Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake, September 2010

On Saturday September 4, 2010 Canterbury, New Zealand suffered a magnitude 7.1 earthquake at a depth of 10km, centred 40km west of the city of Christchurch. Fortunately and unbelievably there was no loss of life, in part because of the timing of the earthquake (4:35am) and also as a result of the comprehensive building regulations in New Zealand.
A large number of homes and business properties, however, suffered significant enough damage to render them temporarily or permanently unusable.
The aftershocks continued after the initial disaster, with more than 4,263 aftershocks recorded up to December 27, 2010. The impact of the continued seismic activity was both physical and emotional in the Canterbury community. The economy has been hard hit – particularly the retail sector - with, for example, a 4.9 magnitude quake hitting central Christchurch at 10:30am on Boxing Day, December 26, one of the biggest retail days of the year.
The cost of the structural damage was estimated at NZ$6 billion to NZ$8 billion – and has been widely quoted as being the 5th most costly quake (in dollar terms) in modern history.
Within just a few hours of the September 4th quake, the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce (the Employers' Chamber) was mobilized to operate as a key reference point for the region's businesses.
The Employers' Chamber's immediate response and ongoing role in the region's post-earthquake economic recovery has:
-Provided vital, timely support to the wider business community
-Strengthened the relationships of the chamber - and the chamber's reputation as a key contributor to the business community - with both local and central government and businesses across Canterbury and New Zealand
-Subsequently enhanced the chamber's ability to engage further with local and central government and other key stakeholders to ensure business interests are protected
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