The quake today comes nearly five years after a 2011 earthquake destroyed much of the centre of New Zealand's second largest city and killed 185 people.
The US Geological Survey reported that today's quake was centred 17 kilometres east of the city at a relatively shallow depth of 8 kilometres.
New Zealand authorities did not issue a tsunami warning.
Today's quake was one of the largest since the 2011 quake and people from across the South Island reported feeling the ground shaking.