Wed 15 Jun 2011 In: Our Communities View at Wayback View at NDHA
Just like tens of thousands of Christchurch residents and businesspeople, the owners of Chch's Menfriends gay cruise club, adult store and sauna are fighting to make progress against the forces of nature, bureaucracy and insurance companies. And, surprisingly, for Menfriends the latest shattering quakes may have helped make it easier to re-establish their business and get going again. Photos of their Lichfield Street premises in the red no-go zone in the city centre show significant damage was caused to the weakened building by Monday's quakes. So damaged is the building now that Menfriends co-owner Stuart Yeatman is now sure it will be condemned. In this civil defence helicopter image Menfriends is the building at the top left. "There's been significant damage, it's very much entered the demolition state now," he says. Ironically, today, two days after the building took the 'king hit,' he and his staff were to have been allowed to back up a truck and bring out some of the chattels and assets which have remained trapped inside since the massive February 22 disaster. "I had surveyed the building two weeks ago with an insurance inspector and the chances of at last getting inside looked good," Yeatman says. "Now there's big chunk of level two on the street side that has gone down, the whole parapet has crashed to earth and it looks like the roof has gone out of allignment." That may not sound like good news anywhere except Christchurch. But ironically the damage may mean that the building is written off, meaning Yeatman and his partner John Mckelvie can be released from their lease and other entanglements such as insurances and get on with re-establishing their venue. "It is easier to cut off now, it might even give us some sense of closure... we have been living in a limbo-land. But it looks as though this latest destruction has clarified the picture." They will have to wait a few weeks for formal assessments and reports "but we are confident the building will be have to be demolished which means our situation regarding business interruption and contents insurances will be clarified." So they might now find out in short order where they stand regarding their lost premises and assets, but the picture is far from clear for future operations. Yeatman and McKelvie had already sussed out likely new premises "and prior to Monday we were confident about that, but now..." The problem is that it appears they will be unable to roll over their current insurance package with their current insurers. Every business needs insurance to operate. Building owners and mortgage holders will not lease or lend without liability insurance in place. Having assets in commercial premises without burglary or fire - or earthquake - insurance in place is an enormous risk to say the least. And committing to staff and other financial obligations without business interruption insurance is likewise a huge gamble. However, insurers are holding back from issuing new insurance to anyone in Christchurch, for just about anything. "The whole insurance industry around here has just stopped," says Yeatman. "For homes, motor vehicles, buildings, everything. Even rescue service vehicles have had to get their insurance from Australia." Released from their obligations on the damaged Lichfield Street premises, as it appears they may be, the pair clearly still need insurance to run a new operation. It's the same for any business. And already the indications are that, even if insurance is available, premiums are going to soar. "To keep up with claims premiums have already doubled and more," says Yeatman. He mentions a staggeringly high figure Menfriends have had to pay just to keep their existing insurance policy live, based on the old premises, while things are sorted out. "And it'll go higher," he predicts. So when will the South Island's biggest gay sex on site venue re-open? "I can't say... but we're hopeful it will be this year sometime. If the insurance came through we could do it quickly, in a few weeks. But we must have the insurance." As he reflects on the state of his home city, Yeatman tries to remain philosophical, especially with the frustratingly slow progress of establishing official guidelines on access, infrastructure, re-building, relocation, funding and all the other aspects which must be addressed as quickly as possible. Of the likes of reconstruction minister Gerry Brownlee and the Christchurch Earthquake Reconstruction Authority (CERA) Yeatman will only say: "We have to have confidence in them because they're all we've got." He notes that the disaster response has already passed between three sets of hands. "We've had the Red Cross, the City Council and now CERA. Each transfer takes up time for the new people to get bedded in," he says. And like people all over Christchurch the pair are having to deal with the daily frustrations and hassles of living in a badly fractured city. Their home and section are damaged but liveable. But on either side are houses that may have to be demolished. "All of us, gay and straight alike, are having to live with the same barriers and obstacles to normality," he says. "We're all numbed and in a kind of state of shock... have been since February. This is a natural disaster that has gone and on for months and months. We're still facing the unknown, it's eroding our confidence and enthusiasm for rebuilding. So many people are stressed, anxious, worried about the future... we all share the same fears and numbness. There's no distinction, we're all in this together." Remarkably, some gay men outside Christchurch still seem unaware of the scale and impact of the devastation. The Menfriends web presence is being maintained, the business phone number and emails are being answered. "We've had a lot of enquiries," Yeatman says. "Most are from out of towners and some of them are quite unhappy... they phone up and get upset with us when we have to tell them there's nowhere to go. There's a distinct difference between some people's perception and the reality on the ground here." Jay Bennie - 15th June 2011