In the week following the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in South Island's Canterbury region, more than 44,000 claims for residential property damage have been lodged with the Earthquake Commission.

The commission said this number of claims is unprecedented in the state agency's history.

Its insurance manager, Lance Dixon, said staff are first trying to get to the more than 5000 people who have said their houses are uninhabitable or not weatherproof.

Dixon said 60 staff are inspecting damaged properties and reinforcements are being brought in from around the country and from overseas to boost the team to more than 400 in coming weeks.

The commission said Canterbury residents who need to make emergency repairs to their quake-damaged homes don't have to wait for an assessor to inspect the property, Radio New Zealand reported on Sunday.

Inspections of buildings in the suburbs of New Brighton are the priority on Sunday as Christchurch civil defence staff continue their door-to-door work to establish how many homes are damaged following last weekend's earthquake.

In a sign the emergency response is beginning to wind down, the civil defence team is working out of the new Christchurch council buildings rather than the Christchurch Art Gallery, where it had been located since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

The welfare centre at Linwood High School in Aranui is relocating to Cowles Stadium, as the school is reopening on Monday.

Aftershocks have continued in the Canterbury region on Sunday morning.

A magnitude-4.6 quake was recorded at 6.03 a.m. on Sunday, 30 km south-east of Darfield - the second in that location since midnight. It was at a depth of 5 kilometres.

Other, smaller tremors were recorded in the same area, and another near Lyttelton.

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