Where The Faults Lie: For 90% of New Zealand’s towns and cities it’s not a question of if, but when will an earthquake happen with enough intensity to bring death and destruction in its wake. Nevertheless in the nearly 80 years since our last significant earthquake in Napier that took 256 lives our collective consciousness seems to have lost its gut-level awareness of what an earthquake can do. The ongoing seismic activity in Canterbury and the catastrophic consequences for life and property that resulted is a wake up call for us all. In this documentary leading scientists take us below the earth’s surface, inside walls, under buildings, onto archaelological sites, out onto the Canterbury Plains and inside Christchurch’s CBD to understand what it means to be living in a country that is an active earthquake zone with an extensive network of faultlines; why these faultlines will inevitably rupture, and what the latest technology can do to keep our buildings intact and ourselves safe when they do.

Aftermath explores and analyses what’s happening in Christchurch (Otautahi) and Canterbury following on from one of New Zealand’s deadliest natural disasters. It has forever changed the landscape of a beautiful city that was rich with heritage buildings, a booming economy and opportunities for all until the tectonic plates moved without warning causing destruction on a scale not seen for decades. This investigative five part documentary series takes an in depth look at critical areas impacted by these earthquakes: heritage significance, social impact, scientific exploration, business and financial effects, and the rebuild of Christchurch.