New Zealand's government has announced a support package for AMI Insurance.

AMI's chief executive John Balmforth said this morning he was "very grateful" the Government had stepped in to help and the company would not be drawing down on the money offered unless it had to.

The Government is closely watching AMI Insurance which has reportedly had its $1b of capital and reinsurance cover wiped out by the two Canterbury quakes. Bill English is holding a press conference at 10am.

The residential rebuild in Christchurch could require up to 12,500 full time workers and reveal a number of skills shortages in occupations such as concreting and carpentry, Prime Minister John Key says.

Workers have been thrown "on the scrap heap" by a redundancy offer from the owners of the earthquake-damaged Christchurch Casino, a union representative has claimed. But Prime Minister John Key said casino management were doing everything

A new department will focus on Christchurch's recovery from its devastating earthquake but concerns are already being raised that locals will not have enough of a say as Wellington bureaucrats make calls on how to go ahead.

A high profile property investor who was able to hire a crane to get car keys and clothes from his 13th floor penthouse has angered central Christchurch business owners...

One recruitment company seeking engineers for the Christchurch rebuild is getting more phone calls from expats wanting to return home.

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.

Canterbury Scientific Limited opened the doors to its new $1.2 million laboratory complex in Addington a few days before February's devastating earthquake.

About 30 Christchurch business owners were given the chance this morning to retrieve what they could from their premises inside the cordon around the most quake-damaged parts of the central city.

How lessons learned about offsite back up and remote services helped one small Christchurch company get back to work after the earthquake.

When presented with a world stage on which to share the tragedy of Christchurch, founder of social media consultancy Missing Link, Kaila Colbin, didn't hesitate.