A conman jailed for defrauding church-goers of $853k in a Nigerian oil scam has the 'delusional view' the scheme will 'deliver up riches'.

Christchurch's Student Volunteer Army has adapted its mandate from providing quake relief to a more long-term community service model.

News that Canterbury University is throwing $3,000 at students with top marks to enrol down south has been reported as though there was something unusual about it, writes Paul Little.

Almost 200 Christchurch businesses have been opened or reopened since January and the population is growing as the Canterbury city continues its recovery from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

Anti-depressant prescribing in Christchurch is at an all-time high and there are "grave concerns" for the ongoing psychological struggles of the city's residents.

The University of Canterbury's new high-tech security system is designed to speed up response times to critical incidents like natural disasters.

An international conference on conflict between elephants and humans is set to be held in New Zealand for the first time in May.

Police are considering trying to ban gang patches in New Brighton, Christchurch, after a flare up between gang members and ongoing intimidation.

All eight of New Zealand's universities are being taken to the New Zealand Copyright Tribunal for refusing to agree to an increased annual licence fee which allows lecturers to copy authors' work for students.

Earthquake repair contractors at Canterbury University will be forced off campus if they harass female students after claims of "derogatory" comments by staff.

New Zealand universities have spent more than $250,000 dishing out honorary degrees to celebrities and visiting dignitaries, a Herald investigation into the eight institutions has found.

Festive lights, Christmas trees, a jolly Santa waving you in and carols can be the magic formula for retailers trying to lure shoppers in and seal a deal.

The highly-acclaimed Student Volunteer Army which mobilised in the immediate aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes is moving into a new phase of community service projects, its new president says.

Mandatory emissions standards for new vehicles and an electrical "smart grid" are among a raft of ways New Zealand could tap into a global green economy.

Increased alcohol consumption and higher levels of depression, stress and anxiety have been linked to residents living in some areas of quake-hit Christchurch.