Nelson Region

Four dogs were left in a cage with an apology note written on a jumper tied to the outside.

A red wind warning has been issued for Canterbury, while orange weather warnings cover much of the South Island and further north, as gale force winds and heavy rains loom.

Mayor Nick Smith said the region was almost "punch drunk on bad news", after the worst four months he could recall.

A spokesperson for the company said staff in Nelson and Wellington had been told of the proposal last week.

Planning for a new archive, research and collections building for the Nelson Provincial Museum has been underway for the last decade.

Both Nelson and Tasman's councils have committed $3 million to a proposal to rebuild the archive storage facility, with Nelson to decide this week whether to continue that commitment. Audio

Shane Christie has been remembered as a man who "lived his life as if he were in a scrum", a courageous leader and a staunch advocate for rugby player welfare, at his funeral in Nelson.

The assault occurred earlier this month, but police shared images of the man this afternoon.

The money from the Emergency Waste Fund will be used to help dispose of flood waste following widespread flooding in the district.

A staff member was injured trying to retrieve the escapees, one of which remains missing.

Members of a Nelson Tasman accessibility forum have voiced their support for a ban on street advertising flags after a Richmond café publicly opposed the rule.

All three have been charged with illegally being in an enclosed area.

Tim King, who lives next door to Tasman's Eves Valley Sawmill, says it's "a huge shock".

Phase 1 of Tasman's speed limit reductions have now been implemented, with high-risk rural roads dropping from 100km/h.

Hundreds of people are expected to gather in Nelson on Saturday to celebrate 55 years of kapa haka in the region.

Smith has pledged to keep rate increases under 5 percent over the next three years, barring a natural disaster.

Tasman residents who have spent the last month in clean up mode have been hoping Tuesday's rain doesn't cause the same devastation seen in recent weeks.

People in the Tasman region will need long-term mental health support after devastating winter floods, a mental health advocate says.

More wet weather is on the way for the top of the South Island, a region still recovering from recent storms. Audio

A software engineer and a Latin band join the queue of people owed money by the bakery owners who fled the country.