Around a hundred million dollars has been earmarked by Cabinet as its initial contribution to Canterbury following the earthquake, but the Prime MInister says the final bill will be far higher.
Canterbury schools to stay closed until Monday, Earthquake family tries to comfort traumatised children, Christchurch welfare centres start filling up, Independent Australian MPs back Labor, Universities raise fees to maximum, MPs in Parliament pay tribute to people of Canterbury, Prime Minister speaks from Christchurch, and Julia Gillard speaks about the newly formed government.
A Christchurch insurance advocate says the new Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal may finally be the solution to get unresolved claims from the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes settled. The government has launched an earthquake insurance tribunal to try to finally resolve outstanding insurance claims from the Canterbury earthquakes. Dean Lester, who acts as a insurance claim preparer in Christchurch, told our reporter Rachel Graham the tribunal will have the power to get on and make a decision on the key sticking points, without people facing the huge cost of a high court trial.
Economists and business leaders predict the Canterbury earthquake will lead to a rash of business failures and cut economic growth this year.
While buildings and businesses bore the brunt of the Canterbury earthquake, some popular outdoor recreation places have also been hit.
Christchurch woman Lavina Pockson and her family live in a house with big cracks in it, on land that's among the most damaged from the big September earthquake.
There are the first signs of the Canterbury region returning to normal, six days after the massive earthquake devastated much of Christchurch and its surroundings.
Parliament has unanimously supported legislation giving Government ministers the power to make exemptions to almost every law on the statute books, to help fast-track reconstruction efforts in Canterbury.
The owners of more than three-thousand properties damaged by the Canterbury earthquake have been told the repair job could take nearly three years.
As aftershocks from Canterbury's 7-point-one magnitude earthquake continue, scientists are gathering massive amounts of scientific data and personal accounts.
A new report by the Greater Wellington Regional Council paints a grim picture if the capital was struck by a 7 point 1 earthquake, similar to that which hit Canterbury in September.
Questions to Ministers 1. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Does he agree with the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend that the reconstruction of Canterbury following the earthquake requires someone "to co-ordinate and oversee" reconstruction? 2. COLIN KING to the Minister of Finance: What steps is the Government taking to ensure the Earthquake Commission can meet claims arising from the Canterbury earthquake? 3. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Minister of Finance: What was the earliest date that Treasury formed the conclusion that South Canterbury Finance could fail, and when and by whom was that first raised with him? 4. DAVID GARRETT to the Attorney-General: Does he agree that "tikanga" as it is described in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill will differ in meaning from iwi to iwi and hapū to hapū? 5. Hon RUTH DYSON to the Minister of Health: Are doctors and nurses having more say in how the health system is run? 6. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for the Environment: What reports has he received on responses to the Canterbury earthquake, particularly with respect to the region's flood and waste management systems? 7. TE URUROA FLAVELL to the Attorney-General: What is the burden of proof under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill in relation to applications for customary interests, and what type of evidence would the Crown be required to produce to prove that a customary interest had been extinguished? 8. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Attorney-General: When he answered yesterday that "hopefully" the new foreshore and seabed bill "will settle the protracted controversy around the issues of the foreshore and seabed", was he aware that the Government's confidence and supply partner Hon Pita Sharples told TV3 that he was "not entirely happy" with the new bill? 9. JO GOODHEW to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How have Government social services been supporting the people of Canterbury? 10. PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Local Government: Why did the Auckland Transition Agency award the $53.8 million contract for the Auckland Council's Enterprise Resource Planning computer system without a competitive tender? 11. Dr JACKIE BLUE to the Minister of Women's Affairs: Why is the Ministry of Women's Affairs celebrating Suffrage Day? 12. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY to the Minister of Women's Affairs: How will New Zealand's forthcoming report to the UN under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women explain the Government's decision to axe the Pay and Employment Equity Unit?
The state of emergency imposed in Canterbury after the magnitude seven point one earthquake 12 days ago is expected to be lifted today.
Today: a month on from the Canterbury earthquake, we take a comprehensive look at the recovery process from the Garden City; we get a glimpse at the Commonwealth Games and; trauma affects police involved in the recovery of Carmen Thomas' body.
The Transport Agency says initial repairs to State Highways damaged in the Canterbury earthquake could cost up to six million dollars.
The Commerce Commission says Canterbury earthquake victims, struggling with mortgage and credit card repayments, should use consumer legislation to get help.
The Government is considering introducing a new law to cover any natural disaster of a similar size to the Canterbury earthquake.
There are fears more than a hundred businesses, particulary in the retailing and restaurant sectors, will have to close their doors as a result of the physical and economic damage caused by the earthquake.
The earthquake may have rattled the Canterbury province but it certainly didn't affect the local representative at the national secondary school Maori speech competitions. In He Rourou, we hear the impromptu speech by Satrianni Reihana, she chose to talk about extolling one's own virtue.
The head of an international team of engineers who are expert in designing for disasters says Wellington should look closely at the lessons from the Canterbury earthquake.
The Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce estimates up to 150 of the region's small businesses will fold if they're not given Government assistance to relocate from their earthquake-stricken premises.
It's day four of the massive clean-up operation in Canterbury. Hundreds of shops and offices in the region are being assessed to check if they're safe.
Christchurch's community law centre is braced for an avalanche of cases as people confront legal issues associated with the Canterbury earthquake.
The Earthquake Commission says claims from Canterbury homeowners are pouring in with 45,000 recorded so far, and 100,000 expected by the time the dust settles.
The chief medical officer of health for the region, Dr Alistair Humphrey, says people carrying out repairs on their earthquake-stricken properties need to be wary of asbestos.
Deborah Nation recalls visits to Homebush, the historic Deans homestead near Darfield, the wreckage of which became one of the most viewed images in the first days after the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake.
It's more tha 10 weeks since the seven point one magnitude Canterbury earthquake but the region continues to be shaken by aftershocks.
After a shaky few weeks in Canterbury thousands of earthquake survivors have been rocked again, this time by heavy metal greats, Metallica.
The Government has already put in place ten orders-in-council under emergency powers rushed through Parliament this month to deal with the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquake.
Army takes control of central Christchurch, Cabinet earmarks money for Canterbury quake, More on the damage from the Christchurch earthquake, Heavy rain causes flooding in lower North Island and Fox Glacier crash report could take two years.