Thu 24 Feb 2011 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Shaun Robinson The AIDS Foundation's premises in central Christchurch are still standing but are significantly damaged, and a senior staffer has been rushed from Auckland to support the staff. "The NZAF South/Te Toka building is still standing but two brick walls have collapsed and it wouldn't take much to bring the whole thing down," says new NZAF Executive Director Shaun Robinson. He says at the very least the Hereford Street building will need extensive restoration "and it may even have to be condemned." The NZAF Director, Positive Health, Eamonn Smythe, was rushed to the city to support staff and assess the damage. The Foundation's services for the South Island, which are based at Te Toka, will be restored as soon as possible, Robinson says, "and in the meantime all files and sensitive material are safe." He says most material on clients is held in electronic files which are located in a secure server in the organisation's Auckland head office. "And the very few local hard copy files are locked in filing cabinets and the building is locked and as secure as we can make it." Robinson says no support services are possible at present. However, he is hopeful that distribution of condoms and lube will be up and running very soon and that other services can be restored once alternative premises are found. "We will definitely be back in action as soon as possible," he says. Like all inner-city Christchurch workers the Te Toka staff are said to have been "initially shaken and upset" but have recovered quickly and are currently focused on looking after their partners and friends. "They are in good spirits," says Robinson, "but just foraging for water and food and places to stay has been difficult." He says even the logistics of "just getting across town" are a problem, "but they seem upbeat and in good spirits."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 24th February 2011 - 1:25pm