Live updates: Christchurch earthquake Monday morning/wellington h
10.51am: The Red Cross says about $5.2 million has already beendonated to its quake fund.
5.45am: The names of two more quake victims are expected to bereleased by police this morning.
7.15am: Prime Minister John Key says the quake will have a majorimpact on the May budget. The government will today outline aneconomic support package for all those affected. Key says it is atemporary patch for a one month period.
8.00am: Christchurchs army of student volunteers is headingback out into the suburbs for another day of hard work.
7.05am: Two more arrests have been made overnight – one forbreaking the cordon and one for impersonating search andrescue.
6.10am: The government is today expected to announce temporarysubsidies for Christchurch-based businesses.
6.35am: More Defence force personnel have arrived inChristchurch to help with the clean up. Eighty soldiers from NorthIsland territorial units are working to clear sediment from streetsand properties.
7.50am: The main road into Sumner is now closed for rock-ceassessment.
11.15am: Efforts are being made to get a bus service operatingaround the city cordon in Christchurch.
11.19am: The Earthquake Commission is urging Cantabrians to getin touch if they have damaged homes or property. CEO Ian Simpsonsays they have enough money to cover all the destruction.
5.20am: The confirmed death toll is now at 147, with sixpublicly identified.
9.00am: Business leaders believe the quake is an opportunity forChristchurch to become the most modern city in the world. CentralCity Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale says the futureChristchurch will protect residents for at least the next 150years.
10.10am: BNZ has reopened nine branches within Christchurch.Stores in Riccarton, Upper Riccarton, Rolleston, Rangiora, Papanui,Leeston, Kaiapoi, Hornby and Akaroa are open until 4.30pm. 39 BNZATMs are also open around the city.
9.25am: John Keys trip to Moscow, London, Paris and Brusselsnext month has been postponed because of the earthquake.
10.42am: Usar teams refreshed.
9.33am: All Whites defender Winston Reid is ready to put some ofhis mementoes from the World Cup up for auction to raise funds forChristchurch.
8.50am: WINZ will be at the Diamond Harbour Church Hall from 9amtoday to discuss financial issues and assistance.
11.40am: Expert teams are working out of Christchurch Hospitaland the Burnham Military Camp to identify quake victims. ChiefCoroner Neil MacLean says in many cases visual identification isntpossible. Fingerprinting, DNA and dental records are beingemployed. Judge MacLean says theres no set time frame forcompleting the dreadful task.
5.30am: Farmers have poured in from across the country to helpthe clean up. They hope to clear more than a thousand tonnes ofdebris today.
10.00am: Red Cross volunteers will be helping out in the suburbstoday. Spokesman David Neal says around 30 volunteers aresupporting Operation Suburb.
7.00am: CBD stickering completed. 25% of buildings have redstickers.
6.44am: Health minister Tony Ryall says services are moving on to asecond wave of problems, minimising any gastro outbreaks. Heexpects to see people present with heart and stroke relatedillnesses as shock sets in.
7.10am: Parker is talking about recreating the CBD elsewhere.Iwant people to go and have a place to work and I want businesses tosurvive through this.
6.30am: Limited postal services resume tomorrow, depending onwhat areas have been cleared, what areas are considered safe, andstaff availability.
Live updates: Christchurch earthquake Monday morning/wellington h,11.30am: Orion is working on restoring power to Redcliffs,Sumner and Mt Pleasant today as part of its goal of getting 95% ofthe city back on the grid over the next week. More than 500 peopleare working on reconnecting power throughout the city.
– more Defence force personnel have arrived to help with the cleanup
10.39am: The death toll is 148 confirmed deaths. Two more of thedeceased named: Natasha Sarah Hadfield, 38, from Kaiapoi; OwenWright, 40, from Lyttelton.
5.50am: The search and rescue effort continues as it goes intoday seven of the operation.
6.05am: A service for the first of the victims will be heldtoday – that for 5-month-old Baxtor Gowland.
6.43am: Sewage water is flowing into the ocean to keep it offthe streets and out of properties.
10.37am: Pioneer Stadium is now available for showers. Peopleneed to bring their own toiletries and towels.
7.30am: Superintendent Russell Gibson says people trying tobreach the cordon will be caught and locked up. He said thousandsof people are doing a ntastic job and he is disappointed in thefew idiots breaking the law.
– two more arrests have been made overnight – one for breaking thecordon and one for impersonating search and rescue.
6.40am: Rubber-neckers continue to be an issue in the centralcity, preventing easy movements of vehicles providing crucialsupport to the rescue operation.
10.45am: A sizeable jolt has shaken Christchurch just as CivilDefence controller John Hamilton was delivering his latestbriefing.
10.15am: The Student Volunteer Army is desperate for morevolunteers. More than 20,000 thousand people have joined thegroups Facebook page but organisers say the numbers turning up aresignificantly lower than that. Anybody willing can go to the theUCSA building at Canterbury University with sturdy footwear andtools if they have them. You dont have to be a student to joinin.
11.10am: British rescue teams are still working on the PyneGould building which is still moving. Fire Service USAR headRussell Wood says the stair blocLive updates: Christchurch earthquake Monday morning/wellington hk tower is on quite a lean.
8.20am: Properties in the Christchurch hill suburb of Cliftonare being evacuated wellington house eastern healththis morning because of a crack appearing in arockce. Civil Defence National Director John Hamilton saysresidents were asked to leave Kinsey Terrace, Sumner yesterday.
10.11am: Federated Farmers is calling for any volunteers toreport to the A and P Showgrounds.Volunteer labourers are asked tobring shovels, wheelbarrows and personal protection equipment suchas gumboots, gloves, sunblock, bottled water.
To recap: 9.00am
10.30am: Mayor Bob Parker says strong winds are expected tobring warm blustery conditions, the clean up more difficult.Officials are urging people to secure anything loose lying aroundtheir properties. Parker says with around 180,000 tonnes of siltaround Christchurch the winds are a concern, especially for peoplewith respiratory problems.
8.35am: The Armageddon Expo planned for Christchurch April 2 and3 has been postponed.
6.50am: Economist Cameron Bagrie says even an optimisticassessment of the impact of the quake will see the economy take ahit in the first quarter.
10.55am: A house fire in Christchurch has been blamed onstress-related smoking.
10.35am: Civil Defence director John Hamilton says theoperational response has transitioned seamlessly into the newworking week. Our focus is undiminished in helping the people ofChristchurch.
7.40am: Psychologist Nigel Latta says if you can use toilethumour to ease the tension, then do it. Parents are the besttherapists for their children.
7.25am: Civil Defence boss John Hamilton says the full USARrescue effort is continuing in the CBD and they are contactingpeople in the eastern suburbs. Hamilton says gastro problems are abig concern and if there was a major outbreak it would test thealready strained health service.
6.18am: Universities and polytechs in Christchurch will not openuntil at least March 14.
6.45am: Mayor Bob Parker says the central city cordon couldpotentially be in place for months. Our goal is to get all thosepiles of sand off the streets by the end of the week.
5.55am: The focus is still search and rescue., despite no onebeing found alive since last Wednesday.
6.15am: Canterburys Chamber of Commerce hopes business activityaround the CBD will compensate for losses where the worst damageis.
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6.25am: The HMNZS Canterbury has set sail from Wellington withsupplies for Christchurch. It will take 12 hours for the vessel toget to Lyttelton.
11.05am: Parker says 55,000 properties remain without water, 65%of the city has been reconnected. Residents must continue to treatthe water as potentially contaminated and always boil it. 85% ofthe city now has power.