Areas of Christchurch, New Zealand are being abandoned. (click title to entry - thank you)

...Pressure has been building on the Government as residents in suburbs ruined by a series of Christchurch earthquakes plead for answers, so they can move on with their lives.

Labour MP for Christchurch East Lianne Dalziel has suggested announcements may take place on Thursday, as she had learned of a planned Government newspaper advertising and massive mail out to start that day....


Incidents of "horrendous" workplace bullying (click here) have risen sharply as businesses deal with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, a union claims.

Unite Union today today said it has been flooded with calls from its members in Christchurch since the earthquake on February 22....


Continuing earthquakes are pushing some (click here) Christchurch people to breaking point, with children regressing to behaviours such as bed-wetting.
One Christchurch psychologist says the disruption to daily life resulting from the quake damage seems to be taking a greater toll than the aftershocks themselves.
The aftershocks have kept coming since the February 22 quake in the city that left 181 people dead. On Monday - only a few days after scientists revealed there was a one in four chance of another big quake in the year ahead - the city was rattled by a frightening 5.5 magnitude aftershock....


The free counselling provider Lifeline Aotearoa (click here)  is experiencing a surge in demand as the mental strain from the Christchurch earthquake begins to show.
Average call rates to the organisation's 24/7 phone line have increased by 35 per cent since the earthquake, and have at times been 160 per cent above normal.
Chief executive Jo Denvir said demand would continue to grow and more than 200 members of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors had responded to a request for additional volunteers on the phone lines, which had been doubled.
Lifeline's 24/7 phone line normally functioned with about 180 volunteers....

Engineer's study intended to reassure 'terrified' cops (click here)

By Anna Leask

5:30 AM Monday Jun 20, 2011

...Most staff are now back at central, but some are nervous about what may happen to the 13-storey building if another huge aftershock hits.
One officer, who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity, said staff were "terrified" to go back.
"A lot of people, and not only police personnel but non-sworn staff too, are s******* themselves about going back," he said.
"I feel sorry for them. A guy in the building during the quake on Monday thought the floors were going to start coming down....