Stories by Robin Martin
News
'Relationships are key': Help for at-risk learners pays off
A new app and embracing te ao Māori are among ways Taranaki's largest tertiary education has seen a big improvement in pass rates.
Whanganui council to buy CBD properties for hotel plans
The three properties, worth about $4 million, will facilitate the development of a four-star hotel and carpark in the city.
'Speaking up has moral, political weight': Council calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire
All but one councillor - who abstained - voted in favour of the motion on behalf of the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
Farmer fears plans for rural road will return area to 'Middle Ages'
Plans to replace a 6km stretch of sealed road at Tarata with gravel will put school children at risk, a farmer says.
Whanganui council considers $55 million four-star hotel
A council proposal to build a $55 million four-star hotel and carpark is dividing opinion in Whanganui.
Public hospital cuts will affect patient care, healthcare assistant says
Public hospitals have been asked to make savings of $105 million by July. Audio
Top flight cricket could be pulling up stumps at iconic park
It was once described by cricketing bible Wisden as among the six best venues in the world - but its days may be numbered.
'Huge potholes and real dramas' over small community's road fix
Tarata residents say the move will make getting around more difficult and blanket the area in dust from logging trucks.
Students build connections, look for solutions at Beyond COP21 Symposium
The first-ever Beyond COP21 Symposium to be held in Oceania hopes to open young people's minds to the possibility of a more sustainable future.
Do New Plymouth's otters really need a new $1.5m home?
Brooklands Zoo is planning a major makeover - but not everyone is impressed with the cost.
Mystery billboard again takes aim at roadworks
The tongue-in-cheek sign - which mimics NZTA information boards - suggests diggers might be about to return.
Seabed mining critics furious after company pulls out of hearings
Opponents of seabed mining are furious an Australian company has pulled out of consent hearings for a controversial project off the Taranaki coast.
Funding shortfall halts cathedral project
Skyrocketing costs are affecting work at the country's oldest stone church.
Pioneer women surfers and their struggle for recognition
"Just looking back on archival stuff, in the news and surf mags, so many of their stories were untold."
Vintage and collectable surfboards go under the hammer
A Taranaki surfing identity is to part with some of his vast collection of vintage and collectable surfboards at an auction this weekend.
'Huge few months in Taranaki' as more kiwi released
About 110 kiwi are due to be released in the next few months, boosting the existing population and relieving pressure on sanctuaries.
Rogue digital billboard making fun of Waka Kotahi removed
The sign featured several tongue-in-cheek messages about the transport agency and its work.
Rogue digital billboard pokes fun at Waka Kotahi
A digital billboard poking fun at Waka Kotahi has appeared near an intersection in New Plymouth where its contractors have recently finished work.
Slash frontline biosecurity staff and 'we're exposed'
A new biosecurity collective in Taranaki says any reduction of frontline Ministry for Primary Industries staff is risky.
City Girls back for last ever Oxfam Trailwalker
Declining registrations and rising costs means Trailwalker - which began in 2006 - is no longer viable.
The Mountain: Tween stars steal the show at Taranaki premiere
The tween leads of New Zealand's latest feature film stole the show at the world premier of The Mountain at the TSB Showplace in New Plymouth last night.
'Spectacular' Manganui Gorge bridge closer to finish
Specialist builders working from ropes and in sync with helicopters have erected two bridge masts that now tower over the Manganui Gorge on Taranaki Maunga.
Protesters vow to stop Taranaki seabed mining
Among them was Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who believed the mining company underestimated their resilience.
Neighbour with cancer wants answers about chemical plant
Maurice Bevin fears he will not live long enough to see the results of an investigation into contamination at the site.
Nearly half a billion taxpayer dollars set aside to decommission Tui Oil Field
The Tui field was deserted in 2019 after the financial collapse of Tamarind Taranaki, leaving the Crown with the bill for its safe decommissioning.