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 mayor Bob Parker doesn't pull any punches in a personal account of the earthquakes that rocked his city.

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

A top engineer behind Christchurch's post-earthquake building assessments has explained the much-criticised inspection system..