Key cancels Europe trip over quake

Prime Minister John Key has cancelled his trip to Europe, where he was to meet the Queen, in the wake of Saturday's devastating earthquake in Canterbury and will travel to Christchurch today.

He said he had cancelled the trip to show solidarity with the people of Christchurch.

Mr Key will travel to Canterbury this afternoon with senior ministers and Labour leader Phil Goff.

They will visit welfare centres and rural areas as well as meeting with councils and others.

Mr Key said he felt safe travelling to Christchurch this afternoon despite the aftershocks.

"There's a job to be done and I'm going to go down there and be part of it," he said.

At least five Canterbury schools have major structural damage and may need to be pulled down; 21 others needed further inspection before children could return.

There were likely to be further disruptions in schooling for students at those schools, Mr Key said.

It showed that significant damage may be hidden, he said.

"The structural damage to some buildings is so great that in the end it's going to be cheaper to knock them down than it is to actually try and fix them up."

The Government was looking at how it could speed up consents and the resource management process for buildings damaged by the quake, Mr Key said.

One possibility was to award retrospective consents to work done by approved builders.

The greatest impact of the quake was on people's mental wellbeing and the Government would need to provide counselling services for a long time, Mr Key said.

"At the moment my thoughts are much more with the people of Christchurch and what they're having to deal with than with the economic costs and in the end we're a strong country and we'll get through it.

"At the worst of times you see the very best of New Zealand and we're seeing the very best of New Zealand as family and friends get out there and help out their loved ones," he said.

Civil Defence Minister John Carter was also concerned about the people in Christchurch.

"The worry we have now is people are starting to get tired, they're still suffering from the shock of the earthquake, they're not getting a proper night's sleep. So it's the health and wellbeing of the people that's our concern."

Anger would be the next emotion, he said.

There were reports of further damage to buildings following aftershocks overnight and those identified as safe would now have to be checked again.

Mr Key was due to leave for Europe on Friday.

"I said yesterday I would consider it day-by-day, if it wasn't prudent I wouldn't go, I've decided on balance it wouldn't be prudent for me to leave, I'd rather stay and be here."