The Royal Commission of Inquiry into building failures caused by Canterbury earthquakes is "well under way", the commission chairman says. Justice Mark Cooper said today the commission had visited the red zone twice so far and had met with scientists, building experts and councillors.
"We are in the process of establishing connections with respected international and New Zealand experts who will provide professional advice on issues relevant to the inquiry," he said. The public would be invited to share their experiences and concerns "at an appropriate time".
The commission's terms of reference relate to the area of Christchurch bounded by the four avenues and requires it to examine: * Why four specified buildings failed severely and why that failure caused such extensive injury and death;
* Why certain buildings failed while others suffered little or no damage. Justice Cooper said the inquiry would also consider legal and best practice requirements for the design, construction and maintenance of buildings in New Zealand central business districts.
He said the first visit into the red zone provided early first-hand perspective of the scale and extent of the destruction while the second visit focused on identifying potential buildings to look at more closely, he said.
"The commission recognises the high public interest in its work from New Zealand and overseas and for this reason I am committed to ensuring that we operate as openly and transparently as possible," Justice Cooper said. He assured family and friends of the victims of the February 22, magnitude 6.3 earthquake that there would be a very thorough inquiry into the failure of buildings in the central city that resulted in loss of life.