Otago university leases Hagley space

The University of Otago has leased space in a sports facility in central Christchurch so health sciences students can return to their studies quickly.

The university's main building in Riccarton Ave, attached to Christchurch Hospital, was "close to the zone of maximum destruction" and suffered "one significant structural problem and a lot of lesser damage" in this month's earthquake, vice-chancellor Prof Sir David Skegg told university council members yesterday.

The damage would be repaired but the building would not be able to be reoccupied for 4 to 8 weeks, possibly longer, he said.

In the meantime, the university had leased part of the Hagley Golf Club building and would set up a lecture theatre to accommodate 90 students, Prof Skegg said.

Most of the 800 students at the Christchurch campus, including medical, dietetics, physiotherapy, radiation therapy and nursing students would resume studies on Monday.

Accommodating postgraduate research students was "more complicated" and a "significant disruption to research", Prof Skegg said.

The university also leased or owned more than a dozen smaller buildings near the hospital and within the civil defence CBD cordon.

Some had not yet been inspected by university staff, some would be able to be repaired quickly, and one, which he understood to be a student flat, had been "red stickered" as unsafe to enter.

Research staff unable to re-enter closed laboratories or offices in the various buildings were searching for suitable alternative accommodation.

Offices were also being sought for administration staff, he said.