Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Scientists' advice in quake lead-up questioned

Updated at 6:48 pm on 18 October 2011

A woman who lost a relative in the Christchurch earthquake has questioned advice GNS scientists gave authorities in the lead-up to the tragedy.

A Royal Commission is conducting hearings into the strong and devastating quakes in the Canterbury region that began on 4 September last year.

On 22 February this year, a 6.3-magnitude quake hit Christchurch killing 182 people, including more than 70 foreign nationals. Many others were injured as buildings in the central city collapsed.

On Tuesday, Rachel Ford directed questions to two GNS scientists and the head of geological science at the University of Canterbury.

Ms Ford suggested that the advice GNS gave to the Canterbury regional council following the September quake was vague when overseas the information on the risk of further quakes is far more detailed.

She said resources have been focused on the Alpine Fault and searching for oil, when more money and time should have been spent on public safety.

Ms Ford said the rebuilding of the CBD should be delayed until mapping of blind faults in Christchurch has been carried out.

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Mapping system needed, inquiry told

Earlier, the Royal Commission was told there is a national need for a system for mapping earthquake faults.

Jarg Pettinga from the University of Canterbury's department of geological services said that following the earthquakes, seismic reflection surveying equipment was borrowed from Canada to fill some of the gaps in knowledge about the faults in Canterbury.

Professor Pettinga says this type of equipment would be a valuable asset for New Zealand and would cost about $3 million to purchase it and set up a team to operate it.

He told the hearing about a report commissioned by the Canterbury regional council in the late 1990s which showed more than 100 active faults in the region, saying researchers in the mid-1980s were aware of only eight active faults in the region.

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