Residential red zone
[1]: 5 The majority were located in a broad swath of the eastern suburbs along the Avon River / Ōtākaro that had suffered damage from soil liquefaction.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority head Gerry Brownlee said "Full land repair in these areas may mean that every house would need to be removed….
"[2] The government decided to pursue a simple process in order to provide clarity and support for landowners, residents, and businesses.
[1] The initial announcement of residential red zones was made on 23 June 2011,[3][4][5] about 4 months after the February 2011 earthquake and only 11 days after the latest series of aftershocks.
[8]: 18 Most of the displaced people moved to less-damaged outer suburbs, as well as the neighbouring Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts, and new subdivisions were constructed to meet the demand.
[1]: 5 The majority of red-zoned areas were in the eastern suburbs along the Avon River / Ōtākaro, downstream of Christchurch Central City.
[13]: 34 The statistical area of Ōtākaro-Avon River Corridor includes a large part of the eastern Christchurch red zone.
[17] The Crown made two offers for insured homeowners in the red zone: All buyout prices would be based on 2007 valuation of the properties, the most recent data available before the 2010 earthquake.
[19] They noted that for homeowners who chose not to accept the offers, the Christchurch City Council could "reach the view that it is no longer feasible or practical to continue to maintain services to the remaining properties,"[20] and home insurance companies might refuse to provide or renew coverage.
Indeed, city buses have been rerouted out of the red zone, and mail deliveries were cancelled in 2014, so that any remaining residents are living in areas with minimal government services.
[12] Stayers in the red zone contend with tyre punctures from unrepaired, earthquake-damaged roads, and the risk of crime in the little-serviced area.
[21] Once the Crown bought the land, tenants vacated the property, and insurance settlements were finalised, private contractors were hired to demolish the houses.
It took several years until all demolitions and removals were completed, in which time the red zone contained many abandoned buildings that attracted squatters and crime.
[13] Owing to the policy of leaving most vegetation in place, many trees and shrubs that once marked lot boundaries still remain in their rectangular alignments around the houses that have been demolished.
However, uninsured homeowners (many of whom were uninsured by mistake, due to lapses in coverage) countered that insurance status ought not be a factor in what was, effectively, the condemnation of their homes: they argued that since it would be infeasible to live in a red zone after the rest of the area was demolished and services terminated, the government was effectively taking their homes via compulsory purchase, and ought to pay them compensation.
A group called Quake Outcasts sued the government, alleging that they suffered unlawful discrimination on a basis that was not warranted by the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010.
[30] Pending a permanent land use, LINZ allows the vacant red zone to be used for activities such as community gardening, mountain biking, and beekeeping on a temporary basis (up to 5 years in length).
Researchers at Lincoln University estimate "the total annual value of benefits to Christchurch residents, savings in public health costs deriving from a recreational reserve and the value of ecosystem services in the ARRRZ [Avon River Residential Red Zone] to be approximately $94.1 million/year.
[40] The East Lake development, which would create an open water course along the Avon River / Ōtākaro suitable for international rowing regattas, remains under consideration as a long-term land use for the red zone.
