City officials say they are confident the Christchurch Town Hall can be saved.

Police patrols are keeping a high level of security in the cordoned off areas of central 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"...

A massive recovery operation in Christchurch is aimed at making it the most "earthquake safe" city in the world, its Mayor Bob Parker says.

Civil Defence plans to create "safe corridors" to buildings within Christchurch's quake-ravaged central business district.

Police have named another seven victims of last month's Christchurch earthquake.

As police release more names of people who died in Christchurch's devastating earthquake, they say the toll is likely to be 182 but it could take months for the last bodies to be identified.

Thirty angry Christchurch business owners marched to Civil Defence HQ to demand to be allowed back into their central city properties to retrieve belongings before they are bulldozed down.

Prince William was today stunned by the damage in quake-hit Christchurch, where he thanked Civil Defence and USAR workers for their "stirling" efforts.

Prince William has been stunned by the scale of devastation inflicted by last month's earthquake in Christchurch, after touring the "red zone" in the central city this afternoon.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says the thoughts of his quake-stricken city are with Japan following Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake which devastated much of the country and left thousands dead.

A proposed public walk-through of the devastated Christchurch city centre has been labelled "grotesque" and has raised concerns priority earthquake response work might be passed over.

Labour wants limits placed on increases for residential tenancies and businesses

Police today released the names of six more people who died in Christchurch's February 22, magnitude 6.3 earthquake, while Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced 110 schools in the region will have reopened by next week.

Christchurch mayor Bob Parker says it's "appalling" some landlords are reportedly hiking rents in the wake of last month's big earthquake.

I've always found ancient places of worship to be strangely moving. Probably it's because the dominant role of organised religion in bygone times meant the greatest talents of the age were harnessed to make these churches.

Missing people are still being reported nearly two weeks after the Christchurch earthquake, police say.

The national state of emergency imposed after last month's devastating earthquake will be extended today and is likely to be in place for some time, Prime Minister John Key says.