A house was destroyed and six people injured in a blast that was felt across the city.

Focus: Aerial footage from the house explosion at Marble Court, Christchurch.

Focus: Walkthrough of the devastation caused by the gas explosion in Northwood, Christchurch. Video / Amber Allott

"We are lucky that we are not looking at multiple fatalities here," fire chief says.

All residents, but especially those on Napier Hill, are being asked to conserve water.

There are reports of a major power cut affecting a number of areas across Auckland.

Owner of the farm says he is devastated by the incident in which the water was wasted.

The fires sparked a state of emergency in February last year.

Genesis Energy, the country's biggest energy retailer, will permanently retire a coal/gas-fired unit at the Huntly Power Station.

McConnell Dowell Constructors is drilling an underground tunnel north of Auckland, from the Watercare Pump Station at Orewa to subdivisions north of Grand Drive.

The risk of emergency overflows of sewage into the Manukau Harbour for a further 50 years is being highlighted by community groups.

People are suffering from "energy poverty" and switching off their electricity to save money as new figures reveal power bills have risen an average of $65 in the past year.

The Health Minister is warning that an anti-fluoridation group which has its sights on ridding Auckland of fluoride in its water is running an "organised campaign of misinformation".

The Auckland Council is talking up another one million residents in the city by 2041, but it is taking a prudent line when it comes to providing services.

The Auckland Council hasn't done any work to compare urban and rural infrastructure costs as it asks Aucklanders to adapt to a new way of life.

Auckland plans to spend $4.8 billion over the next 10 years on water projects as the city's population grows.

As Rio Tinto and Meridian Energy haggle over the price of power for the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter, optimism about the metal's future has faded.

The Government has grossly underestimated the value of hydro-energy assets to New Zealand citizens, writes Wayne Cartwright.

Indeed TV3 reported last year that David Shearer and John Key hold the same position, that "nobody owns water. It's everybody's resource".

Auckland's water supply is holding strong, despite an unusually balmy summer which has kept carrier companies busy.

Long-serving Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder has joined the exodus from the top of the state-owned enterprise, his departure welcomed on the West Coast.

As 2012 draws to a close there is no such thing as the "good old days" when it comes to water use in town or country.

Power bills have jumped more than $100 this year, latest figures show - but Auckland households can expect some reprieve next year.

Watercare Services has fitted meters to 14 Auckland household rain water tanks in a trial that will test the fairness of its new $582 annual wastewater fixed charge.

Debate about the benefits of corporatised or privatised water models has been simmering for several years.

High-level discussions are taking place to stop councils providing water services and pass control to a handful of companies run on commercial lines.

Watercare Services has received 765 complaints since radical changes on July 1 to the way Aucklanders pay for water.