press.co.nz WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011 Retail $1.40

■ AIR POLLUTION 26,000 hit the road after quake

Sam Sachdeva and Danya Levy

More than 26,000 Cantabrians have left the region since the February 22 earthquake. Voter enrolment figures provided to show 71,366 Canterbury voters changed their electorates after the February 22 quake. Of those voters, 45,253 moved within the region, while 26,113 left. The Selwyn electorate, which had a net loss of 6428 voters, and the Waimakariri electorate, with a net loss of 5244 voters, had the biggest number of departures. Voters in quake-hit eastern have stayed loyal to their electorate, with Dawn chill: Christchurch is blanketed in fog while the morning sun lights the Southern Alps. The photograph was taken from Redcliffs yesterday. Photo: DAVID HALLETT a net loss of only 435 voters – the smallest loss of the seven Canterbury electorates. A net total of 2145 voters left Christchurch Central, while 3343 left Ilam, 3375 left Shakes raise city’s smog readings Port Hills and 5143 left Wigram. The biggest David Williams using,’’Taylor said. ‘‘You may benefactors from the voter [email protected] Ifyoulookattheactualnumberofdaysofhighpollution,ifyoutakeout also find people are using movement were Kaikoura, appliances more frequently which gained 2228 Canterbury Earthquakes are to blame for the earthquake-related effects, it’s very similar to last year. than in the past.’’ voters, Rangitata, which most of Christchurch’s high ‘ Ken Taylor He said that because pol- gained 2220, and Waitaki, ‘‘There is a short-term ister said the smog readings this year, ECan manager lution nights depended on which gained 1588. period when people leave, but fact that most residents had Environment Canterbury still, cold weather, it was The Electoral Enrolment over the long term they will relocated within the region (ECan) says. possible to have fewer Centre statistics tracked elec- come back or other people will was ‘‘incredibly encourag- Considering the mild start the air after the February 22 tres, which is about one- the region’s air quality would emissions and have a bad torate changes between take their place,’’ he said. ing’’. to the winter, with the and June 13 quakes. seventh the width of a human be boosted by the quake, winter. February 22 and July 19 and While the voter movement ‘‘What it means is that country’s warmest May on Four of the high readings hair. considering homeowners Canterbury medical officer did not include voters who would have an effect on people are just getting on with record and the third-warmest at the city’s air-monitoring ECan also measures fine could use insurance cover to of health Alistair Humphrey moved into the region from electorate sizes, it was too late things,’’ he said. June, Christchurch has had sites in Woolston and St particulates, below 2.5 switch to cleaner forms of said the theoretical risk of other parts of New Zealand. to make any changes for the Brownlee said not all the an abnormally high number Albans occurred within a microns in size. heating. health problems related to Wigram MP Jim Anderton November 26 election, he said. moving would be quake- of high-pollution days – 21 to month of February 22, while Taylor said smoke from About 30,000 chimneys in liquefaction silt in the air had said he was surprised by the ‘‘You’ve got to give a bit of related as there was generally July 31. the air standards were fires and other heating Canterbury have been not increased hospital admis- high number of reported slack to this whole thing. a 30 per cent churn over a Last year there were only breached on four consecutive appliances had a huge com- damaged or toppled by the sions for respiratory prob- departures in his electorate. We’ll have two or three years three-year electoral cycle. 12 breaches of the health days after June 13. ponent of fine particles. quakes. lems. ‘‘I haven’t got a feel for that before the new boundaries are ‘‘My observation over the guidelines for particulates in ‘‘If you look at the actual Therefore, if the bulk of However, ECan is not ri- ‘‘It’s something we could number of people leaving. In drawn.’’ past five elections would be the air, the lowest number number of days of high particulates were fine on a gorously enforcing a ban on have expected but it hasn’t quite a few areas of the Anderton did not believe that in election years you tend since records began in 1999. pollution, if you take out the high air-pollution night, there using older woodburners and materialised.’’ electorate, there’s no real that any political parties to get a lot of change in the ECan director of investi- earthquake-related effects, it’s was a strong likelihood that open fires from April and In recent weeks, trucks damage at all.’’ He said the would be disproportionately electorate because people gations and monitoring Ken very similar to last year,’’ home heating was to blame, September because of the ladened with demolition number of departures across affected by the changes. leave [changing] their details Taylor said only nine of this Taylor said. he said. quakes. debris leaving the central city Canterbury, which would not ‘‘Earthquakes don’t have a until the last minute,’’ he said. year’s high-pollution nights Air pollution is measured Soon after the September 4 ‘‘It may be that people are had been dampened down to have included people aged political colour. Redcliffs got were ‘‘typical’’, with the other by the amount of particulates quake, Energy and Resources using appliances that they prevent dust coming off them, under 18, was ‘‘quite a big hit and got hit.’’ 12 related to dust and silt in in the air below 10 microme- Minister Gerry Brownlee said wouldn’t have otherwise been he said. movement’’. Earthquake Recovery Min- ❯❯ To A2 Apologies for failure to publish after computer fault

Dear readers, mechanical breakdowns, but significant system problems, reminded by our production result of yesterday’s trial, down yesterday. Subscribers It was the day no-one in we couldn’t overcome a which also affected other team that, despite a fire in the with your television and will be credited for that our industry ever wants to problem in our servers which papers such as the Dominion press hall of our old central- computer liftout The Box, edition, and we are working contemplate – when we fail to disabled our main advertising Post, and we have city building in 2009, they still plus this month’s edition of At with advertisers on a solution print a paper. and editorial production commissioned an managed to produce an Home. for their businesses. As you will know, system, despite the very best independent expert to identify emergency newspaper the Zest will be in tomorrow’s And here’s hoping that yesterday was that day, and a efforts of all our IT specialists. the cause. next day after using hair paper with Good Living, and such troubles do only come in major computer fault meant The back-up systems also It is also the first time The dryers on an electrical cabinet we return to our normal threes, and we are now past we were not able to produce failed and it took nearly 24 Press has missed an edition in to clear it of excess water from configuration on Friday. them. your copy of The Press. hours for processes to be fully the memory of those now the sprinklers. We would like to apologise We have defied restored. It is the first time we associated with the paper. Today’s paper has a to all our readers and ANDREW BOYLE General Manager Andrew Boyle earthquakes, snow and have experienced such Your editor had to be slightly different line-up as a advertisers for letting you ANDREW HOLDEN Editor Andrew Holden

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