Stories by Robin Martin

At first glance the 90-metre strip of slick-black asphalt leading up to New Plymouth's famous Pukekura Park doesn't look anything out of the ordinary - but it is.

Three companies have been fined a total of $204,000 for discharges of effluent and silage leachate, and farmers are being warned dirty dairy practices will not be tolerated.

The government is being criticised over the failure to remove thousands of cubic metres of asbestos and lead-contaminated soil from a land-banked former hospital site in New Plymouth.

A founding member of the Patea Māori Club who was awarded a Queen's Service Medal yesterday says the monarch is a fan of the group's smash hit Poi E.

The government should put its money where its mouth is and help set up a specialist tertiary institute focusing on environmental and energy sciences, New Plymouth's mayor says.

The chef behind a first of its kind hāngī eatery in Taranaki says she wants to help bring Māori kai into the culinary mainstream while giving something back to the community that raised her.

Big city folk left reeling at the prices being charged for them - up to $11 dollars each - might want to consider a trip to New Plymouth, where the fruit are just a couple of dollars.

The Taranaki Regional Council says a decision today to spend up to $50m to repair and upgrade the earthquake prone Yarrow Stadium means the province will soon be able to host major events again.

A former New Plymouth police officer sentenced to 8 months home detention sex offences tracked his victims using the police computer.

The mayor who described the oil exploration ban as a "kick in the guts" for Taranaki seems more positive after the government's clean energy centre announcement - but not all locals were won over. Audio

A Taranaki pensioner fears he will never sell his home - and his children will miss out on their inheritance - unless a rock wall at the coastal settlement where he lives is extended.

Four months out from the Rugby World Cup confusion reigns in parts of rugby heartland over where to watch the matches and what technology to use.

Authorities in Taranaki say they are unable to prevent a landowner stopping the public using part of the Whitecliffs Walkway, but locals say that is a cop out. Video

The art of collecting is being celebrated in New Plymouth, as the city's Puke Ariki museum marks the centenary of its collection.

Questions are being raised about the $55 million bill to repair the earthquake prone Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth.

A respected iwi leader says a South Taranaki mayoral candidate has been deliberately offensive by chosing to use the term "Naki" in the branding of his business.

More Taranaki firms should follow the example of a New Plymouth IT company and drop the word "Naki" from their branding, a Māori academic says.

Mental health services expect demand stemming from the Christchurch shootings to tail off this week but warn the after-effects of trauma could last for years.

An environmental activist has swum a giant "X" across a proposed seabed mining site 25km off the South Taranaki coast to mark it as a no-go area for commercial development.

The Christchurch mosque attacks left the spiritual leadership of the city's Muslim community distraught and in desperate need of support.

Members of the public came with messages of solidarity and stories of loss as thousands gathered to hear the call to prayer. Robin Martin talks to those at the scene.

A week after the atrocities at the Linwood and Al Noor Mosques in Christchurch, people are beginning to grapple with what it means for the city.

The Whanganui Regional Museum has taken a back-to-the-future approach to its relaunch after earthquake strengthening.

A small army of contractors and volunteers have been busy in Taranaki setting up the Womad festival which kicks into life in New Plymouth this evening. Video

New Zealanders owe almost $10 million in unpaid tolls and administration fees for travelling on the country's toll roads.