Controversial Christchurch City Council chief executive Tony Marryatt's job is on the line today at a secret council meeting that will discuss his future.

Troubled Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has pulled out of the upcoming mayoral race as his council struggles with a consent crisis.

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.

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.

Two years ago today, with a force equal to 15,000 tonnes of TNT, came the devastating aftershock that scientists hoped they would never see.

"What most people want is not knowledge, but certainty." It's an apt quote of philosopher Bertrand Russell that Italy's Professor Massimiano Bucchi borrows to sum up people's expectation of what science should be able to tell us before earthquakes happen

Christchurch City Council is to buy the House of Horrors site where Jason Somerville murdered two women and buried their bodies beneath floorboards.

Emergency services responded rapidly and worked well together during the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch last year, an independent review has concluded.