Christchurch Dilemmas

To be a Christchurch Auntie you have to be kind and ‘non-judgey’. The Aunties now number 2,500, a network of people providing practical support to victims of domestic violence. As Frank Film finds… Read more Video

A year before the 2011 earthquake Christchurch’s historic Arts Centre upped its insurance cover by $90M. A decision that would ultimately save the largest collection of heritage buildings in New… Read more Video

She’s a doctor who’s devoted decades to caring for disadvantaged youth. He’s a pioneering surgeon who set up a charity hospital where treatments are free. Meet Sue and Phil Bagshaw - brilliant New… Read more Video

Melissa Heath thinks her message to New Zealander homeowners is a scary one. She suggests we might all need a cup of tea and a stodgy muffin after hearing it. Read more Video

Buildings once stood where lettuces now thrive, in the centre of our second biggest city. As Frank Film found out, Cultivate Christchurch produces more than veges, they’re growing opportunities for… Read more Video

On March 15 two men ran into Christchurch Hospital claiming they’d witnessed a shooting and to expect patients. It was the first and only warning the hospital would receive. What unfolded over the… Read more Video

It's a four-legged frenzy which unleashes sheer doggy delight. As Christchurch's Waltham Pool prepares to empty for the winter, it invites its canine community in for a one-off event - a pooch-only… Read more Video

It’s a huge task to turn a school around, when the roll is dropping and there’s little love from the locals. At West Spreydon School it’s taken a decade. Read more Video

It was widely assumed that Christchurch’s magnificent Catholic cathedral would be restored after the earthquakes, but now a new Bishop will decide its fate. Read more Video

As the Christchurch Town Hall underwent a $167 million refurbishment, the building’s original architects would pop in, to look over the works.
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A report on how the central city is progressing. Read more Video

Will a plan to beautify the river help or hinder its ecology? Read more Video

Why have they come? Who have they left behind? And how are they coping in the cold? Read more Video

Residents in Christchurch's Southshore enjoy enviable access to both the estuary and the ocean, but what does the future hold for this special spit? Read more Video

New bars and cafes are emerging every month, but how are they doing? We take a mid-winter tour of the central city scene. Read more Video

The Kaikōura earthquake has brought upheaval to the area's marine environment, with the coast rising up to six metres in places.   Read more Video

This is the biggest job in New Zealand, according to Peter ‘Thommo’ Thompson, one of the more than 1000 men and women working to repair the quake-damaged highway and rail route along the Kaikōura… Read more Video

Christchurch Dilemmas takes a tour of the Port Hills with park ranger Di Carter. Read more Video

In eastern Christchurch, poverty and earthquake stress have added trauma on trauma. We meet the people in the community trying to ensure the kids there are more than statistics. Read more Video

According to TripAdvisor, 185 White Chairs is Christchurch’s top landmark attraction and 4th ranked in New Zealand. The collection of white-painted chairs is a stark representation of the lives lost… Read more Video

Open plan classrooms for 300 children, self-managed learning, and Bob Marley in lieu of the school bell - is Haeata the way of the future? Read more Video

Bowl it over, or build it back up? Remove or restore? Six years on, the fate of  Christchurch Cathedral is dividing the city. Read more Video

There’s talk of installing overhead gondolas; creating big, bustling laneways and revealing the Square’s hidden streams. Can James Lunday deliver on our dreams for this much-loved public space? Read more Video

Can the planners realise their vision of turning Christchurch into a beach city, proudly facing east to herald a revived New Brighton? Read more Video

Christchurch Dilemmas investigates the market for severely damaged properties. Read more Video

For those who fled on February 22, choosing to return is a financial - and emotional - dilemma. Read more Video

Two huge rebuild projects - with a possible price tag of almost $1 billion - are still waiting in the wings. Christchurch Dilemmas asks: Are a convention centre and a stadium the best use of money for… Read more Video

With CERA shutting up shop and transitioning power to a shared local-central governing body, is this a new era of governance for Christchurch? And how can the city start involving the public with… Read more Video

Rising house prices are putting first home ownership out of reach for many Cantabrians. So how can we affordably provide decent housing for our people? Christchurch Dilemmas asks how do first home… Read more Video

Even before the earthquakes of 2011, Christchurch’s CBD was struggling. But with up to 70 per cent of the buildings in the centre of the city scheduled for full or partial demolition, Christchurch has… Read more Video