Asbestos contamination and a highly unstable building have destroyed any chance of personal belongings being saved from 61 Molesworth St in Wellington.

Footpath outside mall closed for building strengthening work.

The British High Commission building in Wellington has been closed after earthquake damage was found.

Work to demolish a quake-damaged Wellington office tower is expected to take about two weeks, weather permitting.

Demolition of the earthquake damaged building at 61 Molesworth Street in Wellington is unlikely to begin today.

Unwanted critters was the biggest cause of cleaning and improvement notices being handed out at Wellington eateries over the past year.

The leaky building class action against cladding manufacturer James Hardie is being heard in the High Court at Auckland this week.

John Key said the cost of the earthquake and any resultant economic hits could affect the ability to offer a tax cut programme in the short term

It's back to business for most Wellington workers today according to the city's mayor, as buildings reopen in the CBD.

Wellington Harbour has been invaded by five vessels from the US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand navies.

New Zealand is in for a relatively dry day today with areas of morning cloud and isolated showers in the north, clearing around midday and becoming mostly sunny.

Prime Minister John Key writes exclusively for the Herald on Sunday after the Kaikoura earthquake.

Cook Strait ferries are up and running after Monday's earthquake.

Police are asking the public to come forward with any information they might have about the incident.

Thousands of workers and residents of Wellington's CBD have been displaced, as engineers continue to detect damage incurred to buildings.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has defended the Wellington City Council's decision to declare the CBD safe so quickly after Monday's quake.

A new two-storey gallery will span the fourth and fifth floor of the museum.

Wellington Girls' College has been evacuated due to emergency access concerns after the 7.8 earthquake which struck on Monday.

A BMW owner is fuming after being forced to abandon her and her partner's only car in a Wellington building due to earthquake risks.

Engineers say its "unusual" shorter buildings - some of which are old and earthquake-prone - didn't suffer as much damage.

A Wellington ferry worker claims to have been given no option but to work, despite major quake damage to the wharf.

The toll Monday's earthquake has had on Wellington is coming to light after at least four more buildings in the central city were evacuated yesterday.

Wild weather in Wellington has caused waves and debris to wash over a road in Eastbourne, closing it.

Earthquake experts have looked at scenarios for both the capital and Auckland. They've crunched the numbers, finding potentially catastrophic scenarios.

BNZ's Harbour Quays building won't reopen for months following damage to CentrePort in the 7.8 earthquake.

Reading Car Park building on Wakefield Street has just been added to the list of buildings with serious structural damage. There are now three buildings with this classification. Tristram Clayton is at the scene as residents are asked to evacuate.

Residents of Collina Terrace in Central Wellington have been allowed to briefly return to their houses to collect essential possessions.

Heavy rain and slips have damaged Wellington roads, meaning motorists may notice different road layouts and routes this weekend. NZTA

Cordons have been reduced in Wellington but there is still a significant amount of work to be done on earthquake-damaged buildings.

Emergency services are responding to reports of building and structural issues in central Wellington.