No one knows how much the Christchurch earthquake will eventually cost, but the government's balance sheet is still in a strong position to pay its part of the possibly $25b bill, says PM John Key.

The Earthquake Commission has paid out $1 billion in claims from the Canterbury earthquakes.

Today the Weekend Herald salutes the winners of the annual Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards, which honour one of the country's greatest leaders, the late Sir Peter Blake.

Rates across the country could rise due to increased insurance bills in the wake of the Christchurch quakes.

Taxpayers would pay most of the cost of repairing future earthquake damage to uninsured Christchurch infrastructure, a spokesman for Finance Minister Bill English says.

The actual physical rebuild of Christchurch won't be complex but will remain frustratingly on hold until the aftershocks come to an end, says Fletcher Building CEO Jonathan Ling.

Uncertainty of people in orange zone source of future resentment.

Mai Chen asks whether emergency laws and cash can sustain people's trust .

Pharmacist sees the tension in customers' faces - and in their prescriptions.

Sizable aftershocks are continuing to shake Christchurch today, as the Prime Minister says authorities need time to sort out what parts of the city will be abandoned due to quake damage.

The High Court has been asked to sort out who is legally responsible for insurance...

Insurance company Tower is taking the Earthquake Commission (EQC) to court over how much it will pay out on Christchurch earthquake claims.