John Cronin BOP Regional Council Chairman www.envbop.govt.nz

It was our retiring CEO Bill Bayfields first day on the job as CEO of Canterbury Regional Council and I was there representing Bay of Plenty council, along with three other councillors, three staff and three senior kamatua for a traditional Powhiri to 'hand over Bill”, when the two large aftershocks hit in Christchurch last Monday.

Our presence in Christchurch was important to strengthen our links with the CRC and to show our support to the people of Christchurch.

We had other business relating to water and land issues, but in the end we did not even get the time to discuss those.

Much has been written of these two aftershocks – the first quake did not seem that bad, but the locals were clearly highly stressed, in shock, but calm.

The second, larger quake, about an hour later was vastly different. You couldn't run because the floor was bouncing like a child's bouncy castle.
It was difficult just to stand up, the doorway kept moving from side-to-side. A number of people had fallen to the ground, including councillor Bennett. I was hit by a table that knocked me to the ground, but we were not hurt and did get outside.

Outside others had fallen, including Bill and his wife Maggie. Two or three minutes later we assembled to check that everyone was accounted for. You could feel the ground rumbling under our feet, then we saw grey concrete slurry-like liquid arising from the ground – liquefacation.

The two story house across the road, already stickered and in need of repair, collapsed to the ground.

The strain on the locals is palpable, the hurt just so clear to see, the concern for their children, wives, husbands, partners and if they were safe.

For me, the experience raised a new level of understanding of the hurt, the shattered lives, the stress of just existing that people in Christchurch are going through – and why we, as New Zealanders, must continue to get behind the effort to make this community safe again.

We got in our little bus, went back to the airport, then to our homes in Tauranga. Our hosts went back to devastated homes and uncertainty, fear of more quakes and nowhere to go. They have had enough.

We came back to a series of meetings, as to us life goes on.

It is hard for us to feel the anguish if you have not been there.

Personally, I feel that unless we have been there we can't really appreciate the magnitude of the disaster.

It is easy for us to forget, even for a little while, while we get on with the events of the day.

For the people of Christchurch, they don't know when the next quake will come, apart from the near certainty that there will be more.

There is a vast quantity of news, sport, business success and business failures to distract us, but to the people of Christchurch, many will have lost their life savings through no fault of their own.
I will never forget and I hope we as a country never forget Christchurch.

If you have a view on this or any other local government issue, I will be pleased to receive your comments, email johncronin@xtra.co.nz