Moves towards returning the famed rose window to Christ Church Cathedral begin today.
An eighteen-tonne steel frame is being installed onto the cathedral's west facade as part of restoration work.
It will eventually housing the rose window. The cathedral was critically damaged in the Christchurch earthquake of 2011.
Project director Keith Paterson is in Cathedral Square.
He speaks to Susie Ferguson.
Survivors of our biggest national disasters say new guidelines will better supporting families in the wake of future tragedies.
The new "Public Service Commission Model Standards" - to be released at parliament today - addresses what survivors say have been consistent shortcomings in the treatment by government agencies of those most closely affected by disaster.
The standards were co-authored by the Pike River Families Group after consulting with families of survivors caught up with events such as the earthquake and mosque shootings in Christchurch, the Aramoana massacre, the Cave Creek platform collapse and the Whakaari White Island eruption.
Sonya Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the Pike River mine explosion 12 years ago, spoke to Corin Dann.
The Ōtakaro-Avon and Ōpāwaho-Heathcote in Christchurch are some of the most polluted in the region.
While the Avon has received a lot of attention since the Canterbury Earthquakes with $100 million going into a new promenade and cleaning up its water quality, it's a different story for the Heathcote River where raw sewage and industrial chemicals are still regularly found.
Niva Chittock reports.
There's good news of sorts on the building-inspection front in Auckland.
After nearly seven days of fanning out across the city inspecting damaged buildings - the biggest such deployment of building inspectors since the Christchurch earthquake emergency - the operation will be scaled back this weekend.
There are currently around 95 inspectors in the field who have checked 3,500 buildings. As of 6pm last night 190 buildings were red stickered, and a further 790 yellow stickered.
The most red stickered areas are Mount Albert/Mt Eden with 54 and the North Shore with 32.
Auckland Council general manager building consents Ian McCormick spoke to Corin Dann.
Three years after the earthquakes robbed Christchurch of its chance to host England during the Rugby World Cup, the tourists finally made it onto a Canterbury field.
Kaiapoi, just north of Christchurch, has unveiled a bold new plan for the parts of the town wiped off the map in the Canterbury earthquakes. The plan proposes having house boats on the river that runs through the town, there'll be a place for campervans to park up and a covered sports facility is on the cards.
An inquiry into the Earthquake Commission has found it was poorly prepared for the Canterbury earthquakes - and has left people with a "deep mistrust of government" that will take years to overcome.
The government has this morning released findings from the inquiry, chaired by Dame Silvia Cartwright.
Our Christchurch reporter, Conan Young, has been reading through the details and spoke with Māni Dunlop.
Canterbury homeowners are questioning the validity of a survey which was supposed to independently test the quality of earthquake repairs.
Canterbury homeowners are questioning the validity of a survey which was supposed to independently test the quality of earthquake repairs.
A Taranaki business owner is warning leaseholders to read the fine print of their contracts after being asked to pay his rent in full despite a clause in his lease allowing for a rent cut if he couldn't legally access the property.
Clause 27.5 was included in the Auckland District Law Society commercial lease in 2012 in response to the Canterbury earthquakes, when many leaseholders were barred from their businesses.
RNZ reporter Robin Martin has more.
Two and a half years after some of the most badly earthquake damaged parts of Christchurch started getting cleared of residential homes, half a dozen businesses are still trying to make a go in the areas.
Our Christchurch reporter Rachel Graham travelled to Japan, with the support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, to find out.
Changes are on the way for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority which from today becomes part of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The jury's still out on whether changes at the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority represent a winding back of the government's involvement in the rebuild of Christchurch or simply a shift in its focus.
More than four years after earthquakes first damaged home in Christchurch, hundreds of Canterbury homeowners are finding out that they may have to wait another two years before their damaged homes are repaired.
Turning parts of Christchurch's red zoned land into a flat water sports lake, a community garden or a wave garden are some of the ideas being put forward to revitalise the earthquake-ravaged eastern part of the city.
A Christchurch primary school is moving into its permanent new home today, nine years after cliffs behind it collapsed during the city's earthquakes.
Redcliffs School subsequently moved to a temporary location in the suburb of Sumner, but the new location will mean the school will return home to Redcliffs, after a land swap with the local park.
The move comes after in 2016, the then National Government, overturned its own decision to close the school.
Christchurch reporter Anan Zaki spoke to principal Rose McInerney ahead of today's move.
Residents of some Christchurch suburbs could be in for bigger than expected rates rises after the first QV valuations since the earthquakes. The average Christchurch home now has a rating value of 455 thousand dollars, which translates into an annual rates bill of just over two thousand dollars.
Nearly a year on from November's 7.8 magnitude earthquake, schools in the Hurunui District say children are struggling to cope. And if the experience of Christchurch is anything to go by, it's likely to get worse before it gets better.
A proposal to put houses back into Christchurch red zones is being shot down by some worried locals who say it's unfair and potentially unsafe. On Friday the crown-led agency, Regenerate Christchurch, released ten options for one area by the Avon river that 9 thousand people used to call home. Almost every house in the 602 hectare zone was demolished after the earthquakes.
Christchurch has its own social superhero and he's gone cap in hand to the council for funding. The self-styled lycra-clad superhero, known only at 'Flat Man', has been dropping care packages to people since the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. He also wants to be able to help schoolkids and anxious and stressed residents through their troubles. And to do this, he's now asking the Christchurch City Council for funding. He joins us now, and says "a cape is a must".
The country's building regulator admits it needs a major overhaul after years scrambling just to react to leaky homes and the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes.
Police have arrested Rollie James Heke after a two-week nationwide manhunt. The government's come up with a radical new plan to tackle Auckland's critical teacher shortage offering thousands of dollars to any new graduate prepared to stay at any city school for at least three years. The All Blacks and the Wallabies will observe a minute's silence at Saturday's Bledisloe Cup match in Dunedin. The government has confirmed speed limits on some of the main expressways will be lifted to 110km/h. National's MP for Kaikoura, Stuart Smith, has leaked when State Highway 1 north of Kaikoura will be re-opened - on December 15. The country's building regulator admits it needs a major overhaul after years scrambling just to react to leaky homes and the Canterbury and Kaikoura earthquakes. Peter Dunne's shock exit this week has forced both National and Labour to completely re-evaluate their strategies in the contest for the Ohariu electorate.
Work has finally begun dismantling Lancaster Park in Christchurch, six years after it was damaged beyond repair in the February earthquake. It comes at the same time the city's leaders debate what a new stadium could look like and who will pay.
Tax, water and housing concerns were all debated at length by Bill English and Jacinda Ardern in last night's TVNZ leaders debate. The debate came just an hour after shock 1 News Colmar Brunton poll put Labour out in front. There have been fires and explosions at a flood damaged chemical plant near Houston forcing the evacuation of people in nearby homes. A block of flats in Aro Street has been evacuated after a large slip has come down behind it. After heavy rains and flooding a Mumbai building has collapsed, killing at least 23 people. Biosecurity officials say they expect to decide by the end of the year whether they will need to order the destruction of dairy herds to wipe out a cow disease that's broken out in the South Island. It's been revealed that not a single one of New Zealand's 315 police buildings constructed before 2011 have had a full earthquake safety check. People who've bought houses in Canterbury since the September 2010 earthquake and are still battling with insurance companies over repairs, have been told that if they want to take the matter to court, today is their last chance. The Government has begun urgent talks with Australia over the Queensland's state government's "discriminatory" trade policy which takes effect today. Trade Minister Todd McClay joins us.
The Christchurch City Council and the Earthquake Commission are devising a wholesale solution to the city's flood protection.
Kaikōura's struggling business community wants a container mall similar to Christchurch's re-start mall set up after the Canterbury earthquakes.
Wheelchair users say Christchurch is frustrating and difficult to navigate around since the earthquakes, especially roads and footpaths, which is leaving people feeling isolated.
The Education Ministry has apologised after a critical report from the Chief Ombudsman said the ministry failed to fully inform Christchurch schools before revealing plans in 2012 to close and merge 38 of them following the Christchurch earthquake.
A lawyer says a District Court ruling could set a precedent for hundreds of people with PTSD. The ruling directs ACC to cover the medical costs of a Christchurch builder who volunteered in the earthquake rescue effort, but was later hit with PTSD.
