Soldiers working in a hole in the ground alongside the Kaiapoi River. Photo / Mark Mitchell
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Tracking today's events as they happen on day seven of the Christchurch earthquake disaster.
6.20pm
That concludes our latest updates for today. Our earthquake coverage will continue tomorrow.
5.58pm
As part of efforts to fully restore sewerage services in Kaiapoi, volunteers will be digging test holes on private property in areas most affected by the liquefaction of soils.
Residents of the affected properties who are still in their homes, or who return after the digging, are asked not to fill in the holes until further notice.
Any water that flows into the holes after the digging should be treated as contaminated. If residents have any concerns after the holes are dug they can call the council on 03 311 8900 or toll free from Kaiapoi 03 327 6834.
5.55pm
Waimakariri has been flooded with offers from both individuals and companies wanting to help.
The council has received more than 500 offers of help and council staff and contractors have been joined by hundreds of helpers assisting clearing silt and debris, and manning welfare centres.
More than 120 companies from across the country, and even one from Britain, have also offered their support lending equipment including diggers, generators and even helicopters.
The district received over 130 offers of accommodation and 330 offers from people offering to check on people living alone.
Large amounts of food have also been donated, including a truckload sent following an Ashburton radio station appeal.
5.50pm
The Government is reporting huge interest in its wage subsidy scheme for businesses affected by the earthquake and says $120,000 has been committed so far.
The scheme pays a $350 a week wage subsidy to employers so they can continue to pay their workers while businesses get back on their feet.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today said 469 employers had called about the subsidy.
In addition:
* 15,700 elderly people have been contacted out of 18,000 living alone in the earthquake-affected areas of Canterbury;
* 553 home visits have been made to the elderly;
* the Government's earthquake helpline has received 9566 calls; and
* 1585 emergency payments have gone to Canterbury people, mainly for food, clothing and accommodation.
5.40pm
Waimakariri mayor Ron Keating says Kaiapoi may close off its roads this weekend.
Eariler today, council chief executive Jim Palmer said locals were losing their patience with "rubberneckers" coming to inspect the damage in the centre of town and in residential areas.
5.10pm
Gerry Brownlee, the Minister responsible for coordinating the Government's recovery response to the Canterbury earthquake, says the Government is working on a suite of streamlined measures to deal with the large volume of claims arising from the earthquake.
The plan has four broad categories with the goal of delivering speedy payouts:
1. Claims for property and contents damage or loss where there has been no structural damage to the building will begin to be paid out from early next week.
2. Claims below $100,000 but where there is structural damage to the building will be subject to a fast-tracked process, the details of which will be announced early next week.
3. Claims with damage over $100,000 will be managed by a single point of contact for the homeowner.
4. For claims that involve only damage to chimneys the Earthquake Commission will join with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to offer the installation of a clean heat appliance as part of restoration.
5.05pm
Registered nurses, health care assistants, allied health and public health staff have arrived from all corners of the country to assist Canterbury DHB.
Approximately 63 health professionals have arrived in the past 48 hours to support local staff.
The majority have been allocated to work in Christchurch and The Princess Margaret Hospitals, and also in some residential care facilities such as Windsor House.
All non-urgent elective surgery is cancelled up to and including Monday. Only urgent cases and acute surgery will proceed.
However, all outpatient clinics at all sites up will be and running from Monday.
4.55pm
The initial results from a survey administered by the Christchurch Economic Recovery Group indicate that Canterbury businesses are already starting the fight back following last weekend's earthquake and the aftershocks.
Survey spokesman Simon Worthington says around half of the respondents come from the CBD and are representative of all business types. 95 per cent of these businesses are currently trading, and 93 per cent are able to pay staff. Of the 7 per cent remaining, 4 per cent of these will be paid via the Government's earthquake subsidy.
Of those businesses not yet fully operational, 40 per cent hope to be back trading within a week, with a further 26 per cent hoping to be operational within a month".
4.50pm
The Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal fund has reached over $3.5m. Counting pledges from businesses, it has $4m.
3.45pm
Denis Dutton, who teaches philosophy at the University of Canterbury, shares his
on the Daily Beast:
3.05pm
Civil Defence Emergency Management has passed its biggest test in recent history, Civil Defence Minister John Carter said today.
"Six days after the 7.1 earthquake hit Canterbury, most essential services are back in operation," Mr Carter said.
"This is due to the incredible efforts of the Canterbury Civil Defence Group, the Canterbury local authorities involved in this emergency and all the support agencies and volunteers that have mobilised to provide essential services and back-up."
2.55pm
Fire crews from around the country are being deployed in Christchurch to relieve tired staff and increase resources at the front line.
Nathan Guy, the minister responsible for the Fire Service, visited crews in the city today.
"Firefighters have done an outstanding job in Canterbury and have worked themselves to a standstill," he said.
"I've heard some amazing stories of firefighters who have seen their own homes destroyed but rushed off to help others in need."
Mr Guy said the Fire Service was initially involved in helping with medical incidents and freeing people trapped in buildings or vehicles.
"The major task now is dealing with structural incidents and focusing on a positive recovery," he said.
He said crews were dealing with 400 callouts a day.
2.25pm
Police say they will not tolerate drunkeness in central city bars this weekend.
Civil Defence controller Darryl Griffin is calling on the public to show
restraint.
"I understand some people will want to have a few drinks this weekend after the intense week we've all had, however, it
needs to be constrained," he said.
2.11pm
Two kiwi eggs that survived the Canterbury earthquake in their incubator at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve are ready to hatch, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says.
"One of the chicks has already been nicknamed Richter and could emerge from its shell anytime between now and Sunday," Ms Wilkinson said today.
Ms Wilkinson said the timing was perfect because Conservation Week kicks off on Sunday.
More than 150 community events will be hosted around the country to encourage people to get involved in conservation and Auckland Zoo is hosting a family day on Sunday.
2.09pm
Work will start tomorrow to make the Sumner Rd area safe again.
Sumner Rd was closed following Wednesday's aftershock which loosened
rock outcrops above the road. Contractors will begin rock face inspections tomorrow morning.
On Monday work will start on blasting in a bid to clear any dangerous rock. Residents in nearby suburbs should expect to hear loud noises.
However, it is far enough away from residential areas that vibrations will not be felt, said a city council spokeswoman.
Contractors expect it could take up to a fortnight to clear the road of
debris, or until further notice.
2.05pm
Civil Defence says most schools plan to be open on Monday dependent on confirmation that their facilities are safe. Contact school administration to confirm prior to sending children to school.
Orion says it is confident everyone will have their power reconnected by tonight. MainPower has installed five generators in Kaiapoi which is expected to result in most areas of Kaiapoi having their electricity restored.
1.58pm
Waimakariri District Council has issued more details about its expected infrastructure repairs bill.
The council has estimated replacement costs for recreation and community buildings, utilities, road and footpath repairs could range from $67 million to over $120 million.
Chief executive Jim Palmer says repairing damaged parks and community buildings alone - including the Kaiapoi service centre and library - could cost about $7.6 million. While insurance would cover the bulk of these specific costs, council will still need to find around $1.5 million for these costs.
Once that $7.6 million is deducted from the total, the estimated cost of repair to other assets in the district is between $60 million and $115 million.
This will be met by a combination of insurance, Government funding and Waimakariri council spending.
It is unclear at this stage exactly how much of the bill will fall on the district council.
Roads cannot be insured and Mr Palmer said road repair alone could cost between $25 million and $35 million. The Government had signalled it would meet between 50 per cent and 90 per cent of this.
Other damaged infrastructure above ground is generally covered by insurance, Mr Palmer said.
Assets below ground are insured through a joint local government and central government arrangement that could potentially fund up to $300 million of claims, Mr Palmer said.
However, it was unclear at this stage whether this scheme would cover all of Waimakariri's relevant costs for replacing below ground assets, such as sewerage pipes.
1.55pm
The Christchurch Central Library is open today and for normal opening hours over the weekend. Akaroa Library is also open to the public.
The Mobile Library is running today. It will be at the Eastgate Mall car park tomorrow from 10am-1pm and again on Monday from 11.45am-1.15pm.
In other libraries that have been assessed as safe, staff are busy tidying up. Some libraries remain closed until further notice while they are being assessed for structural damage. These libraries will be opened as soon as possible.
All borrowed items with return dates between September 1-13 have now had their return date extended to September 30.
1.41pm
Police are urging the community of Canterbury to be patient and stay safe as tiredness and emotional fatigue takes its toll.
With the weekend looming, many families may be considering a break away from the area but police are urging motorists to think very carefully before getting behind the wheel.
Superintendent Dave Cliff said: "It would be an even greater tragedy if someone survived the quake only to lose their lives in the road
through the resulting fatigue."
A final message is to avoid the centre of the City unless essential.
1.34pm
Lincoln's historic Famous Grouse hotel is being demolished today after suffering significant damage.
The pub has stood in the town's main street, Gerald St, for the past 140 years.
The Lincoln Club recently took over the lease of the building.
1.30pm
has made 100 free seats available to Christchurch residents that need a break. Places are filling up fast! To book, you'll need to come into the Whale Watch office.
12.47pm
NZ Post has donated a Rugby World Cup 2011 Webb Ellis Cup coin to the Christchurch cause. All the proceeds from the
will go to the earthquake appeal
Issued by NZ Post in partnership with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand each coin in the series has a RRP of $129 - this, however, is the most sought-after, bearing the number 2011.
12.37pm
Aftershocks rattling Canterbury and unnerving its inhabitants are likely to last for weeks rather than days but will get less frequent and probably weaker, says a Wellington seismologist.
Dr Warwick Smith of GNS Science said the number of aftershocks - an estimated 395 by midday today, including 10 above magnitude 5 - was expected after a magnitude 7.1 quake, and would not be stopping anytime soon.
He said there was still a possibility of an aftershock larger than those of up to 5.5 experienced so far "but the chances of this happening are decreasing by the day".
12.30pm
Jim Anderton has denied saying he would consider quitting Parliament if he won the Christchurch mayoralty.
In comments broadcast by Newstalk ZB, he said he would consider leaving Parliament to be in Christchurch full-time if he won because the city would need a full-time mayor in the aftermath of the earthquake there.
This morning he told NZPA he never said that.
12.20pm
The Ministry of Health has released some
following a natural disaster.
There are also factsheets for emergency response workers, health staff and volunteers.
12.10pm
There does not appear to be a large number of uninsured homes affected by the Canterbury earthquake, the Earthquake Commission says.
EQC insurance manager Lance Dixon told NZPA that of the more than 40,000 claims lodged he had only heard of one or two that were not covered by private insurance.
Mr Dixon said the EQC had been asked by the Government to collect data about those homes.
"We have said if anyone is uninsured could they please lodge a claim with the commission. We will then pass that information on to the government departments who can look at those issues."
12.00pm
Continuing aftershocks are leaving farmers in limbo, with no way to establish how much damage has been done to the land or how much it will cost to fix.
The Federated Farmers dairy section chair for north Canterbury, Kieran Stone, told Radio New Zealand about 150 farms in the Canterbury area were affected and farmers were looking to the Government for help.
Cracks have appeared in the ground, paddocks and fences destroyed and irrigation lines damaged.
However, Agriculture Minister David Carter said because the land was still moving it was too early to accurately estimate the damage or decide on a solution.
11.55am
There are plenty of student volunteers in Christchurch willing and able to help, but (surprisingly) there aren't enough jobs for them to do. If you need a hand cleaning up your property, email
, describing the problem, your address and a contact number. They are predominately moving silt and other earthquake-related rubbish from properties.
11.50am
Walking tracks in the Canterbury region have suffered no major damage following last weekend's earthquake.
Trampers should stay away from closed tracks to ensure their safety, DOC spokeswoman Cheryl Colley said.
"We'd ask people to stay away from tracks and facilities in the affected areas until we can give the all clear, which hopefully will be the middle of next week," she said.
Areas south of Geraldine and the Pinnacles Hut track near Mt Somers have been given the all clear and are open.
Otukaikino Reserve north of Christchurch remains closed due to structural damage.
DOC have closed further areas as they wait for detailed engineer inspections. They include:
*Sharplin Falls Track in the Raukapuka area, due to landslips making certain places impassable.
*Staveley Lime Kiln near Mt Somers, due to fallen masonry.
*Otamahua/Quail Island, because the wharf is unsafe.
*Godley Head - several areas including the tunnel are closed due to landslips and masonry cracks.
*Kaituna and Mount Bradley trails in the Port Hills area due to landslips, and Packhorse trail in the same area due to a cracked chimney and fallen lintel.
*Motukarara Little River Rail Trail cycle track, due to access being blocked.
*Ripapa Island, due to minor damage to historic buildings.
11.40am
The cordon in the Christchurch CBD will be lifted progessively during the day; police, engineers and Civil Defence staff are still assessing the area.
Service updates:
The Central City and Akaroa libraries have opened today, with normal
hours today and over the weekend. All other libraries are closed until
further assessments have been completed.
All city council recreation and sport centres and swimming pools remain
closed until further notice.
The Bus Exchange is not operating today, but buses are running. Visit
for more information and times.
The tram is fully operational.
It is still expected that city water supply will be completely restored
by the end of the weekend. A total of 280 pipes have been fixed in less than six days - the equivalent of a year's worth of repairs.
11.33am
The Avon River has become an outlet for sewage and will be contaminated for sometime.
Signs along the city's usually pristine river are warning people not to take water, or let pets go in.
City officials say the pollution was inevitable because of the damage caused by the earthquake to sewer pipes. A
11.30am
The Lyttelton Tunnel will be periodically closed to traffic in the days ahead and delays of up to ten minutes should be expected.
The closures will allow fuel and gas trucks to travel safely to and from the Port of Lyttelton.
Lighter vehicles carrying dangerous goods that can traverse the alternate Dyers Pass route between the city and the port will be required to use this route and will not be given access to the tunnel.
In order to minimise disruptions for motorists no closures will be in place from 7am-9am, 12pm-1pm or 4pm-6pm.
Peter Connors of the NZTA says the tunnel has been assessed thoroughly for safety and remains structurally sound and safe for use.
Up-to-date information can be found at
or by phoning 0800 44 44 49.
11.15am
Thousands of Canterbury children will not be able to return to school for weeks.
Visiting Halswell School this morning, Education Minister Anne Tolley said the school was one of four or five that had been badly damaged in the earthquake and would need to make other arrangements for pupils.
"The priority is to get as many schools open as safely and as quickly as we can," Mrs Tolley said.
Mrs Tolley said officials relocating pupils were trying to keep to keep pupils from the same schools together as much as possible.
More than 100 Canterbury schools and 300 early childhood centres less damaged in Saturday's quake will be able to reopen on Monday.
11.11am
It could be at least a year before services are fully restored in quake-ravaged Canterbury.
Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jim Palmer told Radio New Zealand the cost of replacing and repairing damaged public buildings, utilities and roads could be more than $120 million.
The council is spending $200,000 a day on immediate repairs to infrastructure.
Although insurance would cover the majority of the costs, he said he did not know how much ratepayers would have to chip in.
10.41am
Enterprising Kiwi Jasper Bryant-Greene has built a
real-time web-based seismograph
to track activity in Christchurch.
10.37am
There's a
of an NZCER book (PDF format) to help schools, libraries and parents support students after the disaster.
10.33am
A big thank you has been sent out to the Canterbury public from police and army personnel based at the Christchurch City Centre cordons.
Since Saturday's earthquake they have been overwhelmed with the generosity, support and tolerance from the community.
Senior Sergeant John Robinson said he believed this tolerance, goodwill and support would get Canterbury through.
"From the hot coffee to homemade scones, from the friendly chats to pats on the back, the many police and army staff who have been working long shifts greatly appreciate the support of the Canterbury public," he said.
10.27am
Linwood College plans to open on Monday, meaning the welfare centre will close on Sunday. If people still need the services of a welfare centre, they will be moved to the eastern side of the city.
Last night 214 people stayed in the Addington Raceway welfare centre and
a 102 were at the Linwood College welfare centre.
The centres are now focusing on helping people return to their homes.
10.25am
Jim Anderton would consider quitting Parliament if he wins the Christchurch mayoralty because the southern city needs a full time mayor in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Mr Anderton, Progressive Party leader and its sole MP, will stand for the Christchurch mayoralty in the October 9 election.
He has previously indicated he would stay on as MP for Wigram even if elected as mayor.
Today, he told Newstalk ZB he would consider leaving Parliament to be in Christchurch full time if he won.
10.22am
Looking to make a claim through the Earthquake Commission?
to go about it.
10.20am
A Facebook page has been set up, where
can post special offers for residents affected by the quake.
And mayor Bob Parker is encouraging tourists to come and visit the city in a
posted on the Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism website, where you can also read the latest travel updates.
Meanwhile, Dineout is compiling a
in Christchurch and their current status.
10.14am
Three building inspectors from the Far North District Council have been sent to Christchurch to help Civil Defence.
The Far North council will also supply welfare staff to Christchurch later today.
10.10am
A dedicated branch on Lonely Planet's
, the
Thorn Tree
, has been established to provide a forum for the online travel community to post questions and share updates on the situation in Christchurch post-quake.
10.02am
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has a special message for prospective visitors to his city, in this
.
9.48am
Rubberneckers are being told to stay away from parts of earthquake ravaged Kaiapoi this weekend.
"Residents are getting really irritated with the number of people coming to inspect the damage in the centre of town and in residential areas," said Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jim Palmer.
"Some have told us they are tired of being treated like a freak show, and we are urging rubberneckers to simply stay away."
9.22am
The house once home to former Labour Prime Minister and Kaiapoi Mayor Norman Kirk will be assessed for damage today.
Kirk bought the section in Carew St, Kaiapoi for 40 pounds in the 1950s and built a dwelling on it himself after work and during weekends.
Kirk was Prime Minister from 1972 till his death in 1974.
9.07am
The Christchurch Kids Blog has a poll for the young ones to take.
8.40am
Two more schools are planning to open today.
They are Belfast School and Kaiapoi High.
A handful of schools were open yesterday - but the vast majority of Canterbury's 165 quake-affected schools are planning to open on Monday.
Parents are being advised to check the Ministry of Education website for information on individual schools.
8.30am
Canterbury continues to be rocked by aftershocks - the latest measuring 4.5 and 4.6 on the Richter scale, shortly after 7am.
The quakes, 20km west of Christchurch and 20km south-east of Darfield have been widely reported on the GNS website
and reported as "strong" in Christchurch.
7.35am
Canterbury University will be open to staff on Monday and students on Wednesday.
However teaching won't start until Monday week.
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says all going well, CPIT and Lincoln will also reopen to staff and students this coming Monday, September 13th.
Te Wananga o Aotearoa's Manchester St campus remains closed until further notice. However, classes will resume from the Moorhouse Ave campus on Monday.
8.11am
A business website, www.recovercanterbury.co.nz, has been started as a one-stop shop for all business support issues in Canterbury.
7am
Civil Defence authorities are still not relaxing the inner-city cordon in Christchurch just yet.
"It's our intention to relax the cordon as soon as possible," said Civil Defence controller Michael Mendonca today.
"However we have chosen to take a cautious approach at this stage to ensure public safety."
Toll rises from an apparent mass poisoning in Laos tourist town of Vang Vieng. Video / TVNZ