Christchurch aftershocks: No delay to rebuild checks

Gerry Brownlee. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The severe aftershocks won't hold up announcements on the long-term viability of quake-hit areas, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Christchurch residents are anxiously waiting for decisions on which parts of the city will be safe to rebuild on, and which won't, as a result of the February 22 quake.

"I don't think this will hold us up, I think if anything in some areas it makes the decision blindingly obvious," Mr Brownlee said last night on TV3.

"Given the events of today, I think everyone who is part of that decision will understand the need for greater haste." Mr Brownlee said last night he would be meeting engineers who had been investigating the impact of the latest aftershocks.

"I think it just confirms what many people have known - that it would be a challenge to rebuild in some of those areas, but exactly where those lines are drawn still remains a question," he said.

"Everybody is pushing for a timeline and every time I mention a possible timeline it's like hanging out bait for people and it's a little unfair."

Mr Brownlee said all he could say was "we're doing everything we can to speed the decisions".

- NZPA