Canterbury

Canterbury Regional Council is proposing hiking rates by more than 24 percent in the coming year - with some towns hit harder than others.

If the fire flares up again, it will spread quickly, firefighter says.

The road is expected to remain closed for several hours.

The prime minister has joined a ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of Christchurch's deadly 2011 earthquake.

Despite its hardships, the Prime Minister believes his hometown has a great future ahead.

The daughter of a woman killed in the Canterbury Television building collapse says 13 years on families are still waiting for justice.

It has been 13 years since the building was extensively damaged in the earthquakes.

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown remains confident that the town's second bridge won't fall into what could be a $24 billion fiscal hole.

Authorities say they will move to the "recovery phase" shortly.

Cheaper public transport in Christchurch meant more people on lower incomes had more money for everyday essentials, including food, a new study shows.

Musician Tiki Taane has surprised lunchtime crowds in Christchurch with a free concert on one of the city's trams.

Canterbury Regional Council is investigating reports of a hideous smell plaguing Timaru.

"Extensive damage to the courses and ongoing safety concerns on the site" make it impossible for the event to go ahead, organisers say.

Far-right activist Kyle Chapman has avoided jail, telling a court he now wants to be a father first.

The cause of Christchurch's Port Hills fire is yet to be determined, but police say residents have come forward with good information for the investigation. Audio

Police have spoken to people seen on the Port Hills walking track before a large blaze began last week.

A southerly wind change this evening is expected to help cool the land as crews continue to deal with the fire.

The 300 hectare vegetation fire jumped its containment line this afternoon but firefighters have been working successfully to contain it again. Audio

More than 100 firefighters are still working to fully extinguish a vegetation blaze on Christchurch's Port Hills, but resources will be scaled back in the coming days. Audio

Although the impact of the latest fire has not quite been as severe as those seven years ago, it has sparked questions about the area's future, particularly its land use makeup.