This week marks one year since the big earthquake that devastated large parts of Christchurch on February 22, 2011. It is now the third consecutive year since the first tremors rocked the city.

While most of the world seems to be focused on economical challenges there is no doubt that retailers and suppliers in Canterburyhave to battle with an additional, surreal dimension in their dramatically changed landscape.Christchurch residents have experienced 40 earthquakes between magnitude five and six since September 4, 2010. There have been 10,000 quakes in total and nearly 600 quakes have been shallow at five kilometres or less in depth. As a result, tens of thousands of homes and buildings are destroyed and being pulled down, or have collapsed.The central city is still locked off. Partially demolished, it will be changed forever.Some suburbs that once had three or four churches now have none. Their dairy, florist and café are also gone and some of the local supermarkets are no longer operating. The pot-holed roads have suffered severe damage.

I was very fortunate to visit Christchurch not long before the first earthquakes started, seeing its beautiful architecture and the intact cathedral for one last time. It is a memory I will treasure forever. This most English of New Zealand cities has always been close to my heart. Many of my friends and former colleagues hail from Christchurch and they have shared their stories and parts of their incredibly brave journey with me: The company who lost all its records and IT equipment in the ‘red zoned’ office, the friend who had to move into her parents’ garage with all her belongings, and the supermarket owners who had to overcome many complex challenges to keep operating and to supply their local community with food, water, and the daily necessities after the big quake in February 2011.

But, thankfully, visions of a new Christchurch are slowly emerging as the planning phase for a new CBD begins. Most of those who decided to stay in the area appear resilient and positive and keen to move forward. Communities and people have come together, supported each other and are stronger for it all.

When I spoke with Sarah Adams, managing director at Queen Anne Indulgence Ltd in Christchurch last week, she was in good spirits and her team was very busy “hatching chocolate Easter eggs”. They too are still in the planning stages of their new developments, but Sarah is excited about the opportunities. She said: “Despite the challenges of the Christchurch quakes we are on track with our developments. With our new manufacturing capabilities we are now in a position to introduce Queen Anne to a whole new generation of Kiwis.”

There are many green shoots emerging in the region, and some are significant signs of new beginnings. Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee joined Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand (CCANZ) last month in officially opening its new bottle production line at the company’s manufacturing plant in Woolston. The $15 million investment in world best-practice technology enables CCANZ to design and self-manufacture its own PET plastic beverage bottles using fewer raw materials. The company has also invested close to $9 million into infrastructure repair and re-establishing of operations at the Woolston site.

Keep on trucking Christchurch, we are right behind you!

Tamara Rubanowski
editor@fmcg.co.nz