Three men were charged by police.

The earthquake-damaged Christchurch Town Hall has been saved after city councillors unanimously voted in favour of a $127.5 million full restoration plan today.

A restoration plan to save the earthquake-damaged Christchurch Town Hall has been hailed as a "masterpiece" by the internationally acclaimed building's architect.

Rodney Hide is putting his hand up to say that we are overdoing the safety thing.

Central Wellington residents forced out of their homes due to an earthquake-damaged lift shaft are expected to be given the all-clear to return on Friday.

Westpac Stadium has received the all-clear to host Saturday's Bledisloe Cup rugby clash in Wellington.

More than 4000 claims have poured into the Earthquake Commission following the central New Zealand earthquakes back in July, and damage assessment will begin today.

A sequence of quakes rattling the centre of the country appears to be shifting down the South Island and away from Wellington.

The Red Cross has wound down its operations in Seddon after Friday's earthquake damaged homes, leaving some uninhabitable.

People in central New Zealand are living with a 20 per cent - one in five - chance of another magnitude six quake in the next week, a scientist says.

Residents in one of the Marlborough streets battered by this week's quakes are seeking solace from each other while anxiously awaiting aftershocks.

Residents were fleeing Seddon last night after a 5.5 earthquake rattled the quake-weary town.

Wracked with sobs, Doug Avery describes the last 20 terrifying, shaky hours living a few kilometres from the epicentre of Friday's big quake.

Emergency workers reported a quiet night in Wellington despite aftershocks continuing to shake the city.

Call it luck or a spooky coincidence, but staff and students at a Wellington primary school were ready and waiting for yesterday's big earthquake.

I had been putting off going into the ANZ since it merged with my trusty old black stallion bank, the National Bank.

When the notion of housing part of Te Papa's collection on the Auckland waterfront was put forward a few years ago, it was well received. Nothing happened, however, to progress it past the status of a good idea.

Laura-Jean Kerslake stood screaming for her infant son in the doorway of her Seddon home as the walls crumbled around her.

The severe earthquake which rocked NZ this afternoon sent workers in Wellington running into the streets as the ground shook and buildings swayed from side to side.

Marlborough and Wellington residents tell their stories of today's earthquake and its aftermath.

People on the streets of Wellington react to this afternoon's 6.6 quake and aftershocks.

Wine bottles fall from shelves and displays during the 6.6 quake at Glengarry Wines in Kelburn, Wellington. Courtesy: Youtube.com/Glengarry Wine

Matt Boivin who was in a history lecture, recounts the moment when this afternoon's 6.6 quake hit in the Wellington region.