Mayor Bob Parker inspects the damage from the Christchurch earthquake with Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Sarah Ivey
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Mayor Bob Parker says Christchurch city is coping "amazingly well" with the continuing fall-out from Saturday morning's earthquake, but he is urging people to talk to each other for support.
"People need help to unload that internal pressure," he said, after expressing concern that five days after the earthquake people
were facing up to the psychological trauma of the situation.
He said he had spoken to the Dean of Christchurch, the Very Rev Peter Beck, about getting church halls around the city open and offering people a cup of tea and a place to talk. Some of this was already happening.
"We need to be talking as a community. That is one of the most healing things we can do for each other," he told a midday media conference at the civil defence headquarters at the Christchurch Art Gallery.
The headquarters was evacuated briefly this morning when a 5.1 scale after-shock cut power, but the emergency services were soon back in action.
No more casualties were reported from the short, sharp tremor just before 8am, he said.
He spoke of the state of emergency being extended for another week to give the emergency response officials the easy ability to order evacuations and requisition supplies and equipment that might be needed. "It does send an important message," he said.
"This is not a short term event either from the prospect of recovery or on-going after-shocks. The scientists tell us we could be experiencing after-shocks for months. That's a really hard thing to hear but it is the reality of the situation.
"I think we are coping amazingly well," said the mayor.
He believed the remaining welfare centres - one was closed because of damage yesterday - would be under additional pressure because the shake this morning.
But he said he was impressed by the city's response, even in providing additional pillows and blankets when they were needed, and by gifts of food.
There were continuous offers of help from volunteers. Groups wanting to volunteer should call the council on 941-8999 so that volunteer efforts could be co-ordinated.
The major focus today is on the east of the city. Teams had been working on the infrastructure in the area from the beginning, but today they would be going house-to-house in the Bexley and Brooklands areas to ascertain the condition of houses and the people in them.
- NZPA
