The recent Wellington earthquakes damaged 35 of the city's CBD buildings but city mayor Celia Wade-Brown asserts that Wellington will be open for business on Tuesday, July 23.

Ms. Wade-Brown said trains will be back to their normal schedule and the port will be back to clearing ships. The mayor said the Wellington quakes only caused four minor injuries. She told reporters that Wellington is prepared and well-built.

Although the Wellington earthquakes did not cause major damages to buildings, they were inspected, according to Ms. Wade-Brown to ensure the buildings did not sustain structural damage.

The 6.5 magnitude earthquake in July 21 shook the city but all structures remain intact except for a few broken glass pieces and falling masonry. The mayor said parts of some streets in the city will remain close on Tuesday. People with cars may have to go around the street blocks but they will still get to their jobs on time.

The epicentre of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Wellington was at Cook Strait. The quake was felt after 5pm in July 21.

The Wellington earthquake sent residents running for the nearest cover. Buildings sustained minor damages while part of the wharf broke off and fell into sea.

Ms. Wade-Brown said it's up to some businesses to remain closed on Tuesday to restore order and clean up. She still has no idea how much the Wellington earthquake is going to cost the city in insurance claims.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key also doesn't know how much the earthquake is going to cost the government. However, the prime minister has assured that the government will cover the damages in Wellington.

The government may be looking for other sources of funds since The Earthquake Commission's budget remained scarce after the earthquakes in Christchurch in February.

The Earthquake Commission is set to cover the first $US100,000 or $AU109,445 of damages to homes. The first $NZ20,000 will cover damage to contents and residential land before the rest of the costs will fall on private insurers.

Scientists have said bigger aftershocks are possible following the big Wellington quake in July 21. GNS scientist Ken Gledhill said the chances of another earthquake with the same intensity as the recent one have dropped down to seven per cent. Over the next week , scientists predict a one-in-five chance of another earthquake.

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