Explosive Trade Me auction hits $30,200 - but injunction fear emerges

July 29: The TradeMe auction to press the button for Christchurch’s building implosion reached $30,200 today.

This is spite of fears of an injunction from a neighbouring property owner concerned about risk of dust.

He has been told to take protective measures but there appears to be a spat about who should pay.

Naylor Love and Ceres NZ are the contractors responsible for the demolition.

Ceres NZ’s long term recovery manager, Bill Johnson, returned from the United States recently to oversee the implosion and Ceres’ other projects.

The implosion to bring down the 14-storey Radio Network House in the central city in Gloucester St will take place at 8am on Sunday morning August 5.

The money raised will be used for the restoration of Canterbury's heritage buildings.

The auction closes Wednesday, August 1, at 6.05pm. 

July 24: A Trade Me auction to press the button for Christchurch’s building implosion had reached $7000 by 3pm today and was climbing rapidly.

The Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund is auctioning the chance to push the button to implode the 14-storey Radio Network House in the central city in Gloucester St.

The blast will take place at 8am on Sunday, August 5.

Locals are planning to hold barbeque breakfasts and brave the weather to watch the spectacle.

The money raised will be used for the restoration of Canterbury's heritage buildings.

Naylor Love and Ceres NZ are the contractors responsible for the demolition.

The Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund was set up after the September 4 earthquake to help owners of heritage buildings repair earthquake damage.

The government pledged to match dollar-for-dollar all funds raised up to a maximum $10 million, so the final Trade Me bid price will be doubled.

Naylor Love is working on several heritage projects, including the Isaac Theatre Royal, Christ’s College, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and New Regent Street.

The winning bidder's tax deductible contribution to the fund will be put towards the restoration of the Isaac Theatre Royal, with the matching donation from the government going towards other restoration projects.

Ceres NZ long-term recovery manager Bill Johnson says companies have offered up to $10,000.

The building weighs about 6100 metric tonnes and the weight of explosives is approximately 63kg. The weight of explosives in each detonation will be 2.5kg, set off 8ms apart.

The building is expected to take 7.7 seconds to hit the ground after detonation.