Keiller MacDuff

Amid teachers strikes and calls for more resources and pay, the minister of education suddenly cancelled long-held plans to speak. Audio

A new regional council report finds nearly a quarter of monitored rivers, lakes and bays pose health risks from faecal bacteria or toxic algae.

"That's an irreplaceable collection ... Once those sheds caught fire, it was game over," says Ben Lappage after a fire tore through his property. Audio

Christchurch city councillors have been presented with a plan to build a multi-million-dollar pump for Wairewa Lake Forsyth to improve water quality and reduce the risk of flooding.

The ban is going into place around the Otago Peninsula to protect the threatened penguin population.

Federated Mountain Clubs has launched a last-minute bid to halt a controversial West Coast hydro scheme.

It's been revealed the defence minister has met her Ukrainian counterpart and other officials in Kyiv.

"We acknowledge that refusing this request was not appropriate and may have contributed to delays in the important work you are undertaking on behalf of our kaimahi."

More than 36,000 workers are walking off the job again today, demanding better pay and increased staffing.

A community board heard impassioned pleas in front of a packed public gallery.

The fate of one of the world's rarest penguins is on a knife-edge as breeding season gets underway.

The study found men and women who experienced violence were more likely to be hospitalised for a range of reasons - including cancer, respiratory illness, and nervous system and digestive disorders.

One is on the banks of the Avon River in the central city, the other nestled in a Cashmere Hills reserve with views of the Southern Alps.

The distressed scream of a woman rang out across a tight-knit Christchurch neighbourhood. Then a gunshot followed.

Police are accusing Federated Farmers of scaremongering over a proposed restructure in rural Canterbury. Audio

Gloriavale leader Howard Temple has pleaded guilty to a dozen charges including five of indecent assault on day three of his trial. Audio

Howard Temple had been standing trial in Greymouth, but suddenly changed his pleas on Wednesday.

Gloriavale's Overseeing Shepherd, Howard Temple, has pleaded not guilty to 24 charges of sexual assault and doing an indecent act.

A court is hearing more evidence from women accusing Howard Temple of sexual offending.

A climate of fear in Gloriavale prevented a victim from reporting sexual abuse suffered at the hands of the community's 85-year-old leader, a court has heard.

Luxon says new builds will boost jobs and productivity, but the opposition dismissed the "announcement of an announcement" as a public relations stunt lacking fresh investment.

Tasman's mayor warned the total repair bill from the back-to-back floods was likely to exceed $100 million.

Despite research ranking New Zealand as one of the most self-sufficient countries, a spokesperson says there's an imbalance in protecting prime horticultural land. Audio

Residents in Brooklyn are being urged to evacuate immediately as the region braces for a new round of heavy rain.

Civil defence Nelson Tasman group controller Alec Louverdis says he is planning "for the absolute worst" ahead of two orange rain warnings across the region.