The earthquake - five things you need to know (Thursday)

If you only have a minute and you want today's need-to-know earthquake news at a glance, this is the page for you.

1. Water, water everywhere - now (mostly) safe to drink

Earthquake-hit Christchurch and Banks Peninsula residents are no longer required to boil their water after restrictions were lifted last night.
However, a notice is still in place to boil water in parts of the Waimakariri district, and at 11am today Environment Canterbury issued a notice that the Waimakariri River has been polluted and its water is unsafe for drinking and/or collecting seafood.
Restrictions on boiling water in Christchurch were lifted after three days of tests found no bacteria in samples.

2. Map it!

Some truly great maps have been created to graphically show what's happened in Canterbury these last six days:

* An opensource Google Map that details what's still open and where in Christchurch.

* A time-lapse presentation of the initial big quake and all the aftershocks, up until the present time.

* An Incident Map of the Canterbury earthquake by Eagle Technology Group.

* A Google Map created by nzherald staff that traces the big events of the story from the epicentre outwards, including the damage to all the historic buildings and how welfare services have swung into action.

* A Google Map created by nzherald staff that shows where the land shook, from the main earthquake on Saturday, and all the subsequent aftershocks, sorted by day.


3. Protecting a heritage

Owners of heritage buildings are being warned not to knock down their buildings.
Numerous historic buildings have been damaged during the week.
There should be no pre-emptive demolition undertaken by building owners in advance of full structural assessment from a professional engaged by the building's owner with advice from city council, said Civil Defence Controller Michael Aitken.
Demolition cannot be undertaken without the written approval of the Christchurch City Council.

4. Putting our money where our mouth is

APN News & Media, publisher of nzherald.co.nz, is today launching a nation-wide appeal for Christchurch earthquake victims with an initial company contribution of $100,000.
The appeal is being partnered by The Radio Network and will be supported by the company's newspapers, magazines, websites and radio stations across the country.
All funds raised will be donated to the Christchurch Mayoral Earthquake Appeal and be administered by the Red Cross.
Details of how to donate are here.

5. Events

Organisers are working to reschedule some high-profile events planned in Christchurch in coming weeks, Radio New Zealand reports. Some are on, some are off:
* The Writers Festival has been cancelled.
* A decision is expected later this week on whether an outdoor art festival and a dance and physical theatre extravaganza will proceed.
* The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is making next week's concert at the Town Hall free, to do their bit for earthquake victims.
* The Dunkley's Great New Zealand Craft Show at Addington Raceway has been cancelled.
* The Black Seeds have postponed their Christchurch show, scheduled for Saturday, until October 30.
* Metallica are still scheduled to play at the CBS Canterbury Arena on September 21 and 22.
* Yesterday's aftershock has led to plans for AMI Stadium to reopen next week to be put on hold.
Event management company Vbase says the stadium will be checked again for structural damage after being cleared following Saturday's earthquake.
The closure won't affect the Canterbury rugby team's schedule over the next two weekends. The team has away matches in Whangarei and New Plymouth. (RNZ)