1. Development of Issues Register & Management System
2.  Completion of the CanCERN Business Plan for presentation to Minister Brownlee and letter to Minister Brownlee seeking clarification re CERA roles and appointments.
3. Endorsements of CanCERN from National Controller of Civil Defence, Mayors of CCC & WDC, MSD Welfare Operations Manager, Community Sector Task Force
4. Establishment of regular liaison meetings of local MPs
5. Establishment of relationship with Fletchers EQR and publication of a joint communique with respect to Emergency Repairs
6. Establishment of new membership relationships with 15 Community Organisations primarily affected by the February quake, including communities in the eastern and hill suburbs and Lyttelton
7. Establishment of new Community Organisations
8. Consolidation of Community Organisations
9. Recent inclusion in Welfare Planning Group meetings

March 2011 - CanCERN Office establised

1. Establishment of CanCERN Office, including networked IT system with broadband access, email accounts and printing facility
2. Clarification of oversight roles of the three fulltime Secretariat workers: External Agency Relationships, Central Admin & Systems, and Community Relationships
3.  Publication of CanCERN Website
4. “Regenerating Christchurch” meeting on 27 March, attended by trade union, small business, community, and community support sector organisations.  The primary speaker was Conal McFeely from Northern Ireland who spoke about the many parallels between Christchurch’s and Derry’s situations: check out: Derry in Northern Ireland could hold the answer for our community as to how our town and city moves forward in its regeneration following the earthquakes.doc
5. Implementation of weekly Community Briefings with the National Controller Civil Defence including joint communique (including CCC and EQC) regarding a community fix for sewer laterals and inclusion of community leaders on a geotech field trip of the porthills.  Also continued attendance of Secretariat members in the MP briefings by CD.

 Following the September 2010 earthquake CanCERN have completed the following:

• Directly established earthquake-related community groups
• Documented the success criteria of these successful groups to guide other streets and neighbourhoods in establishing their own community groups
• Developed the powerful “communication tree” process for community groups to convey street-level and individual-level needs to CanCERN for passing on to recovery agencies
• Hosted Best Practice Recovery Seminar for lead agencies, MPs, Councillors, Community Board members, CanCERN members.
• Established working relationships and/or dialogue networks with:CERC,  MSD,  Civil Defence,EQC, HNZC, Neighbourhood Support,Christchurch City Council, Insurers, Local MPs, Waimakariri District Council, Fletchers, Council Social Services, Community Boards and Infrastructure Contractors

Recognising leadership issues in earthquake recovery

CanCERN has been central in advocating for clear strategic leadership and greater clarity of roles, responsibilities and lines of communication following the September quake.  These concerns are currently being addressed following the February quake with both the declaration of a national state of emergency during the emergency response phase and a greater role for central governmnet partnering with local authorities in the recovery phase.

Funding for temporary accommodation with MSD
People who had relocated due to the September earthquake and whose insurance cover to pay for their temporary accommodation had expired, had difficulty funding their accommodation while also meeting mortgage commitments on their home.  CanCERN worked with MSD to set up the Temporary Accommodation Assistance package to address this.  This package is continuing to be used following the February quake.

Providing local access to support with MSD
Following the September earthquake, MSD were trying to find ways to better communicate with the general public.  CanCERN worked with MSD to develop more accessible satellite and mobile units located local hubs. These units have been used extensively since the February quake providing much needed assistance to the community.

Identifying overlooked communities with Earthquake Commission
EQC had attempted to go into all communities to assess damage.  However there were pockets of communities that had not been accessed and these were difficult to identify.  With their grass-roots knowledge of the local area, CanCERN facilitated EQC access to these areas of need.   This was a cost effective and timely solution.

Sharing a common language with Civil Defence
There has been a lot of anxiety and emotional distress in communities following both earthquakes. Clear and sensitive transfer of information is vital in this context.  CanCERN have worked with Civil Defence to identify effective language to use and have assisted briefings to remain focused on community’s needs. CanCERN are now invited to weekly briefings as a conduit for information to and from communities.

Getting business up and running with Insurance Council
Following the February quake, many businesses that had lost their place of work set up components of their work in their own homes to be able to continue to function.  Many insurance companies said that running business from home would invalidate their domestic insurance.  CanCERN advocated to the Insurance Council for a solution.  Companies were advised to take on commercial insurance and continue to work from home.  This resolution avoided business closures and saved thousands of jobs.

A commonsense community fix for infrastructure  
CCC has responsibility for infrastructure (water, sewerage and waste water) to the home owner’s gate and the owner is responsible for repairs on their property.  Following the September quake, these regulations specifying ‘individual fixes’ to laterals on householders properties resulted in significant delays in the reconnection of services and to uncoordinated reconnections creating more problems for street infrastructure.  CanCERN raised these issues with Civil Defence/CCC and a new system is now being implemented where contractors undertaking the repairs to street infrastructure are also empowered to fix laterals to householders homes in a coordinated approach.

A commonsense community fix for clearance of rubble
Following a recommendation from CanCERN, CCC is instructing City Care to remove household rubble from roadside berms as a coordinated community response saving time and money as previously this was required to be undertaken by individual householders.

Maximising interim accommodation: Increasing the emergency repairs cap
In order to maximise the ability of householders to remain in their damaged homes pending repair/rebuild and particularly during the imminent onset of winter, CanCERN sought an increase in the $2000 cap for emergency repairs to $10,000 – this appears to be now being implemented, albeit without a great deal of publicity.

Security of tenure
Relocated tenants from Housing New Zealand where concerned about the prospect of ultimately losing their HNZC tenure and eligibility.  CanCERN advocated on behalf of relocated Housing New Zealand tenants to ensure that their tenure was secure and a return to their previous neighbourhoods would be a priority where appropriate and requested.

Supporting small business
CanCERN has been involved in facilitating the response and recovery packages for small business owners following both the September and February quakes.

March - CanCERN Office establised

1. Establishment of CanCERN Office, including networked IT system with broadband access, email accounts and printing facility
2. Clarification of oversight roles of the three fulltime Secretariat workers: External Agency Relationships, Central Admin & Systems, and Community Relationships
3.  Publication of CanCERN Website
4. Implementation of weekly Community Briefings with the National Controller Civil Defence including joint communique (including CCC and EQC) regarding a community fix for sewer laterals and inclusion of community leaders on a geotech field trip of the porthills.  Also continued attendance of Secretariat members in the MP briefings by CD.