The Labour Party leader says the scale of the damage in Christchurch's red zone is overwhelming but he is confident the city will be rebuilt once people have certainty over what is happening with the land.
On Tuesday afternoon, David Shearer had his first tour of the damaged central city, which has been out of bounds since last February's earthquake.
Mr Shearer, who is taking part in the city's commemoration services, says seeing so many buildings destroyed was overwhelming.
He says Christchurch has an opportunity to rebuild and develop into an exciting city but people need certainty.
