Dunedin will stop tomorrow to honour Christchurch and its fallen.
A national two minutes of silence at 12.51pm will be preceded by a rally in the Octagon at 12.15pm to demonstrate support for and solidarity with the battered city.
"We want to send the strongest message of support we possibly can to Christchurch," Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said yesterday.
"We want to take the opportunity to rally Dunedin's support and remind Christchurch, in no uncertain terms, that we are behind them all the way and will continue to support them."
Dunedin civic authorities were already braced for an influx of people fleeing Christchurch, Mr Cull said.
"There's probably a tide of refugees heading our way. I really wouldn't know how many. But, we're going to be setting up a drop-in Christchurch embassy-type centre.
"We know the worst is yet to come. We're reaching the end of the rescue stage and, now, it's about rebuilding and recovery. Their needs are going to change and there needs to be a fluid, and not too-rigid, approach. It's time to pull it all together. It's going to be a long, hard recovery grind," Mr Cull said.
"It's a bit like the day after a funeral. Everyone comes and says 'That's terrible' and then everyone leaves. That's the worst time for the bereaved. Well, Dunedin is not leaving.
"We also want this rally to be an opportunity to tell our community what the most appropriate help right now is."
The Dunedin City Council had already made about 20 vacant housing units available for displaced pensioners and sent up building inspectors and Red Cross volunteers, Mr Cull said.
"There's been a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Now we want to pull it all together and show them what we can do as a community."
The two minutes of silence were called by Prime Minister John Key to mark a week since the tragedy.
"I am calling on all New Zealanders to stop and remember those who have lost their lives, those who are missing and the hundreds of people who are mourning family and friends [and] enduring a tragedy beyond what most of us can imagine," Mr Key said.
The earthquake might be New Zealand's single most tragic event in its history, he said.
"For now, we must do all we can to show its people that all of New Zealand grieves with them."
