SYDNEY, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Following are some of the lead stories from New Zealand media.
Stories may be taken from papers or Internet editions.
Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
DOMINION POST(www.stuff.co.nz)
Wellington has returned to work almost as normal within three days of Monday's earthquake - but questions are being asked as to whether we've rushed back too soon.
More buildings were closed on Wednesday as engineers continued their inspections around the city, leaving about 60 offices and apartment blocks shut.
Hundreds of Kaikoura residents and visitors have been evacuated from the quake-devastated township on a navy ship overnight, with the military now turning its attention to delivering supplies to those staying put.
A freeze on new insurance cover since the latest earthquakes is threatening house sales.
Almost all companies have stopped writing homeowner policies for shaken areas since the North Canterbury earthquakes on Monday. The top half of the South Island and the bottom of the North Island, including Christchurch and Wellington, are affected.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD (www.nzherald.co.nz) Modern buildings in central Wellington should never have been so badly damaged in Monday's quake and only lucky timing prevented any deaths, a seismic engineer says.
The Prime Minister is now calling for answers after two Government buildings, both built within the last decade, were among the worst hit in the magnitude 7.8 quake.
Qantas QAN.AX is boosting services across the Tasman, continuing strong growth over the past 18 months as it moves through a $2.24 billion-plus transformation programme.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee today outlined a NZ$20 billion ($14 billion) spending programme on defence equipment out to 2030.
Among the major decisions to be made within the next four years are what to replace the two Anzac frigates, Te Mana and Te Kaha.