Final total for Port Hills Crown offer acceptances

The final total for the acceptance of the Port Hills red zone Crown offer is now available.

The voluntary Crown offer was available to owners of all insured residential properties, insured residential properties with dwellings under construction and insured non-residential properties owned by not-for-profit organisations. In the Port Hills, zoning was determined by the risk to life of potential rock fall, cliff collapse and land slip.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority acting Chief Executive John Ombler says that out of 455 property owners in the Port Hills residential red zones eligible for a Crown offer, owners of 407 properties have accepted the offer with 371 property owners having already settled.

“We knew that some property owners would not accept the voluntary offer as they are investigating rock fall mitigation options with Christchurch City Council, or had already told us they had made a decision not to accept the offer,” says Mr Ombler.

“However 89% of property owners accepted the offer. Some property owners waited until the day of the offer expiry to provide a signed agreement, in order to maximise the time for settlement, as Port Hills property owners who accept the Crown offer have six weeks to provide vacant possession and settle with the Crown.”

“As the acting Chief Executive of CERA, I have the ability to grant short settlement extensions on a case by case basis, based on vulnerability and individual circumstances. If property owners intend to apply for a settlement extension, they need to submit a request to CERA by 31 March 2015.”

For more information on how to apply for a settlement extension, visit www.cera.govt.nz/port-hills/red-zone/case-by-case-settlement-extensions or call 0800 RING CERA (0800 7464 2372).

Owners of vacant, commercial and uninsured properties in the Port Hills red zones are yet to receive a Crown offer.

The Government’s land zoning process has been significant to the recovery and in the flat land red zone, 98% of red zone property owners accepted the Crown offer. It is anticipated that public engagement on the future use of the Christchurch red zones will begin later in 2015.

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