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© Reuters A car trapped in a sink hole caused by liquefaction in Parklands, Christchurch, New Zealand
The Earthquake Commission has received more than 2000 damage claims from Friday's shakes in Christchurch.

Four quakes over magnitude-5 struck on December 23, including a devastating magnitude-6.0 and have been followed by about 170 aftershocks since.

The December shakes were being considered a fresh event for damage claims with people having until March 23 to lodge a claim.

So far, 2210 claims have been lodged. This was a small number compared to previous large shakes but was expected to increase dramatically as people returned home after the holiday period.

A Commission spokesman said call centre staff are on duty over the holiday period to ensure affected home-owners can get urgent, emergency repairs underway to make their homes safe and weather-tight.

Since the September 4 earthquake, the EQC has received more than 400,000 claims, making it by far the most costly natural disaster in New Zealand history.

The June 13 quakes triggered 54,000 claims.

So far, EQC has paid out $2.7 billion to quake-hit Canterbury homeowners but total cost of EQC claims is expected to exceed $11 billion, although about $4.4b will be cover by reinsurers.

Water breaks repairs

Most of the water main breaks that happened on Friday and Saturday last week have now been repaired.

Repair crews are now responding to new water main breaks and leaks as they are reported.

Anyone who is having problems with their water can contact the call centre on 0800 800 1869.

Water quality continues to be monitored, as people are being asked to use chemical toilets if they can.

The Christchurch City Council is urging people having problems with their wastewater to use the chemical toilets while the sewers are being cleared.

If people need more chemicals, they can reach the call centre on 03 941 8999 to have them delivered.

Those who do not have a chemical toilet, and are having problems flushing or with wastewater, can contact the call centre to get one dropped off.

Meanwhile, people are being reminded to look after neighbours, friends and family as aftershocks continue.

The Christchurch City Council said today that anyone who is feeling distressed by the aftershocks and needs extra help to cope with the situation can call Canterbury Support Line on 0800 777 846.

Loss of faith in zoning

Eastern Christchurch residents say they have lost faith in the government's land decisions after Friday's quakes.

Streets near the Avon River and in Parklands that had been declared suitable for housing have been inundated with muddy water and silt and have drained to reveal fresh cracks and sinkholes.

For some it is the fourth time they have been hit by liquefaction and flooding, leaving many questioning the reasoning behind the decision to classify their land green.

Some residents have been fighting their green classification, which clears the land as suitable for future housing, since the Government's first land decisions in June. Many who were previously determined to stay are rethinking their future after Friday's quakes.

Alan Scott's green-zone Avondale property has liquefied in every quake since September 4 last year. His section was flooded again on Friday.

"You can dig down as far as you like as you won't get anything but silt," he said.

Many of his neighbours in Eglinton St have also suffered damage and are again shovelling silt from their front yards, leaving the familiar grey piles on the kerbside.

Scott had wanted to stay on, regardless of liquefaction, but after last week's quakes he wants the property to go red, allowing him to sell to the Government and move on.

"I really don't want to move on but I can't put up with this every few months."

Scott said he wanted more transparency on how his property was ever zoned green because as far as he knew a geotechnical engineer had never visited Eglinton St.

"I have no confidence in the [geotechnical] Tonkin & Taylor survey," he said.

Damian and Michelle O'Brien have been fighting to have their Baker St, New Brighton, home reclassified red since June but have made no progress.

Yesterday, they were still shovelling silt from their property, and Damian O'Brien said he was becomingly increasingly sceptical about how engineers and officials decided his land could safely support a house.

"I couldn't say whether it was faulty, but it certainly needs to be reviewed, perhaps by some overseas company from California or Japan.

"People are starting to get more vocal but they are also very tired," he said.

Many Parklands residents have questioned the green status of their land after parts of the suburbs were flooded and warped by Friday's quakes.

A lack of publicly available information to support land decisions has led to complaints from some people in borderline red and green-zone properties.

The government says it has released all relevant information.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) chief executive Roger Sutton said on Monday land decisions were made with the best available information at the time.

However, the status of some green-zone land hit hard by Friday's quakes would be reviewed, he said.