The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is lifting the state of emergency for the region except for the Ashburton, Selwyn and Waimakariri districts, where it will be extended for seven days.

This means that the state of emergency is being lifted for Christchurch, Kaikōura and Waimate.

Meanwhile, Hurunui, Timaru and Mackenzie districts will move to transition to recovery.

This means that within the next 28 days they can use the powers available under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act should they need them, for example, to do emergency works.

The declaration was made at 4:00 p.m. today.

Group Controller, Neville Reilly, said that the Ashburton, Selwyn and Waimakariri districts still required powers to assist with the response to the flooding that had hit the region over the past several days.