West Coast

Some 35,000 people turned out to protest on Saturday after ministers announced they would scale back the hospital rebuild project.

Plans to replace an urgent care clinic with a telehealth service will cause "significant risk" to unwell people, says the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.

NZTA is warning travellers through Haast Pass to take extra care after the slip on Tuesday, as some debris could still be on the road.

The driver of one of the cars died at the scene, and the other was flown to hospital with serious injuries.

He preyed upon some as they slept and touched them while caring for children or working at the Christian community.

GP practices are no longer able to provide weekend clinics due to "significant financial and workforce challenges".

Grey District Mayor Tania Gibson says it is a disaster waiting to happen and should be closed.

The Health Minister has stopped short of saying the West Coast's planned new weekend health service will be safe for patients.

The final details are still being hammered out for a major change in West Coast health services which is just a fortnight away.

The man was pulled ashore but could not be revived, police say.

Patient Voice Aotearoa delivered a petition to Parliament today calling on the government to urgently fix staffing shortages at Buller Hospital.

And the Merchant Service Guild is concerned about reports the crew's employer is preventing welfare checks aboard the barge.

The Maritime Union says it has concerns for the foreign seafarers onboard the Manahau, having been unable to check on the crew's welfare since the boat arrived in Nelson three days ago.

The possibility of council amalgamation on the West Coast - otherwise known as local government reform - has surfaced publicly this week at council meeting.

West Coasters will not be consulted before their weekend GP clinics are replaced with telehealth from 1 October.

It was towed off shore by a tug, with assistance from a helicopter just after midday.

Sentencing for a man who admitted having more than two million child pornography files was adjourned until December.

Traffic and parking will be restricted at Carters Beach from 11am until 2pm.

West Coast mayors are welcoming an apparent rethink on the way they deliver water services, but affordability is still the big issue.

A former Westport harbourmaster says the swells were too large for salvage today and doubted conditions would be favourable tomorrow.