The Government will give an update on the residential orange zone today amid growing frustration for homeowners.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) announced yesterday that Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Cera chief executive Roger Sutton will deliver an update at 2.15pm.
It is unclear if the Government will make a final call on whether orange-zone properties will have to be abandoned or whether it will release a new timetable for decisions.
However, media have been given 45 minutes to digest a technical report ahead of the announcement, increasing hopes that detailed decisions will be made.
A Cera spokeswoman refused to comment to The Press yesterday. Brownlee did not return calls.
Spencerville homeowner Darla Hutt said she had been told by Cera on Tuesday that more information would be provided today.
But Cera yesterday backed away from this statement, telling her only that an announcement would be made soon.
"I'm just mad," she said. "Every time there is a delay I start not sleeping well."
About 9000 orange-zone properties remain in limbo eight months after the devastating February 22 earthquake, their owners waiting for the Government to decide whether their land should be abandoned or repaired.
Already more than 6000 Christchurch and Waimakariri District homes have been classified red, meaning the Government will offer to buy their land, which has been deemed too badly damaged to repair.
Thousands of orange-zone homes in Brooklands, Spencerville and Southshore were scheduled to be resolved in early September, but owners were asked to wait until at least early October.
Since then, they have been told at least twice to wait longer. Thousands more orange-zone homeowners in Parklands, Avonside and other quake-hit suburbs are expecting answers by Tuesday.
Brownlee again asked orange-zone homeowners for patience this month, saying that they would have more information in the next fortnight.
Brooklands Residents' Association chairwoman Annette Buxton said people in Brooklands were worried about being left behind as red- zone homeowners accepted the Government's money and bought new homes.
"We are wondering, how long do we have to wait?," she said.
"People are fed up."
Southshore resident Tim Sintes, who also sits on Burwood-Pegasus Community Board, said the seaside suburb was awash with rumours and the anxiety was getting worse as time wore on.
"There is just no closure and we can't move on."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/5867132/Orange-zone-update-due-as-frustration-mounts
