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Port Hills fire: Evacuated residents now back in their homes praise response to blaze
It has been another sleepless night for some evacuated Port Hills residents, longing to go home – but for others, they were tucked up in their beds again after being given the all clear to return.
One Worsleys Road resident first got wind of the fire on Wednesday afternoon when a helicopter flew over his house.
“Turn around, one helicopter. Literally three seconds later, it’s a second helicopter. I go ‘oh’ and I turn the soldering iron off because I was doing some wiring in my truck,” he said.
“Walked up the drive and up the hill and it’s all go. Smoke everywhere, I got a bit overwhelmed.”
He started loading up belongings into his truck and left, knowing all too well what the flames are capable of.
His family’s home was being built when the 2017 fire tore through – it just survived, unlike a sail boat and some stored wood.
“Luckily dad’s pretty onto it with the scrub cutting. We’ve got lots of green grass in front of our place, lots of natives, because in the last fire seven years ago, the fire came across the bottom of our section but didn’t come up to the house.”
He has spent two nights away from home now, and was hoping he would be allowed back in the next few days.
Port Hills fire seen from behind a house at Aglaia Place near Worsleys Road, Christchurch on 14 February, 2024. Photo: Supplied / Tracey Menzies
The news was much better for these people from nearby Hoon Hay Valley.
They too had to flee their house in 2017 when the fire came too close for comfort.
“Certainly it brings back déjà vu, but it also brings back experience too, so you have a picture of what to expect, whereas the first time through you don’t,” a woman said.
“They’ve improved some procedures immensely, we’re able to go back there tonight, which is amazing,” a man said.
“Last time it was two weeks, so I was very surprised, but delighted.”
The Port Hills fire, as seen from Sparks Road on 14 February 2024. Photo: RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
People in Early Valley Road had also got the all clear, but one woman was staying away for a bit longer.
“It is interesting how much the noise of helicopters affects you [when] go through it again. It does bring it back, it’s quite a loud thing and our poor cats were terrified when we came back to feed them.”
A local vet had stepped in to help those who could not take their pets with them but did not want to leave them behind.
Joanna Smith said her group of practices were currently caring for 20 cats and one dog recovering from surgery, much to their owners’ relief.
“They were relieved and grateful – awesome that we could be there to help them too. Everybody’s been keen to help as well, so it’s nice to see my teams all getting together and helping each other out and supporting each other and the community,” she said.
Everyone said the emergency response so far was significantly better than seven years ago.
This woman said it had helped put them at ease.
“Just this time of year, once you see all of the dry, long grass, it’s always in the back of your mind. But no, I haven’t lived in fear or anything like that, we’re quite happy. We feel reasonably good about where we are because of what we survived last time, I suppose,” she said.
Those waking in an unfamiliar bed this morning will be hoping today they too get to go home.
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
rnz
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