Bright lights, uncaring city

Photo / Greg Bowker

With poor turnout at memorial services and the cancellation of a charity concert, Lisa Bradley asks whether Aucklanders really care about Christchurch.

Within minutes of Christchurch being brought to its knees by the February 22 earthquake, news had spread from one end of the country to the other. That nature had served such a king hit to one our own seemed unbelievable.

Kiwis gawped at television coverage of the crumbling city, which has so far claimed the lives of 169 people - and they have been wearing their hearts on black-and-red sleeves ever since.

The message has been clear: One people, one nation in a crisis.

But there appear to be a large number of Kiwis missing from the equation - nearly 1.4 million, in fact. Aucklanders. Have they gone Awol? Is the population of our largest city off getting a rice-milk latte while the nation digs deep into stretched pockets?

That was the grumble about the Queen City when, during the commemorative services last month, Auckland's turnout was a few Jafas short of a box.

Some correspondents were also angry after NZ Herald columnist Brian Rudman warned that rebuilding Christchurch shouldn't distract from expanding Auckland's commuter rail infrastructure.

From Christchurch and the rest of the country, the fury was directed not just at Rudman but at all "Dorklanders".

"All you do is come across as selfish, self-centred and inconsiderate," wrote one commenter at nzherald.co.nz.

Another on a Trade Me forum asked: "Is Brian Rudman one of many callous Jafas worried our predicament means they will miss out on motorways?"

The final straw was when a lack of interest caused the cancellation the Christchurch Earthquake Benefit, which was to have been held on Friday at the ASB Showgrounds.

Posting on the TV3 website, Alone in Christchurch asked whether Aucklanders were more interested in attending the Rugby World Cup matches they had taken from Christchurch.

THINGS HAD started well. Charity concert organiser John Paul Moss got moving 48 minutes after the 6.8-magnitude Christchurch quake. He had soon signed about 40 top acts, including hip-hop legend King Kapisi, and secured a free venue, cleaning, security and production services.

Moss was understandably optimistic that the event could pull the 20,000 people needed to make it viable when 16,625 ticked "attending" on the event's Facebook page. But fewer than 4000 bought the $40 tickets to the charity concert.

Moss says he has heard of critical comments, a "huge" number of which have been left on his Facebook page. "Slack bloody Aucklanders," writes one person. "Do not let the side down," another says.

"A couple of people have remarked to me that Aucklanders don't stand up and support this kind of thing," Moss says. "I can't comment on Auckland apathy. All I have done is stand up and try to give it a go because I do truly give a damn."

Such feedback has encouraged Moss to try again, later this year. If he is successful, he will be able to write out a cheque for about $1 million for the Red Cross and give the City of Sails some pride in itself.

But could Alone in Christchurch be on to something? Was the poor turnout at the two-minutes-of-silence services a sign of a city too busy to care? Wellington pulled 5000 people to Parliament's doorstep and Dunedin got almost as many.

In faraway London, 2000 people turned out for a service that night. Even Palmerston North, considered the place to pop your clogs by heartless British comedian John Cleese, gathered 1000 people in solidarity of Christchurch with a service at All Saints Cathedral.

Yet Auckland - which boasts a third of the country's population - could rustle up only a few small clusters of people: about 500 at a service in Parnell's Holy Trinity Cathedral and smaller crowds at Victoria Park and Aotea Square.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown denies the city lacks heart. More than 1000 residents opened their homes to people from Christchurch, he said, as communities and businesses rallied.

The council contributed $1.5 million and sent staff. Emergency services gave freely of their skills and the city has been alive with fundraising activities, Brown says. "It is a disservice to suggest Aucklanders are different from any other New Zealander," he says. "Everyone is doing what they can to send love, support, financial help and practical assistance to our fellow Kiwis in Canterbury."

And Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker is certainly not complaining. He says he has been humbled by the heartfelt support from the country's biggest city. "Auckland has certainly done its fair share of showing how much it cares about us following the biggest natural disaster this country has ever witnessed," he says.

Christchurch personality Gary McCormick, chatting while clearing out rubble from his trashed garage in earthquake-struck Lyttelton, says he has observed considerable support coming from Aucklanders. "Christchurch would let the country know if Auckland had let it down, and I'd be the first you tell you about it."

McCormick says the dulled interest in last Friday's benefit concert is more likely the result of a country saturated by fundraising events since the quake. "Perhaps we need to back off," he says. "There are only so many consumer dollars."

Yes, the country has mucked in for Christchurch with cake sales, concerts everywhere including Wellington's Cuba Mall and Auckland's Sale St, comedy shows and school galas. Just yesterday, Auckland residents in the suburb of Waterview put together a big garage sale to raise money for the Red Cross appeal.

One musician who had put his name down to perform at the ASB Showgrounds benefit concert, Koa Williams from band Rhombus, says New Zealanders could simply be unable to keep on giving in today's economic climate.

Another concert act, singer Tina Cross, says the passing of time is a factor, too. "It's not so much that we don't care," Cross says, "but the shock element is gone."

Both artists hope to participate in Moss' new fundraiser. Moss' plans were the most ambitious planned for Christchurch, says Cross, praising the organiser for trying to get the event off the ground.

And, despite his disappointment, Moss defends Aucklanders and insists they will - eventually - turn out to support Christchurch.

"The consensus is we can do it, and Auckland can do it," he says. "We're New Zealanders, stand up." Moss says.