This is something we have heard quite a lot about and we are delighted to see that superb economist Brent Wheeler has done a really good analysis of the economic pluses and minuses of the Canterbury Quake. Its a really interesting blog and Brent has done a great job of telling something relatively complicated in a way that even blondes and brunettes can understand.
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The cost of the Christchurch earthquake could be as high as $4 billion; that's $4 Billion to return the city to what is was before the quake struck, but lets think about things for a moment. Is this an opportunity to not only repair the city, but to improve the city, is this an opportunity to improve the existing infrastructure in Christchurch by doing the following:
Installing a Smart Grid (or at least the buried containment for one).
Installing Electric Vehicle charging stations.
Under-grounding Overhead Power Lines.
Replacing copper telephone lines with fibre optic cables.
Installing non-potable water systems.
Upgrading key utility corridors to cope with predicted population increases
Don't get me wrong, the Christchurch earthquake was a terrible event; I just hope the people responsible for rebuilding the city have enough foresight to look towards the future; if roads are going to be dug up to repair below ground utilities / services, then please take advantage of the situation - it will prevent future excavation works and keep disruption to a minimum, something everyone in Christchurch wants.
Have a look at http://www.cleangreennewzealand.info/2010/07/christchurch-earthquake-and-possible.html to see what I'm talking about
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