Natural Disasters
Fears over falling funding for wilding pine control
Last week's fires at Pukaki Downs and Lake Tekapo show the need to keep up the funding in the battle against wilding pines - at least according to one Mackenzie District farmer, who says wilding pines… Audio
Flood warning for Waipaoa river near Gisborne; ferries affected
Gisborne has issued a flood warning for the Waipaoa River near the settlement of Te Karaka.
Flood rescue teams pulled back due to dispute over pay
Floods keep rolling in, but the country's new flood rescue teams have not been there to meet them.
RNZ can reveal the teams pulled back in the face of incoming storms in May despite saving 32… Audio
Wairoa Airport runway extension gets boost from govt
The current runway at the town's airport was too short to land large planes during the Cyclone Gabrielle response.
Students lend a hand in Queenstown slip clean-up
Three Otago university students have travelled to Queenstown to help clear a property that was red-stickered after heavy rains.
Southland still on alert, despite rain easing
Rain may have eased, but Southland is still on alert with flooding in many parts and roads still closed. There is now a region-wide state of emergency.. There have been evacuations in Wallacetown, to… Video, Audio
Queenstown's wettest day in quarter century causes debris & slash
Queenstown had its wettest day in a quarter of a century today, with mud, debris and forest slash running through the edge of town after a massive deluge of rain. The town got a month's worth of rain… Video, Audio
Whakaari/White Island trial ends with WML's closing arguments
The company managing the volcano said it had no presence on the volcanic island, so was not liable for operations that put the public at risk.
Update on wild weather in Gore
Returning to our earlier story, Gore is under a state of emergency after significant surface flooding inundated the town. Our reporter Tess Brunton is in Gore and speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed]… Video, Audio
Year-long battle to get a single cent out of insurer for wall rebuild
Gillian Parnham, awoken by a landslide crashing through her kitchen window a year ago, is still battling to get any money from Vero.
Ashburton mayor fuming over 'unacceptable' delay in SH1 bridge debris cleanup
A two-month delay in clearing flood debris from a SH1 bridge is "not acceptable", Ashburton's mayor says.
Agency staff left stranded at airport during floods, boss censured
"Significant failings" by senior managers of a national arts development agency when staff were stranded at the flooded Auckland airport in January has led to the Creative NZ head being censured.
More than $13m in cyclone funds will not be touched until 2024
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund will not be open for applications until early next year, but affected communities say that money is needed now.
GNS picking up 'ghost' earthquakes
GNS Science says its seismic equipment is sometimes picking up false earthquakes, known as ghost quakes.
Ghost quakes can occur when a distant earthquake is picked up and identified as several small… Audio
More than $13 million for cyclone recovery yet to be used
More than $13 million intended for the country's cyclone recovery effort is sitting in a bank account collecting dust.
The government's Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund includes $11.7 million from a… Audio
Libyan official denies that people were told to stay in homes during floods
An official in eastern Libya has denied allegations that many of those killed in devastating floods were told to stay in their homes.
Othman Abdul Jalil, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based… Audio
Flood-hit Libyan city facing long recovery as search for missing goes on
Residents of Derna in east Libya are taking stock and searching for the missing after a devastating flood swept through swathes of the coastal city and more bodies are pulled from the sea.
Libyan official rejects blame for flood disaster
An official in eastern Libya has denied allegations that many of those killed in devastating floods last weekend were told to stay in their homes.
'Moral hazard' worries council as it moves to accept buyout deal
Nelson City Council has raised concerns that accepting a property buyout deal from the government will set a precedent in future natural disasters.
East Coast beach residents cut off by slip
Access to Waihau Bay, also known as Loisels, has been cut off since the weekend of 24 June.