Building CHCH Together in the Birds Eye View
As the Birds Eye View meet up continues on the 22nd of March, MP for Christchurch Central and Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Hon Nicky Wagner hosted and invited two speakers to talk about “Christchurch Earthquake Recovery – Bringing Back Art to the City” and “Bringing back the Working Ladies after the Quake”. Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island members, President See Shen Lee, Vice Presidents Louisa Kuo and James Low, together with 2 BLIA members also attended the meet up.
Development Manager for the Performing Arts Precinct Christchurch Central Developing Unit, Greer O’Donnell explained the site planning for the future of Christchurch city center. It includes the construction of ‘The Piano: Centre for the Music and the Arts’ and its parking space that should be ready in August. Other constructions are also gradually in the making, ushering cultural and arts together with it. This would give Christchurch confidence in having back cultural and art recoveries.
Hayley Devoy gave an idea on the happenings of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology where women aged from 16 to 60 are given free engineering classes that is in line with electrical, hydraulic, constructions and more. This has made employment for the number of women in engineering fields climbed from 2,000 to 8,000 women in Christchurch. The number of female students in this area also hiked up from 60 to 400 students with the help of scholarships, giving the women of Christchurch more learning chances and furthermore working opportunities.
Hon Nicky Wagner expressed, the Christchurch Earthquake have passed for 5 years, and in this period of time, insurance compensation, the establishment of the Commission for the public service earthquake and a lot more has been done. Although the pain is still in some of us, but we have to continue in looking forward. She thanked various religious associations and groups that has provided comfort to the people in need of help. She added, with the power of this togetherness, she could see a bright future for Christchurch.
Nicky has then invited President See Shen Lee from BLIA South Island to share on “Siddhartha the Musical”, See Shen has told that this is the first major event after the South Island temple has been recovered after the earthquake and it is a great present not only to the devotees of the temple, but also the gift for the people of Christchurch. She hope this gift could be celebrated with everyone and hope that everyone could share this happy news to others. After the event, See Shen had met up with Greer and with confidence, with the constructions that have mentioned and the likes of Fo Guang Shan South Island NZ’s temple, they could jointly benefit the rebuild of Christchurch.