Stories by Robin Martin
News
Miners, environmentalists at odds over government's seabed inquiry
Environmental lobby group Kiwis Against Seabed Mining has panned the government's decision to set up an inquiry into the controversial practice, while mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has…
Mayor concerned vape industry targeting kids says regulation needed
New Zealand needs to take a leaf out of Australia's book and tighten up vaping regulations, New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom says.
'Charles will do okay with Camilla at his side' - Taranaki collector
Taranaki's most ardent royalist will be sitting up with a cup of tea and her family for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.
New port required at Patea for offshore windfarm
The developers of a proposed offshore windfarm in the South Taranaki Bight say it will create hundreds of jobs and require the building of a new port at Patea.
'A baby doesn't own property': Taranaki woman's bizarre battle with Immigration
A Taranaki woman says Immigration NZ's handling of an application for a visa has soured what should have been the trip of a lifetime.
Lifetime pass holders hope to crowdfund millions to save Ruapehu skifields
Ruapehu Skifields Stakeholders Association has taken inspiration from the successful campaign to buy Awaroa Beach at the top of the South Island.
Taranaki ripe for passenger rail revival - lobby group
Lobby group Save Our Rail says their meetings in the South Island about restoring passenger services shows there is a lot of community demand.
Electric car event in New Plymouth: 'It's a completely different experience'
For the first time six car dealerships are taking part in what is shaping as the biggest-ever 'Electricarna' event in New Plymouth today.
DOC suspects someone illegally releasing weka in South Taranaki
The mystery of Manaia's wayward weka has deepened with the capture of a second bird discovered in the South Taranaki township.
Time to 'de-prioritise' Covid-19 for most - epidemiologist
It is time to 'de-prioritise' the response to Covid 19, which will now be no worse than the flu for the majority of the population, an epidemiologist says. Audio
Government warned over toxic chemicals on New Plymouth beach
Never-before-seen documents show a senior government official feared children could die if they came into contact with toxic chemicals that were pouring directly onto a popular New Plymouth beach.
NZ cities 'don't talk to the true history of those areas' - architect
A leading Māori architect says New Zealand towns and cities are suffering from a crisis of identity.
Shakespeare never sleeps in Stratford-upon-Patea
The be-all and end-all of the Bard is on show at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki this month.
'No more Egmont' - Taranaki Maunga officially welcomed at treaty settlement
Hundreds of people gathered at Aotearoa Pa in South Taranaki today to witness the initialling of Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo - the Treaty of Waitangi settlement for Taranaki Maunga.
Dioxin research: Ministry 'owes community the dignity of response', mayor says
New research into historical dioxin emissions at a Paritūtū chemical plant in New Plymouth will be very concerning to some residents of the city, says Mayor Neil Holdom.
Concern over possible cutbacks to research opportunities at museum/ library
History buffs are angry the axe is hovering over opening hours at the Puke Ariki Museum and Library's research centre in New Plymouth.
Authorities accused over cancers around agrichemicals plant at Paritūtū
A new research paper suggests a long-standing campaign to suppress evidence about the health impacts of dioxin emissions from the production of the herbicide 2,4,5-T in New Plymouth during the 1960s.
'A really positive sign': Mayor hails completion of facility for kidney patients
Taranaki Base Hospital's new $13 million renal unit has been gifted the name Te Huhi Raupō to Te Whatu Ora, on behalf of Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and Taumaruroa.
'It's no mean feat': Womad returns to New Plymouth on 20th anniversary
The flags are up and the stages ready as Womad returns on Friday night after two years of Covid-forced cancellations.
Maramataka Māori at heart of Taranaki iwi maara kai programme
A Te Kahui o Taranaki project is not only helping to put food on the table as the cost of living rises, but putting iwi members back in touch with traditional gardening practices.
'It's my nightmare': Council votes against helping fix slip on home's boundary
A New Plymouth couple whose home is teetering on the edge of a massive slip on council-owned land is seeking legal advice after councillors voted not to pay to help fix the problem.
Firefighters from Fiji get stuck into the cyclone cleanup
Among the hundreds of contractors and residents on Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up duties in the Esk Valley is a small team of Fijian firefighters.
Esk Valley vineyard co-owner: 'No, no we won't live here again no way'
Faced with never-ending piles of silt and slash, their homes badly damaged and families traumatised, some property owners in the Esk Valley are wondering if they will ever return.
Relentless rain test for mental health: 'All our life is gone, it's sitting in rubbish piles'
Hawke's Bay residents are struggling with the mental impact of relentless rains and flooding.
'Cancellations across the board': Hawke's Bay tourism businesses await government help
Hawke's Bay hospitality businesses are pinning their hopes on the reopening of the state highway network to return trade to some semblance of normality after Cyclone Gabrielle.