Hawkes Bay

Police in Hastings are concerned about a spate of break-ins at Hastings businesses, with fires also lit inside several of the buildings.

The government inquiry into the Havelock North drinking-water contamination has held its first hearing at the Hastings District Court. Video

It's set to be a wet start to the long weekend for Gisborne and northern Hawke's Bay, where heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected.

Bag-snatchers linked to two separate assaults in Hawke's Bay had a young child in their getaway car, according to local police.

Police have named the man shot dead in Mohaka yesterday, as his father appears in court, accused of his murder.

There's been a shift in the balance of power on the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, with the majority now against or having major questions about the Ruataniwha water storage project.

Meatworkers who spent five months locked out of work last year have won their battle with employer Affco, with the Court of Appeal agreeing the lockout was illegal.

A Hawke's Bay prisoner has gone on the run after he was allowed out of jail to attend a funeral.

Thunderstorms are forecast to barrel across the North Island tonight, bringing damaging winds and even small tornadoes with them.

Trains are set to return to the railway line north of Napier by the end of next year after being washed out by storms in 2012.

Outbreaks of waterborne illness will become more common if no effort is made to protect environmental sustainability, a public health professor has warned. Audio

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council intends to try to acquire conservation land for a controversial water storage scheme even if its court appeal fails.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is joining the Department of Conservation in applying to appeal a land-exchange decision in the Supreme Court.

Hawke's Bay aquifer systems are generally suitable for drinking water supply, according to a five-year groundwater quality report.

The closing date for businesses affected by the gastroenteritis outbreak in Havelock North to apply for financial help has been extended a week.

A 60-year-old man is in hospital in an induced coma, in the second case of a rare neurological disorder linked to Havelock North's water contamination.

One person is in hospital in a critical condition following a fire in Hastings.