Bay Of Plenty

Outgoing Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick has used her casting vote to approve a proposal to re-classify seven reserve sites so they can be sold and developed.

Whakatāne District Council has its first Māori ward councillor in Toni Boynton, who has been elected unopposed in the Kāpū Te Rangi Māori ward.

A kayaker remains missing on Lake Rotorua after a whole week.

The search for a missing teenager whose kayak was found on Lake Rotorua continues today.

The wellbeing of people in Rotorua is getting worse by most measures, a new report says. An iwi leader says "you can't put any sugar over this" - but there are ways to address the issues.

A man and four young people face charges after a ram-raid, a robbery and burglary in the Bay of Plenty.

Another three people have been charged over an aggravated robbery that occurred in Rotorua last month.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay has called on the district council to delay its decision on a controversial proposal to sell 10 reserve sites for housing until after the October local election.

Sam Uffindell's constituents in Tauranga appear largely ready to forgive and forget after the revelations of their MP's past as a self-confessed high school bully. Audio

A burglary ring has been busted in Whakatāne - thanks to members of the public.

Differences representing an increase of more than 40 percent have been calculated for some ratepayers, while the regional council says others will be paying less.

WorkSafe says it could take up to 12 months to investigate an accident in which a woman fell into a sinkhole and suffered serious burns.

Rotorua mayoral candidate Tania Tapsell has announced her choice of deputy mayor if both are elected to council in the October local election.

Lake Rotorua is the highest it has been in five years because of heavy rain, and the water levels could lead to stormwater draininage problems and increased erosion.

A woman is in a critical condition in hospital after falling into a sinkhole near the Whakarewarewa Village in Rotorua.

Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty have been directed to fluoridate their water supplies but one council has serious concerns about it.

The woman widely regarded as 'Rotorua's queen of Māori health' has died.

A "nationally significant" cultural centre that will tell the story of the New Zealand land wars in Tauranga is one step closer.

Dentists and politicians are welcoming a Ministry of Health directive to fluoridate some local water supplies, but a Rotorua MP says cheaper dentist trips would be better.