Prime Minister John Key said the Government has more spending to come, pointing at an EQC net cost estimate of $1.5b for the latest quake.

The quake struck at 2.23pm, 10km east of Christchurch at a depth of 10km, GNS Science said.

A crash involving a truck and a car has downed power lines on State Highway 1 in south Canterbury.

Police have named a woman who died in Christchurch's February 22 earthquake, bringing the total of number of names released to 170.

The congregation of St Paul's Trinity Pacific Church on Cashel St have come to accept the reality - their 135-year-old church is no more.

The government's finances have taken a $331 million hit, largely due to problems recovering money from failed South Canterbury Finance's tangled set of related party loans.

A magnitude 4 earthquake jolted Christchurch today as Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove was discussing earthquake recovery on live TV.

Works from the gothic vault suggest some some deep premonitions of disaster.

Research shows that once people have enough to live comfortably, adding to their wealth makes little difference to happiness.

Authorities in Christchurch have announced at least 184 buildings in the Christchurch CBD will require major work - including demolition.

An accountant who suffered severe injuries when he was trapped under rubble for 10 hours in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake has walked out of hospital

Auckland Council has agreed to pick up the $2.9 million tab it will cost to host three additional Rugby World Cup games.

Handwritten letters from students in Feilding have warmed the hearts of emergency service workers in quake-stricken Christchurch.

The Christchurch City Council has met for the first time since last month's quake, with Mayor Bob Parker saying the city "will have fight for its place in the sun again"...

The remains of some victims of the Christchurch earthquake who are unable to be identified may be buried in a mass grave, the Chief Coroner says.

The Government is still months away from a definitive answer on where and how many homes in Christchurch will need to be demolished and abandoned.