Eight years on and the changing faces of power
It is not only the face of Christchurch that has changed in the eight years since the earthquakes began, it is also the faces of those shaping the city.
During a post-quake era thick with upheaval, intervention and inquiry, there has been a major changing of the guard among decision makers.
Almost all the top 20 individuals on a 2013 power list published by The Press have left their roles. The list reflected influence in post-quake Christchurch, headed by then Prime Minister John Key.
It featured Mayor Bob Parker, Christchurch City Council chief executive Tony Marryatt, Earthquake Recovery and EQC Minister Gerry Brownlee, Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend, Christchurch City Holdings chairman Bruce Irvine, Nga¯ i Tahu head Mark Solomon, Environment Canterbury chairwoman Dame Margaret Bazley, Press editor Joanna Norris, and Christchurch Airport chief executive Jim Boult. None remain in those positions.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton and Christchurch Central Development Unit director Warwick Isaacs were also on the list and left their jobs early, as did EQC chief executive Ian Simpson and the heads of several big companies, including insurance bosses.
One of Christchurch’s longest standing city councillors, Jamie Gough, says he saw the early rebuild period ‘‘really take its toll’’ on city leaders and witnessed some people ‘‘have a meltdown’’.
‘‘Some things were done right, and some were done wrong. But everyone was playing their part and trying their best, and they were dealing with a whole lot of pressure,’’ he says.
‘‘I’m not saying they shouldn’t be judged, but it’s easy to forget they had their own personal struggles . . .’’
Gough believes the leadership changes are useful as they bring fresh ideas.
‘‘The new people aren’t necessarily better or worse, it’s that change that is positive because we need to be open to new ways of thinking.’’
‘‘We’re entering a new stage of the recovery. It’s a different time and it could be make or break – we have to put the rubber on the road in the central city and it’s crucial to get it right.’’
Peter Townsend, who retains a leadership role as a board member of rebuild entity O¯ ta¯ karo, says a swathe of departures in business leadership was triggered by the rebuild’s new stage.
‘‘A lot of people, including myself, stayed in their jobs longer than we would’ve ... We had big jobs to do in the early stages of the rebuild and we stayed to get the job done.’’
Many leaders thrived on the challenges, he believes. Like Gough, Townsend considers the leadership change to be positive.
‘‘I’m really encouraged by the new leadership that is popping up – there’s a refreshing of leadership in the city and I think that’s a good thing.’’
A community leader who watched how others coped, Canterbury Communities’ Earthquake Recovery Network founder Leanne Curtis, said the change of city and business leadership was inevitable.
‘‘Most people working in recovery hit the fatigue wall after about two years. You almost need a refresh button.’’
Recovery roles require different skills than visionary work, Curtis says.
‘‘There’s a different type of thinking needed as thing progress, so you need different people.’’
Some leaders had moved into other recovery roles with a new focus, she said.
Bob Parker, now Sir Bob, was helped back into the 2010 mayoralty by the earthquakes but opted out of re-election under pressure in 2013. He recalls the grinding hard work, community spirit and professionalism he witnessed around the city after the quakes.
‘‘Nobody was sleeping much because of the aftershocks . . . it was all heads down and working and that’s how we got through those few months as a city, that dreadful period. Work was good medicine for most of us.’’
As the city moved from rescue to recovery, the mood changed, he says.
‘‘Things like the Share an Idea campaign created a feeling of optimism and excitement. Everybody in the city dug deep. Then as time went by we started to head into wanting the world to be back as it was, although it couldn’t be the same.
‘‘It was difficult, there was the sort of pressure that everybody felt, just dealing with angry people. We were all frustrated and under pressure. There was definitely anger.’’
For the council, the altered power dynamics in the city provided extra challenges, Parker said.
While they understood the need for the Crown investment and oversight, the shift to central Government control felt ‘‘incredibly disempowering’’.
‘‘Until that point we represented our community, and then we had a new bureaucracy suddenly sitting alongside us. That was a disorienting process for everybody in council. It was frustrating and difficult at times.’’
Soon after the quakes, former San Francisco mayor Art Agnos shared his city’s earthquake experience with Parker.
‘‘He told us that in three years there would be a huge turnover in elected representatives, and most key staff would be gone. We didn’t understand then, but he was right.
‘‘You get 10 years taken out of you in a couple of years. People come in and they get burned out, they face huge demands and they move on. Post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues are very real. Part of you is always going to wrestle with what happened.’’