Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words.
 
Just before being elected as Mayor of Christchurch I discovered that the Rockefeller Foundation had decided to celebrate their centenary by devoting $100M to building resilience – the first step was establishing a network of 100 Resilient Cities. The deadline for expressions of interest was before the local body elections. So I contacted Bob Parker and asked him if he would make that happen, and he readily gave me someone to work with.  And after I was elected one of my first tasks was to sign the official application.

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga rau rangatira ma
 
tenei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te ra
 
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa
 
In welcoming members of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors to Christchurch, New Zealand, may I particularly acknowledge:
 
Jeremy Shearer, the President of the NZ Institute of Quantity Surveyors; Ian Duncan, the President of the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors and Phillippa Goodman-Jones the Convenor of this Congress
 
Thank you for choosing Christchurch as the host city for this year's Congress of the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors.

Principal Stephen Killick - thank you for inviting me to address your first year students tonight.
 
I'm delighted to join you all and particularly pleased to be able to offer those of you from out of town a belated welcome to Christchurch.
 
My mother served on the Rochester Board so I am always happy to speak on these occasions. And of course I completed my studies here at the University of Canterbury many years ago.

It is my pleasure to join you here today.
 
We are gathered to honour the efforts of a wonderful colleague and friend.
 
Professor Hu has been at the helm of the Confucius Institute since it first opened its doors in 2010 - 6 years ago.
 
I understand that this is a record that has earned her some fame at home in China - usually Deputy Directors only serve for between 2-4 years!
 

> download "The Christchurch Story"