Roger Sutton- Mixed emotions | Canterbury Opinion | Local Voices from Canterbury, New Zealand

Bus trips into the CBD red zone began last weekend with 3000 people taking the opportunity to see inside the cordon for themselves.

Canterbury turned on a stunning couple of days so people made the most of the shade in Cranmer Square as they waited to check in for their trips. We're running a system where all of the bus times are clearly marked to make it as simple as possible..

I went on the first bus and I must say I was impressed by the people I travelled with. They were sombre and respectful, some were a little upset, others were just glad to finally see their city with their own eyes.

At CERA we know that the CBD still poses a risk - some buildings are still unstable, and there's a lot of heavy machinery working to bring buildings down. And, of course, all of us in Canterbury know that quakes come out of the blue. We won't apologise for trying to make sure people are as safe as they can be but we have tried to balance the risks with the need for people to get in there and see what has happened.

It's just pretty tough to see the first time, especially the Cathedral. I was married in that Cathedral so for me - like thousands of others - I feel the personal sense of loss.

But I think it's a good way for people to understand the magnitude of the work going on in there. Buildings are coming down and that means planning can get underway to rebuild the city.
Just like the ReStart mall in Cashel St, rebuilding is a positive step forward to getting our city back up and functioning.

Also, the Government has just announced its support for a multi-purpose stadium at Addington, so the Crusaders will have a new temporary home and it can be a venue too for large musical and other events. It's great to see these significant steps being taken to ensure our city and the things we love about it are still functioning in our ``new normal'' lives.

* Roger Sutton is chief executive of Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. If you want to comment on his editorial email star.reporters @star canterbury.co.nz.