By: Mike Hosking | Thursday, February 23, 2012 8:00 AM

One of the silver linings out of yesterday’s broadcast from Christchurch was the studio in which we did it. It was beautiful. It was beautiful because it was new. It was new because the old one is still in the red zone waiting for the wrecking ball.

In the great debate over what replaces the old buildings and where people go and what the new Christchurch will look like, thousands of businesses have already just got on with it because they had to, and our place is one of those.

So we have a new address in the new part of Christchurch so many businesses seem to be flocking to. On the safe land, on the edge of town, in the low rise buildings that have sprung up, in the buildings that have been put up to stand up to whatever nature throws at it.

While I was busy marveling the new equipment, management were busy telling me about the steal reinforcing and girders and bits that mean if, and when, the aftershocks roll through, the building goes nowhere and the staff are safe.

Would you take your old life back if you could trade in the new shiny stuff? Of course, but that's not real. What’s real is the simple truth that out of everything comes something positive and a new place to do business is one of those things.

The staff love it. They have pride. They’ve sent out photos around the country and those places with
carpet that needs a bit of attention and equipment that's seen better days are green with envy at the wall to wall state of the art-ness of the Christchurch operation.

We sat yesterday talking to you in luxury, technological and broadcasting luxury and when you’re surrounded with beauty and newness you have fresh pride in what you do, which is the next big challenge for those rebuilding downtown.

Once the businesses have set up, once the money has been invested in new plant and place, how do you get them back downtown? That is a real challenge and one that will require a great deal of creativity because from what I saw and experienced yesterday, towns moved. When you have a flash new place to do business, it’s very easy to get very comfortable very quickly.