Stories by Matthew Rosenberg

An Invercargill city councillor publicly derided the use of te reo Māori in names after a misunderstanding.

A lack of data held by the Department of Corrections on accommodation for former prisoners has raised concern among law and criminology experts.

The closure of a Gisborne garden due to asbestos contamination has upset a volunteer, who dedicated more than 20 years of his life to working the soil there.

A swathe of challenges face the Tai Rāwhiti freshwater supply including climate change, scarcity and wastage.

An investigation into the death of a Gisborne dog at the hands of council staff has detailed the sorry state the animal was returned to its owners in.

The stress of "consultation fatigue" is being felt by tangata whenua, according to two Māori ward councillors who have spoken out at recent meetings.

A Gisborne district councillor has apologised to the mayor after criticising the council's approach to risk.

Public consultation will soon begin on a strategy to address the need for 5000 additional homes in Tai Rāwhiti by 2050.

Minutes for Gisborne District Council workshops, which are effectively held in secret, are not as readily available as indicated by the mayor.

A theatre group is "fed up" after a last-minute change in direction by Gisborne councillors left them with an uncertain future.

Around 10,000km will be clocked up by a small aluminium boat criss-crossing the waters of Tūranganui-a-Kiwa this month.

About 90 percent of community feedback was in favour of accepting the all-or-nothing government support package for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery in Tai Rāwhiti, Gisborne District Council says.

Meng Foon's unconsented Gisborne seawall has raised concerns about its potential environmental impact.

The public could soon be informed about workshops at Gisborne District Council, after the Ombudsman called for more council transparency nationwide.

Unconsented work on a Gisborne foreshore undertaken by former mayor Meng Foon has been halted by the district council he once represented.

A report presented to the council lays bare a stark warning that plant and animal control gains could be lost.

Urgent repairs to Gisborne's wastewater outfall pipe will close a section of Midway Beach for at least five days.

The owners of a dog mistakenly put down by Gisborne District Council staff are calling for an end to the controversial killing method used on their pet.

Elderly Gisborne residents are furious a new council safety fence has blocked their shortcut to the library.

Access to Waihau Bay, also known as Loisels, has been cut off since the weekend of 24 June.

The Gisborne council is in a race against time to make important upgrades to its water network to meet a possible drought.

A lease application for culturally significant land at Tokomaru Bay has been given final approval, against the wishes of some who say they are descendants of the original owners.

A top Gisborne scientist has retained the support of the council he represents despite posting vitriol about the government.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is calling on the government and local councils to empower iwi on the back of a visit to cyclone-hit areas.

Through the highs and lows of her long and varied life, cyclone survivor Tahu Dansey-Owen-Ruru has found solace in the craft she holds close to her heart - weaving.