Permanent repairs to quake-hit state houses start soon

3:29 pm on 2 November 2010

Permanent repairs on state houses damaged in the Canterbury earthquake are to begin in the next few weeks.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Housing New Zealand has already carried out urgent temporary repairs on nearly 2000 state houses.

Almost 4000 state homes were damaged in the earthquake.

Twenty-four houses were deemed uninhabitable, and four of those will have to be demolished.

Mr Heatley says permanent repair work will be done first on about 1500 houses with minor damage. Housing New Zealand will try to complete most of the repairs in the next year.