Essential supplies arrive at Lyttelton

Essential fuel imports via the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch remain on schedule despite the series of earthquakes including yesterday's 5.1 magnitude aftershock, port boss Peter Davie said.

The structural impact around LPC's wharves is substantial and further checks were needed after the fresh shock with an epicentre 10km southeast of Christchurch.

The port has already estimated the cost of the quake to its infrastructure in the tens of millions of dollars.

Davie said staff were working under extreme stress to keep the port operating. Important food and fuel supplies were still getting through the port unhampered by the severe aftershocks.

The most recent check showed everything "OK" apart from further slumps around the wharf areas, including Z-berth, owned by Independent Fisheries. This wharf was out of action.

"Our priority is on keeping the port operational so that the essential food, fuel and other supplies needed by Christchurch can get through," Davie said.

"To this end the port is operational and we continue to assess our facilities after every large shake."

In terms of oil storage, the tanks, piping and wharf had been checked and were operational, Davie said. The port was in the midst of a gas delivery, with a fuel delivery due next week.

Christchurch International Airport also did a fresh assessment of its building and runway infrastructure in the wake of the 5.1 aftershock shortly before 8am.

The domestic and international terminals remained open. The domestic building had been closed for a short time earlier in the week during an aftershock assessment check.

There was no significant damage from the further quake and flights were continuing as scheduled, marketing and business development general manager Gareth Owen said.

"We're still in emergency mode for these aftershocks, but we're just obviously wanting passengers to continue coming out rather than stay back."

Ngai Tahu Holdings Corp, a major infrastructure owner in Canterbury, says there has been no significant damage to its asset base, though it is yet to properly inspect its headquarters at Te Waipounamu House in Hereford St.

Its joint venture with the city council – the Te Hononga Christchurch Civic Building – had held up structurally well to the earthquakes, a spokeswoman for Ngai Tahu Property said.

"There is some interior damage ... to plasterboard, and with the aftershocks there's been additional damage to plasterboard and there's also damage to fixtures and fittings – things like light fittings.

"Right now the building is being fully reassessed again because you just have to do it after these big aftershocks. It's due to open next week – that hasn't changed."

There was some damage to the Police headquarters building, though it was still staffed and had been inspected by engineers on three occasions. "The engineers tell us while there is some unsightly cracking in the police building it is not structural," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Synlait Milk, which has its milk powder processing plant south of Dunsandel, said its base had been relatively unaffected by the main 7.1 magnitude quake and subsequent aftershocks.

The general manager of operations, John Roberts, said the plant had been inspected by a structural engineer and all moving equipment found to be in working order.

The plant was forced to shut down for 12 hours on Saturday when the electricity supply was cut. Only one of Synlait's milk suppliers had suffered serious damage and is expected to have a replacement milking shed by early next week.

- © Fairfax NZ News