Building inspectors fan out across Christchurch

Grant Cambpell and Denis Moore move equipment in Denis's Auto workshop after the earthquake that rocked Christchurch. Photo / Greg Bowker

Building inspectors have been fanning out across Christchurch evaluating buildings and checking on residents after Saturday's destructive earthquake.

Some 60 building inspectors from around the country are joining Christchurch City Council staff assessing the thousands of homes damaged by the earthquake and the aftershocks, which have rocked the city and surrounding Canterbury.

A total of 1798 commercial buildings assessments have been undertaken in the central business district and on arterial routes around the city.

Resources are stretched and staff are only dealing with properties which pose an immediate danger to people or other property. Property owners will need to seek independent building advice for matters not posing immediate danger.

Building inspectors and welfare staff were knocking on the doors of about 3600 households in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch today, looking to assess the needs of people and property. A similar exercise has also started in Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch, focusing on the worst affected properties.

At the same time, hundreds of insurance assessors, some from as far away as America and Europe, have arrived in Christchurch to deal with claims after the weekend's massive 7.1 magnitude quake, says the Insurance Council.

Council chief executive Chris Ryan said today the international staff would help assess the "enormous" quake damage.

The Earthquake Commission has received nearly 34,000 claims and expecting more than 100,000. It has been criticised as being slow to move and too hard to contact.

In Avonside, a health officer and building inspector worked in tandem to check on houses and their inhabitants.

Rod Whearty, from the Christchurch City Council, spoke to residents in doorways while Ray Bremer, who had come in to help from the Dunedin City Council, quickly checked structures for serious damage.

"Do you have good social networks? Friends and family who could support you?" he asked Terrina Osborne, who lived in her small house with a flatmate.

"Yeah," she said - like all the others.

"Are you alright for food? Do you have money budgeted for food?" Mr Whearty went on, following a checklist.

Mr Bremer was done with his inspection in half the time, putting a green sticker on Ms Osborne's door to mark that it was safe to stay in.

"All of them have problems but most are livable," Mr Bremer said.

"But the denial is wearing off, and I can sense anger about to break out soon."

A day earlier, he had been in Kaiapoi, a town north of Christchurch hit hard by the earthquake. About one in 19 houses inspected there were deemed unsafe to stay in.

One of the residents, Lisa Booth fled her house on Wednesday after seeing cracks on her walls and ceilings keep getting worse.

An aftershock that morning, which broke her house's water lines again, was particularly damaging.

A clean crack runs through the middle of Mrs Booth's living room where a wall had been knocked down during renovation. She fears it could still collapse on her.

"We were alright at first but the cracks just kept growing," she said.

"So we decided it was time we had to leave."

At her house yesterday was Hadas and Ronnie Livne, who Mrs Booth looks after as a nanny, and who had insisted on a quick visit to the damaged house.

Hadas, 6, said she wanted to get back to school.

The earthquake was scary, Hadas said, but yesterday she was chatty and in good spirits.

"I had to go under the blanket. It was kind of scary. I didn't scream though," she said.

"I didn't know how an earthquake felt. It was the first time in my life, not even a little one has happened in my life until this one. A window got sort of cracky."

She helped clean up her house by squeezing through a blocked door and clearing fallen tiles.