand and was believed to be were the first on the scene said. ‘‘I was awake pretty appropriate levels of consul- lors, and we haven’t been [legislation] in place so we can the only survivor on the No 3 and started clearing the much the whole time and I tation and explanation for the invited.’’ move on.’’ bus after it was hit by rubble. rubble away, and when I knew people were coming. decisions made.’’ Councillors had not been The city council had made Brower yesterday left started screaming, that ‘‘[The rescuers] saw much Brownlee said Cera would given a draft of the bill. written submissions asking Burwood Hospital after her brought the guys from the car worse than I did.’’ have the power ‘‘to obtain or ‘‘It’s a real concern if this for clarification on its role in long recovery, including six dealership and a few others.’’ Brower last week saw the require information from any is the respect they are going to relation to the bill, Parker weeks confined to her bed. Rescuer Rob Green, who damage around her home source, including the show the council and the said. Battered: Ann Brower in Christchurch Hospital just days after she ‘‘I’m a bit sad to leave recovered Brower’s bag and suburb of Sumner. commissioning of reports’’. suffered a broken leg and severed hand tendons when a bus was crushed because I have enjoyed my cellphone, rang her contacts ‘‘It’s a different world I’m Some of it would be commer- by rubble in the central city. Photo: CHRIS HILLOCK stay, especially once I got my and fielded calls from going home to,’’ she said. cially sensitive, but before Only the Green Party and tive and all he or she does,’’ he disseminating data, Cera independent MPs Hone said. would have to consider priv- Harawira and Chris Carter Green Party MP Kennedy acy principles. voted against the first reading Graham said the bill gave too Notice would have to be of the bill yesterday, but all much power to Brownlee. Japan rates its nuclear disaster as equal to Chernobyl provided to people with an Labour’s Canterbury MPs ‘‘The powers granted are interest in the land when Cera criticised it. excessive, the extent of public Japan has raised its assess- Nuclear and Industrial Safety released. The stricken nuclear aftershocks. The government according to the US Geologi- took land or built on it. Labour earthquake recov- involvement is inadequate ment of the severity of its Agency, said the decision to plant, about 220 kilometres widened the surrounding cal Survey. This followed a 6.6 There would be compen- ery spokesman Clayton Cos- and our constitutional nuclear emergency to the raise the severity of the north of Tokyo, is leaking evacuation zone on Monday. aftershock on Monday and a sation for people whose land grove said he would suggest a principles are violated,’’ he maximum seven on an inter- incident from level 5 to7–the radiation after a magnitude 9 A magnitude-6.4 earth- 7.1 aftershock on April 7. was forcibly taken, and series of amendments. said. national scale, putting it on a same as the Chernobyl disas- quake and tsunami on March quake struck off the coast of Fairfax and agencies Brownlee would also give ‘‘Mr Brownlee is the earth- Select committee hearings par with Chernobyl. ter in Ukraine in 1986 – was 11. Chiba, the prefecture east of quarterly reports to Parlia- quake tsar. He holds the pen were set down to continue in Hidehiko Nishiyama, a based on cumulative The power station has Tokyo, yesterday, swaying ❯❯ ment on Cera’s operations. over the [Cera] chief execu- Christchurch today. deputy director-general of the quantities of radiation withstood hundreds of buildings in the capital, Full story B1

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