Ex-owners get late news of home demolitions

The former owners of several quake-ravaged Christchurch houses to be bulldozed today are reportedly only just finding out about the demolition plans.

The first of the red-zoned homes will begin being destroyed today, when a trial demolition of 11 government-bought properties takes place on Seabreeze Close, Waireka Lane and Kokopu Lane in Bexley .

The properties will be cleared over a four-week period.

More than 2000 red-zone homeowners have settled with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) since the Government sent out offers to purchase properties damaged in last year's February 22 earthquake.

Labour earthquake recovery spokeswoman Lianne Dalziel this morning told TVNZ's Breakfast that there had not been satisfactory communication from Cera to the people who had once lived in the homes that are to be destroyed.

"There are people who are only just finding out their homes are going to be demolished this week, and I think that's really not good enough,'' she said.

"Some of those people have been out of their homes since September 2010 but nobody's bothered to tell them it's their house that's coming down this week.

"When the house is transferred to the Government it might just be a property, a house, to them, but to people they'll always be their homes.''

Prime Minister John Key said he did not have any details about whether there had been issues with communication, but would look into the matter.

"I'll go and make some inquiries into that, if people haven't been given full information, obviously we'd regret that,'' he said.

"But, for the most part, I suspect there'll be many who will have said "it's been a terrible situation but I'm building myself a new home or I've bought a new home, and that's the Government's problem not mine'.''