Earthquakes

Christchurch Earthquake Case

Study

The earthquake occurred on New Zealand’s South Island, 10km west of

Christchurch, at 12.51pm on 22nd February 2011 and lasted just 10
seconds. Measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale and, at 4.99 km deep,
the earthquake was very shallow. The earthquake occurred along a
conservative margin between the Pacific Plate and the Australasian Plate.

WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF THE

CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE?
The primary effects included:

 Christchurch, New Zealand’s second city, experienced extensive

damage
 185 people were killed
 3129 people were injured
 6800 people received minor injuries
 100,000 properties were damaged and 10,000 were demolished by
the earthquake
 $28 billion of damage was caused
 water and sewage pipes were damaged
 the cathedral spire collapsed
 liquefaction destroyed many roads and buildings

The secondary effects included:

  2200 people had to live in temporary housing
 five Rugby World Cup matches were cancelled
 schools were closed for two weeks
 1/5 of the population migrated from the city
 many businesses were closed for a long time
 two large aftershocks struck Christchurch less than 4 months after
the city was devastated
 Economists have suggested that it will take 50 to 100 years for New
Zealand’s eocnomy to recover
 80% of respondents to a post-event survey, stated that their lives had
changed significantly since the earthquake

WHAT WERE THE IMMEDIATE

RESPONSES TO THE CHRISTCHURCH
EARTHQUAKE?

 around $6-7 million of international aid was provided

 The Red Cross and other charities supplied aid workers
 rescue crews from all over the world, including the UK, USA, Taiwan
and Australia provided support
 more than 300 Australian police officers flew into Christchurch three
days after the earthquake. They were sworn in with New Zealand
policing powers and worked alongside New Zealand officers enforcing
law and order and reassuring the people of Christchurch
 30,000 residents were provided with chemical toilets

WHAT WERE THE LONG-TERM

RESPONSES TO THE CHRISTCHURCH
EARTHQUAKE?
 the construction of around 10,000 affordable homes
 water and sewage were restored by August 2011
 temporary housing was provided by the New Zealand governement
 Many NGOs provided support including Save the Children
 Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority was created to organise
rebuilding the region. It had special powers to change planning laws
and regulations.