Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee, has apologised to the people of Kaiapoi but says the area's remediation plan will have to be reworked.
Before the change of plan, the worst-affected areas of north and south Kaiapoi were well advanced towards rebuilding.
Mr Brownlee says engineers will revisit the town to assess damage there since the aftershocks of 13 June.
He says it would be unfair to people in Kaiapoi to have remediation done that would not make them safer.
