A Labour MPs claims that a document criticising the Christchurch rebuild is being sidelined are nonsense, Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
Lianne Dalziel today tabled documents in Parliament which she says show Mr Brownlee is unwilling to take responsibility for major deficiencies in the government-led rebuild.
She says a report from John Scarry Engineering raises serious concerns about the need for seismic resistant design and Mr Brownlee has passed responsibility to the Ministry of Building and Housing.
Mr Brownlee told NZ Newswire her claim he was unwilling to take responsibility for it was "scurrilous scaremongering, it's utter rot".
He says all submissions on the rebuild are taken seriously and a lot of work has already been done.
"Of course it's being given due consideration - I just don't understand where she's coming from. It's gone to building and housing because they're the experts inside the government who make assessments of these things."
Ms Dalziel says the report outlines the need for area-wide deep soil improvement and seismic resistant design.
"If we don't prepare the ground, the foundation of the rebuild, it will be literally sunk before it's started."
Mr Brownlee says design specifications to meet the new building code are still being worked through.
NZN