'Safe corridors' planned in Christchurch

Photo / Greg Bowker

Civil Defence plans to create "safe corridors" to buildings within Christchurch's quake-ravaged central business district.

The corridors were still in the planning stage and the specific routes would be revealed later this week, controller Steve Brazier told a media briefing today.

"It will ease congestion which is pretty terrible," he said.

Controlled access to some of the red zone via the corridors would start from Monday, he said.

Civil Defence has also formed a group to visit buildings in the area and ensure as many as possible are secured.

Staff had already gone through the CBD and shut doors but the new group would try to secure doors and windows that were broken or jammed.

So far, 23 demolition companies have been accredited by Civil Defence but any demolition work also required the approval of national controller John Hamilton.

Civil Defence said accreditation meant it had control over all demolitions and could make sure debris, including hazardous materials, was appropriately disposed of.

A moratorium on demolishing buildings in the CBD has been extended until Friday.

On Monday some business owners picketed Civil Defence headquarters and then forced their way through the central city cordon before being removed by police.

However, tensions appear to be easing between some Christchurch business owners and Civil Defence bosses.

The business owners have been angered about a lack of information and access to their properties, inside the red zone cordon which has been in place since the quake struck.

Today Sydenham businesses owners, with green or yellow placards on their buildings were given controlled access for three hours to retrieve essential items.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Police today officially thanked and farewelled their Australian colleagues for their hard work in Christchurch.

More than 300 Australian police officers flew into Christchurch three days after the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 182 people and largely destroyed the city's central business district on February 22.

They were sworn in with New Zealand policing powers, and since then have been working alongside New Zealand officers enforcing law and order and helping Christchurch people.

This week they return home.

Each officer was presented with a piece of pounamu (greenstone), regarded by Maori as a treasure of great spiritual value, and a poroporoaki (Maori farewell ceremony) was performed.

On Monday, New South Wales team operations commander Superintendent Max Mitchell told Australian Associated Press their experience in Christchurch had left many officers feeling torn.

"They've loved us, the people of Christchurch and Canterbury have absolutely loved the Australian police," he said.

"(That) has been overwhelming for us because some of us come from areas back home where obviously the community may not feel the same way about their local police."

Christchurch City Council today said some planned events, including Music Month and Show Week, would go ahead despite the disaster.

Although Christchurch's Rugby World Cup matches had been cancelled, the council will put on a Rugby World Cup festival.

Planning was also underway for the ANZAC Day dawn service on April 25, usually held in Cathedral Square - which was devastated by the quake.

Lincoln University said this year's graduation ceremony would be held in Lincoln, rather than Christchurch, due to the quake.

- NZPA