By Rebecca Wright
Residents in the Christchurch suburb of Aranui say they have been overlooked in the rush to help other victims of the quake.
Aranui is one of the city's least affluent suburbs, about seven kilometres from the city centre.
It’s a week after the earthquake and Ronald Graham's optimism has turned to anger.
“It’s bullshit, absolute bullshit. We haven't evaluated what we're going to do yet but if this is going to last for a month we've got to get out of here,” he says.
Graham's neighbours have already gone. He is only 10 minutes drive from the city but he could not feel more cut off and he says it is unsafe here after dark.
“They're coming just on twilight - just on dark time - and they're scouting the houses mate,” says Mr Graham.
Just up the road a group of residents are getting out too, they have pooled their resources and hired a truck for two days to take three households to Timaru.
But others don't have that choice, without water, power or sewerage they're beginning to feel fed up.
“I think now - after seven days - they're starting to get a little bit itchy. You know the anger’s starting to come through now,” says Alain Falomalo.
Resident Christopher Murphy says he is “pissed off” at how slow progress is.
“We want toilets, we want portaloos you know,” he says.
Mr Falomalo says portaloos have come through but haven’t been for Aranui residents.
3 News took their request directly to the mayor.
“Well I think it’s an outstanding response to a very difficult situation, nd you know is it good enough that we had a 6.3 earthquake that's taken potentially hundreds of lives,” says Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.
Those lives were remembered with two minutes silence in Aranui at 12.51pm today.
Mr Parker says the people there have not been forgotten.
3 News
source: newshub archive
