An interim process to enable some white zone commercial property owners in Canterbury to begin the repair or rebuilding process has been developed, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.

"When the Government announced the definitions of the four zones of land in June, the white zone was defined as unmapped and included all commercially zoned property as well as schools and community facilities.  This created some confusion and we've been hearing reports the Councils have been putting on hold any building consent applications from property owners within all of the areas zoned white.  This is frustrating for property owners, particularly in areas where there is little or no obvious land damage or risk from geotechnical hazards" Mr Brownlee said.

This new process applies mainly to non-residential properties (ie: commercial or commercially zoned properties, community facilities, schools and reserves) but does include around 3500 residential properties in the Banks Peninsula. In total, it applies to around 11500 properties across greater Christchurch. It applies to:

• All non-residential properties within the Waimakariri District Council white zone areas;
• All non-residential properties within the Christchurch City Council white zone areas outside of the Christchurch central business district and Port Hills and Lyttelton area white zones;
• All residential and non-residential properties within the Banks Peninsula white zone area.

"These areas will eventually be reclassified from the white zone but we wanted to put an interim process in place in order to expedite the rebuilding process," Mr Brownlee said.

CERA has written to the Waimakariri District and Christchurch City Councils outlining the new process. It has also emphasised that building consent applications for properties in these defined white zone areas should not be held up on the grounds the area is unmapped.

In most cases, property owners will need to submit an appropriate geotechnical report with their building consent application in order for it to be processed.

"The process will be reviewed if there is another damaging aftershock over magnitude 5.5," Mr Brownlee said.