The current situation:
In February 2011 Christchurch was hit by its second major earthquake in 6 months. The devastation caused by the February earthquake has impacted on every part of this city. Effectively the result is a total rebuild of buildings, roads and utilities for a significant percentage of Christchurch and the surrounding towns and suburbs. Continuing aftershocks will create uncertainty and impact on confidence.
In May CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority) was established by the NZ government to coordinate the recovery. Although many believe the rebuild has taken too long to get underway the establishment of CERA should provide the coordinated leadership and structure to enable work to begin and continue in an organised manner.
Employment opportunities:
The scale of the work ahead is massive and continually being assessed. There is absolutely no doubt that there will be unprecedented demand for virtually every type of trade and profession related to the construction industry not to mention the significant support services required to facilitate this rebuild. We acknowledge that the people of Christchurch and the rest of NZ should be the first to benefit from these opportunities however it is widely accepted that very quickly the available local resources will be exhausted and there will be the need to look at alternative options. The pool of talent available in the UK & Ireland is an ideal and much sought after resource that will compliment and in many cases enhance the local workforce. Traditionally opportunities have been limited to professionals such as engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers etc. But the feedback from local contractors has clearly included trades and general labour as being severely under resourced once the works get fully underway.
There is no confirmation about the volumes that may be required but we have identified that the following trades and professions will at some point be required. This list is speculative and is subject to the many variables that will be affecting the ultimate requirement.
o Professional services
o Project Management
o Engineers (especially with geo-tech or seismic experience)
o Designers/Architects
o Planners
o Quantity surveyors
o Building surveyors (building inspectors)
o Site management
o Skilled trade operatives
o Ground workers
o Drainage (especially with deep drain experience)
o Demolition
o Plant operators
o Carpenters
o Electricians (may be an issue with accreditation)
o Plumbers (may be an issue with accreditation)
o Plasterers (Tape and joint is the traditional method for internal plastering)
o Decorators
o Flooring and carpet layers
o Telecoms installation
o HVAC installers
o Brick/block layers
o Steel fixers and fabricators
o Skilled labour operatives
o Ground works
o Demolition
o Concrete workers
Number 8 will only be sending experienced people with a proven track record. There will also potentially be opportunities for those not included on any of these lists.