Hanmer Springs Earthquake

The government is being told to keep a close eye on smaller quake-affected Wellington businesses to ensure they get the help they need to stay afloat.

The closed section of State Highway 1 between Kaikōura and Cheviot could be cleared for essential traffic within a fortnight. Video

More than 50 city businesses that cannot operate because of cordons are expected to be eligible, the government says.

Four households south of the Marlborough town have been advised not to stay there at night.

Volunteers believe they have moved 20 to 56 tonnes of earthquake-stranded pāua back into the water. Video

An eruption in Lake Rotorua early this morning was like a cap blowing off a well-shaken bottle of fizzy drink, says a geothermal inspector.

A quake-prone annex at Parliament is to be demolished and two new buildings are planned, the Speaker has announced.

Demolition of a quake-damaged Wellington office block is under way this morning, with a crane taking down the Molesworth street building's top floors. Video

The Earthquake Commission is going ahead with plans to halve its staff by early next year, despite an influx of new claims from the Kaikōura quake.

For the first time, seismologists are seeing simultaneous slow-slip earthquakes in the North Island.

A decision is still to be made on government support for quake-affected businesses in Wellington. Audio

Kaikōura's only public pool appears to have been damaged beyond repair in last week's earthquake, but it has rekindled the dream of a new indoor complex.

A fortnight on from the Kaikōura earthquake, businesses in the seaside town are starting to re-open - but with no way in or out of the town, they're not sure how long they will last.

Owners of property close to damaged buildings in Kaikōura and Wellington could be in for a frustrating time, a Christchurch business owner says.

Kaikōura locals cut off from the rest of the country for a fortnight were able to re-group and catch up with neighbours at a community event organised by volunteers.

Two diggers being used to repair Kaikōura infrastructure have been damaged in a "sabotage" attack, the Fire Service says.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell will talk to ministers about improving communications between marae and agencies during natural disasters, he says.

Dairy farmers in the quake-hit Kaikōura area have been able to get some stock out through the inland road, although the route remains officially closed to private vehicles.

The government wants to know exactly how badly the crayfish fishery off the earthquake-affected east coast of the South Island has been depleted.

Q & A - How do engineers check buildings? Why didn't Cuba St fall down? What's "safe"? Wellington structural engineer Nicki Vance busts some jargon.