Media Release – 20 May 2013

CERA Workshops Assist Property Owners In the Red Zone

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has today begun holding a series of Residential Red Zone workshops to assist property owners in the process of moving on from those areas.

Two of the workshops, which are designed to help people connect to the right services and overcome the issues that may be preventing them from settling with Crown, were held today, and a further two will be held on Wednesday.

Hundreds of affected people will attend over the four workshops.

Those who take up the voluntary Crown offer to flat land red zone property owners currently must settle and leave their homes by July 31, 2013, or August 31, 2013, for properties in South New Brighton and Southshore West.

Among the issues being outlined to those attending the workshops is the delegated authority of the chief executive of CERA to consider - on a case by case basis - limited extensions to property owners’ settlement dates. Any extension to a settlement date will be based around the vulnerability of the applicant.

The delegated authority was made available to the chief executive of CERA by Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee earlier this month.

Information on how property owners can apply to CERA for an extension will be made available on CERA’s website, www.cera.govt.nz, by the end of the week, after the four workshops have been completed. There will be guidance on eligibility, and certain criteria will have to be met for an extension to be granted.

Those interested in seeking an extension can also contact the CERA call centre for information on 0800 RING CERA.

ENDS

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