Queenstown and Wanaka residents are opening their homes to Christchurch residents as they seek some relief away from the aftershocks that continue to rock their city.

Queenstown Lakes District Council’s welfare co-ordinator Kelly Campbell said there had been 111 requests for accommodation received so far, although those numbers might not necessarily reveal the true picture.

“The real figure is potentially higher as many people are looking after themselves and not presenting through formal channels,” she said.

Local schools had also seen a surge in enrolments with more than 250 new pupils arriving across the district on Monday this week. Around 60 percent of the new enrolments were in Wanaka.

“Schools are reporting that they should be able to cope with the influx of new students in the short term, however this is being monitored, “said Mrs Campbell. “ The Ministry of Education has also been pro-active in organising funding.”

QLDC Civil Defence controller James Hadley said there had been a noticeable increase in the number of people arriving from Christchurch and activity in the district related to the earthquake.

“Whilst our focus remains on offering assistance to people affected by the earthquake, we are conscious of the potential impact on the community in terms of education capacity and social services needs, “he said. “We will be working with various agencies locally to gauge the impact and to try and alleviate any problems, should they arise.” 

The exact number of Christchurch visitors had been difficult to confirm with many people having arranged accommodation independently.  Mr Hadley said “Whilst people may not necessarily need assistance it is helpful for us to know the number of people who have come into the district.  I am therefore asking that people who are not normally resident in the district, who have arrived following the quake, and who have not yet registered with the Council, to contact the Council and advise their details.”

The contact number for the Queenstown office is 03 441 0499, while the Wanaka office can be reached on 03 443 0024. Both numbers are manned 24 hours a day.
 
Two QLDC staff members have been deployed to Christchurch – one to help with planning and intelligence, the other managing international media. A contingent of 8 Lakes Environmental staff members comprising 2 engineers and 6 building inspectors are also helping with the emergency response.

ENDS

For more information, please contact James Hadley 0274 870 518

More information can be found at the QLDC earthquake response page  

By: Jo Blick