9 Dec 2011

Ngai Tahu could be out of CBD for up to 4 years

7:29 pm on 9 December 2011

The largest South Island iwi says it's likely to be three to four years before it will be able to move back to its headquarters in central Christchurch.

Ngai Tahu shifted its operations south to the former air base at Wigram following the February earthquake.

Ngai Tahu's Kaiwhakahaere, or Chair, Mark Solomon, says most of the iwi's buildings are survivable - with just one seriously damaged but able to be repaired.

Mr Solomon says Ngai Tahu has a new city site is in mind.

He says the iwi bought the King Edwards Barrack site in the 1990s and at the time the tribe's Trust Board bought it specifically for the building of a headquarters.

Mark Solomon says until all of the geo-technical reports are in, Ngai Tahu doesn't know what will happen in the CBD.

He says the iwi's being treated very, very well by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Christchurch Council throughout the demolition, re-design and re-build process.