YHA Rolleston House reopening

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E kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically want to acknowledge: Your Worship Bob Parker, Mayor of Christchurch; Coral Laughton and Mark Wells, Chair and Chief Executive of YHA New Zealand respectively; and Tim Hunter, Chief Executive of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism - tēnā koutou katoa.

As Patron of the Youth Hostels Association of New Zealand, it’s great to be to officially reopen YHA Rolleston House.

Opening new facilities or reopening a building after major refurbishment is always a time to celebrate.  It reflects both the work in construction and the enormous efforts done before the first sod is turned or first nail hammered home - planning, fit-out design and fundraising.

In the context of this city, and all that its people have stoically endured in the two years since the first earthquake hit Canterbury in September 2010, the reopening of YHA Rolleston House has an added significance.

In the immediate aftermath of the 22 February 2011 earthquake, while there were no injuries here, staff supported frightened guests who were shocked and terrified by what they had seen and experienced.  And that night, this organisation gave real meaning to its values of integrity, respect, passion and excellence,  by allowing this facility to act as a place of emergency accommodation.  I’ve been told of the “walking train” that travelled from the main welfare zone in the Hagley Park - picking up people as it went – bringing them back to here saw large numbers who had nowhere else to go sleeping on the floor.  That’s a fantastic example of kind-heartedness, and I am sure those people will always tell of the hospitality you offered.

The closure of this facility for strengthening, and the continued closure of YHA Central Christchurch and many other facilities have impacted on the availability of accommodation.  Initially it hit the tourism industry here very hard.  However, it’s not that just tourism in this City has suffered.  Sometimes, you do not know what you’ve got until it’s lost.

Reopening Rolleston House more widely demonstrates how the city’s character has taken a hit.  What we’ve seen is that the tourism industry, like so many other endeavours in Christchurch and Canterbury, has not allowed the forces of nature to defeat them.

The Restart Mall, the new SoMo  entertainment district, the recent LuxCity Festival which lit up the night sky, and many other events and festivals have shown the remarkable resilience of business here in Christchurch.

It is not surprising then that the Lonely Planet praised the energy and inventiveness that Christchurch has displayed.  As it noted: "New Zealand's second largest city is rising from the rubble ... with a breath-taking mix of spirit, determination and flair … The recovery effort is well under way and 2013 will be an intriguing year to join the rebirth of this proud southern city."

The significance of these comments is not only because they were made by an internationally recognised travel guide.  It is, without doubt, wonderful publicity for your city; and it is true!

It also shows, however, that when you are dealing with the here-and-now - both rebuilding and attempting to provide business-as-usual - you can easily lose sight of how far you have come.  When you’re in the middle of such a process, it often takes someone from outside, with a fresh set of eyes, to point out to you just how much you have achieved.

And Christchurch is achieving!  This is the second of three openings or re-openings ceremonies that I will be attending here in Christchurch.  Earlier today I opened the new Christchurch City Mission and tomorrow I will open new facilities at the Canterbury Charity Hospital.

At the service to mark the first anniversary of the February 22nd earthquake, I emphasised that while lives, communities and cities are not built in a day, this city would be rebuilt.  It would not, however, be an easy process, and it would take time.  The reopening of YHA Rolleston House is yet further evidence that two years after your world was literally turned upside down, that the rebuild of this city is well and truly underway.  It is something that all of us should celebrate.

I therefore want to congratulate everyone involved in the process of strengthening and refurbishing YHA Rolleston House.  Eighty years after Cora Wilding founded the first hostel in New Zealand, she would be proud of what you have achieved.  What is especially significant about the availability of YHA Rolleston House is that young people have a place to stay in Christchurch.  It is a place where they can come to see "New Zealand's second largest city rising from the rubble ... with a breath-taking mix of spirit, determination and flair”.

As Patron of YHA New Zealand, it gives me great pleasure to declare YHA Rolleston House officially reopen for business.  Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.