Stories by Niva Chittock

People are encouraged to educate themselves on the signs of cyanobacteria poisoning amid concerns climate change may see cases rise.

Paying with cash, reading books and playing board games to pass the time. It's not a bach holiday, it's Taumarunui - and there's no knowing when the fibre will be fixed.

Many families are struggling to afford burials, as Work and Income's funeral grant fails to keep pace with rising costs.

Nursing graduates are having to wait weeks between finishing their study and starting work despite the health sector's staffing crisis.

A Queenstown eatery says they have been struggling to serve an influx of tourists flocking to the town for the school holidays.

Cantabrians' reliance on cars may be to blame for the highest per-capita levels of pollution in the country, chief science advisor to the Ministry of Transport Simon Kingham says.

A petition has been handed to Canterbury politicians urging that a plan for four composting feed farms near Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere be stopped.

Cantabrians are set to receive cheaper public transport, more flood recovery support and an extra $300,000 in contestable community funding.

Another Christchurch school rebuild was officially opened today, with more than half of the Ministry of Education's $1.3 billion programme now complete.

A Christchurch community is calling for more commitment from the council to help improve one of the city's prominent rivers.

Leaders in the midwifery profession say the government doesn't seem to understand the critical situation the sector is in.

Bromley residents say the rollout of Christchurch City Council's support package for those living with the stench from a damaged wastewater plant was "a massive fail".

Christchurch residents are shocked stolen cars were sent careening down streets early yesterday morning, with bricks weighing down the accelerators.

Christchurch City councillors have voted unanimously to provide the funding, and 3380 households in the worst affected suburb of Bromley will be able to get a share from Monday.

Silver Fern Farms has announced it will no longer be working with the Gloriavale Christian community.

From today, residents on the eastern side of Christchurch can have their laundry done for free, thanks to the Student Volunteer Army.

A public transport campaigner is giving the government's Budget just three and a half out of 10. Audio

Birds have fled, humans want to leave and even the midges have gone - Christchurch's damaged waste water plant is driving everyone away with its "horrendous" stench.

Canterbury District Health Board is still grappling with high numbers of Omicron cases weeks after it thought it would be over the worst.

As more people opt for two wheels to get around, bike thefts are also climbing, with more than four per day on average reported stolen in Christchurch.

Wait until the pain is so bad that you cannot sleep, then you might get on the public health waiting list - that is the advice some patients are being given by their GPs.

Christchurch City Council has had a morning of fiery presentations by residents at their wits end with putrid smells from council facilities. Audio

Locals in Bluff are rallying round the families who lost their teenagers in a fatal collision between a ute and concrete truck on Friday.

A Cantabrian World War II hero well-known overseas is being recognised at home this Anzac Weekend.

A flash flood in a small settlement south of Christchurch has damaged more than three houses overnight.