Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme
Meeting the housing need in Canterbury
Te Manapou i te Haumanutanga o Waitaha
Contributing to the earthquake recovery of Canterbury
Over the next ten years, housing in Canterbury will be transformed.
Housing New Zealand has a major role to play in the rebuild, specifically in the critical area of residential housing development.
The sequence of earthquakes that began on 4 September 2010 resulted in damage to 95 per cent of the Corporation’s properties in Canterbury. Our aim is to rebuild and repair these properties using recognised techniques and expertise that will provide better and more sustainable housing options.
The government’s earthquake recovery strategy contains si
x components of recovery:
- Leadership and integration
- Economic recovery
- Social recovery
- Cultural recovery
- Built environment
- Natural environment
Read more about the new build...
Housing New Zealand’s Canterbury Investment Plan is a $1billion commitment to the recovery of the region, taking the lead in residential housing and making a significant contribution to the economic, cultural and social recovery, the built and natural environment.
The Corporation’s recovery strategy for Canterbury will pave the way for new and different types of social and affordable housing throughout New Zealand.
Message from Sean Bignell 
General Manager, Asset Development
We have embarked on an ambitious programme in Canterbury, dedicated to rebuilding and repairing residential properties. It
is the start of a new era in social and affordable housing. Our intention is to use international best practice to develop apartments and houses that meet the needs of the modern
family and household.
The history of state housing in New Zealand is impressive with recognition last century that there will always be people who need to be housed. Our vision that ‘New Zealanders in need have access to the right house, in the right place and at the right time, for as long as that need exists’ has manifested itself in more than 6000 properties in Canterbury. Because of the extent of the damage to most of the housing stock, it is opportune to build and repair in ways that will provide for current housing trends. The original solid brick state house with its tiled roof in the middle of a large urban section will be replaced with mixed tenure housing. What does this mean?
Overseas more and more social housing is geared towards communities of interest where there are opportunities for homes to be rented, leased or privately owned. In New Zealand, we have done the research and can see the benefits of this type of housing. Canterbury is one of the first regions to adopt this model, with similar plans initiated in Auckland, of varying scale. This is a ten year plan and this website will provide you with detailed information about everything that we do.
Message from Andrew Booker
Earthquake Recovery Programme Manager
We are here for the long term. Our repair programme isn't just about fixing the Corporation’s properties that were damaged in the earthquakes. It is about our commitment to Canterbury and our leading interest in ensuring the way forward for urban development. Redesigning the face of suburban Christchurch and parts of Kaiapoi is vitally important. It is a real opportunity following such a disaster, and Housing New Zealand’s role
is essential.
Redeveloping the suburbs so that communities can recreate and reposition themselves is essential. To achieve this, we are working closely with territorial authorities, making sure that we reflect their forward thinking strategies to meet the housing needs of the community. It isn’t just about housing. It is about the necessities of infrastructure, of transport, of access to health and education, retail outlets. In short, everything that enables a good community to be developed, established and in place for the long term.
We cannot work in isolation which is why other government departments and agencies as well as the Canterbury local authorities, community and social organisations are so important. As we progress the implementation of our plans, we will endeavour to invite your participation and comment. This website is one way that we can explain what we are doing, the timelines and what the experts recommend. We look forward to your contribution.
