More residents' meetings being held

8:50 am on 7 March 2011

Civil Defence and Christchurch City Council representatives will hold more meetings on Monday for residents across the city.

The first meeting is set for 12:30pm at McCormacks Bay Reserve for residents of Mt Pleasant, Redcliffs, St Andrews Hill, Balmoral Hill and Moncks Spur.

That's followed by a meeting at 3pm at the Sumner School Grounds on Colenso St, for people living in Moncks Bay, Clifton, Richmond Hill, Sumner and Scarborough.

The location of the third meeting, at 5:30pm, was changed late on Sunday, being moved from Lyttelton Rugby Park to the grassy area above Lyttelton Main School in Oxford Street.

Civil Defence changed the venue in response to feedback from the Lyttelton community.

Civil Defence will also open two new recovery assistance centres on Monday. It says the Sydenham Community Centre on Hutcheson Street and Lyttelton Recreation Centre on Winchester Street will provide recovery assistance.

There were four meetings between Civil Defence, Christchurch City Council and residents on Sunday and they provided updated information on welfare, civil defence, power, water and the reopening of schools.

Officials included representatives from the police, the Ministry of Education and the power company Orion.

Those at the meeting were told they need to get a plan in case there's illness outbreaks such as gastroenteritis as well as the importance of establishing a fire escape plan.

At one of them, in the southern suburb of Somerfield, people huddled under umbrellas to escape the hail and rain to hear the information.

Johann Verway from the hill suburb of Cashmere wanted a timeframe on when he can return home after a large rock fell into a neighbour's front lawn.

"Were trying to find out what's happening in the area and if it will ever be safe to return. But, obviously, the authorities can't tell is that yet."

More information on meeting venues and times can be found at the Canterbury Earthquake website.