Emergency Services

The ambulance service is experiencing an increase in demand tonight, St John Ambulance says.

New Zealand Ambulance Association and First Union members will withdraw labour for four hours from the start of each of their shifts.

There were no injuries to humans or cattle.

The damage looks similar to a fire in 1994 which left bones littering the area, RSA says.

Stuck in waist-high water in a freezing stream with night falling, Lydia Frere desperately churned through her options. Then she asked her dog to fetch.

Police said reports of a boat capsizing in the river were made shortly before 11am.

One person has died following a crash in Hawke's Bay earlier this week.

Iwi liaison officers are also providing support to the five-year-old's grieving whānau.

The pair swam an hour to reach the island and once ashore, used matches from their waterproof survival kit to light a fire. Audio

Residents in the area are being told to expect several red and orange-coloured distress flares on Tuesday evening.

Police were called to the scene about 7.30am and a person has been taken to hospital.

Five people have been injured in a crash between two buses in central Auckland.

A post mortem examination was carried out on Tuesday.

The Emergency Department's clinical director says it has been frustrating to have the unit there but not be able to use it for the past four years.

A resident of Christchurch's Port Hills wants councillors to keep pushing for rule changes so they can stop pine trees being replanted in the fire-prone area.

St John confirmed four people had been seriously injured with two others in a moderate condition.