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Nature & Environment
Reports of diesel spill in Tauranga Harbour
A clean-up effort is under way with people warned to stay away from the area.
Has cutting 'corporate welfare' created a coal headache?
National scrapped a fund for companies to switch from coal. Now NZ might not meet emissions targets, officials say.
Govt under pressure after scrapping decarbonisation scheme
The Government is under pressure to show how it will meet its climate targets after scrapping a decarbonisation scheme it decried as corporate welfare. Climate Change Correspondent Eloise Gibson… Audio
Govt policies rely on 'catch phrases', ignore urgent needs of people and planet - Greens
The Greens are taking aim at the coalition government's policies, saying they lack genuine care.
New scheme aims to keep leftover building materials out of landfill
The timber, mesh and bricks would usually be sent to the dump, but is now being made available for home DIY jobs.
Solving the human waste problem on our highest mountain
University of Canterbury researchers have been working with the New Zealand Alpine Club and Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua to address the issue of how mountaineers dispose of their waste when on Aoraki Mount… Audio
15 scooters, bikes, pram plunged into pond
In the depths were a cash register and a skate park bin: "I wouldn't be surprised to see someone had chucked a partridge and a pear tree in there too."
Critter of the Week: putawa or bracket fungus
This week’s critter is the pūtawa or bracket fungus (also known as white punk, pangu or morepork bread). The fruiting body of this fungus looks a bit like a caramel-coloured flying saucer that crashed… Audio
Post-partum underwear, a winning idea for University student
Massey design student Isabel Nicholls has taken out the university's Grand Ideas competition with her comfortable, eco-friendly, health-prioritising postpartum underwear. They're called 'Nurture'… Audio
New maps uncover Wānaka lakebed
It's one of our most photographed natural attractions, but what lay beneath the surface of Lake Wānaka remained largely unknown until a mapping project from crown research institute NIWA. Audio
Government's invite list shows fast-track process is flawed - Forest & Bird
The group has also raised concerns about the power that ministers could have after it was revealed Shane Jones failed to report a dinner with a company deputy chair.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Emergency failures revealed in damning self-review
NEMA did not have enough trained staff when Cyclone Gabrielle hit - just one of a litany of failures a review has uncovered.
Seabed mining 'does not co-exist with offshore wind', government told
Offshore wind companies have told the government the industry is not compatible with seabed mining in the Taranaki Bight - but the mining industry disagrees.
How a climate win under Labour could affect National's carbon market
A new steel-making furnace will reduce emissions so much, environment officials have pitched reducing the whole country's supply of carbon credits.
Saving the planet one lunchbox at a time
If you are using excessive glad wrap around your school lunch sarnies, watch out.
Changes to emissions targets okay 'if supported by evidence' - business, climate leaders
They stand by New Zealand's 2050 carbon reduction targets, but are open to adding international aviation and shipping emissions.
Concern Fast-track bill could lead to building in flood areas
Scientists, engineers and insurers are all sounding warnings over the government's Fast-track Approvals Bill, saying it's likely to lead to more building in flood prone areas. Reporter Kate Newton… Audio
New Zealand's largest flume tank opens in Nelson
The tank is being used to test prototypes of mobile marine farms in a bid to help the sector adapt to climate change.
Court clears NZTA to acquire land for Mt Messenger bypass
The owner of a farm - parts of which a court has ruled can be acquired for the bypass - says he has no regrets about fighting the project.
E coli and high nitrate levels found in some Canterbury groundwater survey shows
More than half of the wells monitored in the Canterbury Regional Council's annual groundwater survey have shown nitrate levels are still likely increasing.