The final cordon around Christchurch's quake-damaged city centre was lifted today, bringing to an end the Defence Force's longest-ever domestic deployment.

Police have named the Culverden man killed in a freak hedge trimming accident in North Canterbury earlier today.

The Government will pay $2.9 billion towards Christchurch city centre's $4.8 billion post-earthquake big ticket blueprint projects, it's been announced today.

A man accused of murdering Canterbury dairy farmer used to get "angry really fast'' when he was drunk, a court heard today.

A dairy farmer was brutally murdered after an eight-month affair and the two men accused of the killing blame each other, a court heard today.

Canterbury schools and early childhood centres have been praised in a report for how they dealt with the Canterbury earthquakes.

The results of crunch talks over who pays for what in Christchurch city centre's post-earthquake blueprint projects will remain secret until next week.

Christchurch City Council has been given a fortnight to speed up its consenting process, or power to grant consents will be taken away from it by the Government.

A smouldering electric blanket filled a bedroom with smoke before it burst into flames at a Canterbury house yesterday.

Mustering the slightest courage will pay off on the pristine slopes of Tasman Glacier.

Ebos Group's $1.1 billion acquisition of Australian firm Symbion this week again highlighted an ongoing issue with getting independent research on NZX-listed companies.

A woman held at gunpoint in her rural Canterbury home had only recently moved in before the attack by three armed men.

Post-earthquake demand for free legal service at Community Law Canterbury has skyrocketed, making the legal centre the biggest of its kind in the country.

More Canterbury high school leavers are moving south to the University of Otago, with the fallout from the earthquakes continuing to play a part in where people choose to study.

A Canterbury astrophysicist will fly to Europe next week to be presented with the Einstein Medal from the Albert Einstein Society.

A North Canterbury forest lifestyle block owner facing animal welfare charges has now been charged with breaching a protection order and bashing 13 chickens to death.

A Canterbury lifestyle block owner is facing animal welfare charges after allegedly beating four pigs with an iron bar.

Elisabeth Easther visits the South Island's sealife mecca.

Heroic Cantabrians were recognised at a police awards ceremony yesterday for their brave efforts from pulling an unconscious driver out of a submerged ute to wrestling a shotgun off an offender.