The Government has stepped in with an emergency wage subsidy for quake-stricken workers who aren't being paid.

Follow the developing situation on day four of the Christchurch earthquake disaster with nzherald.co.nz's latest updates.

Two heritage buildings in central Christchurch are likely to be demolished this afternoon due to quake damage, the city council says.

Christchurch blogger Mike Dickison on the 13 things he learned from the South Island's "big one".

Welfare staff are unable to contact thousands of solo pensioners in Canterbury and the Government is urging anyone looking after them to get in touch.

Children traumatised after the Christchurch earthquake will get the same support as those in war-torn Afghanistan and quake ravaged Haiti.

Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa have been hit by two quakes this morning but there have been no reports of damage.

Finance Minister Bill English has asked banks and the Inland Revenue Department to be flexible with Christchurch earthquake victims.

John Key has cancelled his scheduled trip to Europe in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.

Supermarket chains are counting millions of dollars in damaged stock as they ship in groceries to cover shortages and access lost to distribution centres.

Christchurch tourism operators say there is some disruption from the earthquake but most are open for business.

Aftershocks rocking Christchurch have damaged an earthquake welfare centre and forced its closure.

All Black assistant coach Steve Hansen and his family face an uncertain future in their Tai Tapu home, after the Christchurch earthquake.

It's a bitter blow as Cantabrians toiling to clean up after Saturday's quake now face a potential shortage of Canterbury Draught beer.

The fault that ruptured the surface of Canterbury paddocks and produced the magnitude 7.1 earthquake has been quiet for at least 16,000 years.

Students are using social networking skills to pull together a volunteer army of more than 1300.