The Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial () is the Crown's official memorial for those killed or seriously injured in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. It is located on both sides of the Avon River downstream from the Montreal Street bridge. The memorial opened on 22 February 2017, the sixth anniversary of the earthquake. Project development The memorial was one of the projects identified in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, commonly referred to as the Blueprint, released on 30 July 2012 by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA). The Blueprint gave the first quarter of 2016 as the project finish date in its indicative time line. The project was led by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, with project partners CERA, Christchurch City Council, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. The purpose of the memorial is described as follows in the Blueprint: At the time the Blueprint was released, an informal earthquake memorial, 185 empty chairs, had already been created by local artist Peter Majendie. However, it was expected that it was to be an installation for the short term only. Site for the memorial The site for the official memorial, both sides of the Avon River downstream from where Montreal Street crosses the river, was revealed in July 2014 as part of the design brief. The following site description was given as part of the brief: Design competition The objectives for the memorial were for a design that: Honours the 185 people who lost their lives, as well as those who were injured in the Canterbury earthquakes Remembers and gives thanks to the many organisations from around the country and around the world that assisted in the rescue and recovery Recognises the shared human experiences of those involved in the events, and the effects of the earthquakes on the city and Canterbury including the loss of many treasured heritage buildings, as well as the familiar everyday cityscape Provides a space for hosting formal civic events, such as an annual memorial gathering on 22 February Allows for reflection and contemplation on a day-to-day basis, including for small groups or individuals Becomes the anchor point for remembering in the city and Canterbury and part of the wider context of the impact of the earthquakes Parties interested in the competition had to register with the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) to obtain a registration number, which had to be shown on all submitted