Wellington Region

Two blocks at the Wellington school have been shut indefinitely after receiving poor earthquake risk assessments - forcing students to work from home.

Masterton's council is considering "alternative approaches" to addressing the problem of businesses using public car parks for vehicle storage.

A body has been found in the water near the coastal Lower Hutt suburb of Eastbourne.

Police say they broke up the planned activity by what they call anti-social road users on Waingawa Road near Masterton just after 1am.

He was last seen in Upper Hutt around 9am on Friday 25 October.

Companion Animals NZ said it had a "great deal of empathy" for the situation, but it had no legal power to rule on who should be Muffin's rightful owner.

Onslow College is requesting that all students, including learning support, work from home on Tuesday 29 October, due to a severe classroom shortage.

The items are being examined forensically, but police would not comment on what they are.

New information has been recovered that police hope could help them pinpoint the killer of Baby Ru, who died a year ago.

The maritime watchdog says fuel supplied to a Bluebridge ferry that lost power met all regulatory standards despite the company's claims it was contaminated.

Gale force winds in Wellington over the past 24 hours have also seen dozens of flights cancelled and roofs taken off some properties.

Wellington's Golden Mile has done it tough this year, with grim financial times leading to the closure of about 50 stores, but some businesses are staying the course and even expanding. Audio

Deodorisers installed to manage the stench are "the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff," a councillor says. Audio

Signing contracts for major capital works is on hold while the council figures out how to adapt its 10-year budget.

The finance minister has implored public servants to bring new ideas to the table, while acknowledging she was "asking a lot" at an "unsettling" time.

Hutt Valley High School has told parents someone is manipulating teenagers into sending explicit images and then blackmailing them.

Rosie Morunga is one of three people of interest in the homicide investigation, including partner Dylan Ross, and Baby Ru's mother, Storm Wall.

Simeon Brown has set a "deeply worrying" low bar with his stated reasons for stepping in, a professor says. Audio