The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission is promising swift changes following criticism of the rebuilding efforts necessitated by September's big quake.
The earthquake has also affected financial markets. The New Zealand dollar has tumbled, and the stockmarket has extended its losses.
Parliament was adjourned as news of the earthquake came through. Party leaders made statements to the House as the seriousness of the situation became clear.
Colonel Roger McElwain has recently been briefed on the military response in Christchurch.
The Crusaders rugby side had just finished training at Rugby Park when the quake struck.
The Royal Commission hearings into the Canterbury earthquake begin in Christchurch today to examine why some of the newer buildings in the city's CBD failed so badly.
The Canterbury earthquakes are behind a big blowout in the Government's deficit which has grown to a record 18-point-4 billion dollars.
It's been more than two months since New Zealand braced for a tsunami following a massive earthquake off the coast of Chile.
Fletcher Construction says it may take years to repair an estimated 50-thousand homes in Canterbury following the September 4th earthquake.
Those clearing up earthquake-damaged buildings in Canterbury are being warned to beware of asbestos.
The Canterbury Civil Defence Duty Manager, James Thompson, says the Waimakariri River could breach its banks just south of Kaiapoi, and as a preacaution they have evacuated the Riverlands Holiday Park.
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.
Resilience and community spirit have shone through in North Canterbury in the aftermath of the earthquake. With no active civil defence post in operation in Cheviot in the days after the 7.8 quake, a group of locals mobilised a task force to support those in need. Further north at Mendip Hills Station farm manager Simon Lee has been repairing broken water pipes and clearing slips in time for weaning, while on Ben Lissington's dairy farm near Waiau, milk tankers are having to go off the beaten track to get to the rotary shed after a six metre section of the road was destroyed.
A new agreement's been reached on how earthquake claims for seriously damaged mortgaged houses in Canterbury will be handled.
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 government is hoping a new one-stop shop will help homeowners in Canterbury still struggling with insurance claims, but as Logan Church reports, this isn't the first initiative of its kind in the quake-rattled city.
A photograph of 26 Canterbury Street in Lyttelton.
A photograph of two windows of 26 Canterbury Street in Lyttelton.
A photograph of a detail of 26 Canterbury Street in Lyttelton.
A photograph of a detail of 26 Canterbury Street in Lyttelton.
A photograph of details and bracing on 26 Canterbury Street in Lyttelton.
The appointment of Christchurch MP Gerry Brownlee as National's deputy leader has been met with a chorus of outrage from some Cantabrians - who say he is responsible for lengthy delays in settling insurance claims from the Canterbury earthquakes.
The title reads 'All shook up.... The cartoon shows the year '2010' shaking and dropping bits off the ends of the numbers. A second version has pupils inside the two zeros so that they look like eyes. Context - The Christchurch earthquake of 4 September 2010 and aftershocks which are continuing into 2011. 'All shook up' is the name of a song made famous by Elvis Presley. Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Shows singer Elvis Presley wearing '2010' dark glasses and singing 'I'm all shook up!' Context - The Christchurch earthquake of 4 September 2010 and aftershocks which are continuing into 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man stares at an enormous roadsign reading 'Cleanup' that dwarfs a smaller one pointing to Canterbury. Refers to the damage resulting from the Christchurch earthquake of 4th September 2010. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Built 1858-1865. This is just one end of what was once a very large building. Most of the rest has fallen.
Rolleston, South Island, NZ
A health and safety training and development project bringing together a large range of stakeholders involved in the reconstruction of Canterbury.
Site of the official New Zealand Government appeal to help the people of Christchurch and the Canterbury region following the Feb. 22 earthquake.
A branch newsletter issued by the Canterbury Branch of the TEU in August 2013.