Leading Christchurch's recovery

Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton
The appointment of a chief executive to lead the recovery operation in Christchurch is a definitive and positive step forward.

The reaction to the naming of Roger Sutton, chief executive of Christchurch line company Orion, to head the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has been greeted with almost unanimous approval. Here is a person who has, by wide acclaim, already proved himself in the wake of the two earthquakes through managing the fraught process of restoring electricity to homes throughout the Canterbury region.

His approach is widely seen to have been straight-forward, honest and reasonable - neither shirking responsibilities nor minimising challenges ahead.

As a gifted communicator he has provided, along with his evident technical and engineering background and expertise, as clear a picture as to the state of play as it has been possible to give. In so doing he has set the tone for how the larger recovery process might continue.

As he said at the outset, keeping people informed of what to expect and when is of critical importance to progress - and to retaining the confidence of citizens of the country's second-largest city in those charged with leading the operation and in the operation itself.

Such an approach has not always been evident - Christchurch residents and business owners have at times struggled to achieve answers to their requests for information.

Mr Sutton is the first to admit that he has taken on a huge challenge and that it will be impossible to please all the people all of the time. One of the first matters he will attempt to tackle is the vexed issue of quake-damaged land - and whether people living on it would have to relocate.

Also high up on the list will be questions relating to damaged infrastructure, managing demolition in the central city, and developing plans for the rebuilding of the city.

Doubtless he will endeavour, without raising unreasonable expectations, to establish and publish a staged recovery plan. The sooner such a plan can be devised, the sooner confidence in the city will begin to grow again.

That this is an essential part of the recovery process is evidenced by the numbers of Christchurch residents who left the city in the wake of the February 22 earthquake and have yet to return.

Those figures can only be an estimate, but this week Paymark, the electronic transaction processing company, issued figures suggesting that 56,000 people may have fled in its aftermath; that over the past nine weeks as many as 21,000 may have returned, with 35,000 cards still being used outside Christchurch.

Certainly there is evidence of settlement in Otago, with almost half of the 1400 post-quake school enrolments throughout Otago remaining.

The continuing aftershocks in Christchurch mean for many the shift may be semi-permanent.

And adding to the complexity of the challenges facing the city will be the predicted rise in "psychosocial issues" expected to afflict it.

Last week, Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister's chief scientific adviser, predicted "anger, frustration and despair" would be exhibited by a significant percentage of the population - and managing this problem could not be divorced from managing the rebuilding of the city.

"There is a need for ongoing human and organisational resources, perhaps even those of a conflict resolution team, as well as a long-term commitment to ongoing psychosocial support," Sir Peter said.

So Mr Sutton's task will of necessity include more than bricks and mortar, electricity supply, clean water and sewerage systems. It will involve maintaining the emotional health of the population and bolstering the much needed morale essential for the city and its citizens to engage fully in the rebuilding.

There were positive signs, too, of that at the weekend, as more than 10,000 people put forward their thoughts for the future at a swamped "Share an Idea" expo - aimed at harnessing the energy and creativity of residents for the re-creation of their shattered city.

It is attributes such as this that Mr Sutton will need to tap into as he assumes his Herculean role - for which he is to be offered every encouragement and support.

 

Add a Comment