The government is crowdsourcing the cyclone recovery bill. It has launched an international fundraising effort, modelled on the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal - which raised almost $100 million.
A separate special Lotto draw will also be held on March 18 with all proceeds going to affected communities.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has urged New Zealanders to get behind the effort.
He defended asking people to chip in when the cost-of-living is so high.
The Anglican church is considering whether to sell Christchurch's cardboard cathedral to plug a shortfall in the budget for restoring the original descimated in the earthquakes. The church leadership will discuss the future of the cardboard building during meetings at the weekend. It opened opposite Latimer square in 2013 as a temporary place of worship, but soom became popular with tourists too. Meanwhile a 2017 estimate put the cost of restoring the actual Cathedral at just over $100 million, but that's since ballooned to north of $155 million. Harcourts real estate agent, Mark O'Loughlin, speaks to Lisa Owen from Christchurch. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6336786667112
