Earthquake Minister please accept the judicial review on the Red Zone!! …and look for a creative solution to help affected people move forward. The Wider Earthquake Communities Action Network (WeCan) calls on Mr Brownlee to accept the judgment of one of our finest High Court Judges, Justice Pankhurst. The decision is very clear; the offer to affected people in the area of the red zone was totally unfair and goes against the basic human rights of those seriously affected in the Canterbury Earthquakes. “I cannot believe our Earthquake Minister is willing to put people who have been crippled by his decision in 2011 through another massive court proceedings,” says Rev.Mike Coleman, spokesperson for WeCan. “Ordinary Cantabrians, represented by the Outcasts Group, stand to lose much of their properties equity and Mr Brownlee is willing to stress them even more. This reveals much about the Ministers desire for justice and real recovery.” WeCan points out there was legislation written in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act to bring about effective and timely recovery for the people of Canterbury. The decision by Justice Pankhurst states clearly the Earthquake Minister refused to use the powers of the Act so he could make unfair offers for land. WeCan believes the offers amounted to coercion as people had no choice but to sell their properties. “It was clear from the beginning the Government wanted people off these areas. Even the words at the bottom of the ‘offer’ stated, ‘if you do not accept this offer we can compulsorily acquire you’. The threat by the Prime Minister stating, there would be no infrastructure services to these areas created a fear among people. In the end people just left and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” says Rev. Coleman. WeCan have challenged the Red Zoning since the announcement on the 23 June 2011. Rateable Value was used by CERA and the Earthquake Minister as an assessment of equity even though Property Valuers wrote to Mr Brownlee stating this will be inaccurate by up to 40% in one in three cases. In the end, the Minister would only pay out 50%for many who owned sections and homes. This has now been judged to be totally illegal. WeCan calls on the Earthquake Minister to accept the finding of Justice Pankhurst and look for a new creative solution and a fair payment to those affected in the areas of the red zone. This solution needs to honour people’s full equity in their properties. Spokesperson: Mike Coleman
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 09:50:03 +0000
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