Catherine Hutton

Families caring for adult disabled children are appalled by official attempts to simplify the guidelines for how much support and money they can get.

Privacy breaches by immigration advisors have forced Immigration New Zealand to halt efforts to move some of its visa applications solely online.

Sir Peter Jackson's World War One exhibition will close in four months' time after Massey University and the government failed to reach an agreement on extending the lease on the popular attraction.

The Attorney-General has restarted the recruitment process for appointing a new principal Family Court judge.

The government's promised review of the pressured family court system is about to get underway - three months later than it should have.

With changes to public transport services taking effect, Hutt Valley commuters stepped out the door this morning into the unknown, writes Catherine Hutton.

Parents who look after their disabled adult children are offended and angry with Ministry of Health assessments.

A woman who paid thousands for a test after being diagnosed with early stage breast cancer says it should be publicly funded in New Zealand.

A law change last year which reduced the number of district court judges has resulted in an "avalanche of work" and lengthy delays in the court system.

The railway union is accusing the government of breaking a pre-election promise to stop the removal of electric trains from the North Island's main trunk line.

Disability groups are accusing the Health Ministry of being mean-spirited and tight-fisted in its efforts to claw back money it gave out as a result of the pay equity settlement.

Family Court staff are stressed and struggling to deal with a growing workload, family lawyers are quitting and parents can't get decent legal advice. Audio

The owners of an historic building that houses Sir Peter Jackson's Great War exhibition say they want it back, and are urging the government to end the uncertainty about its future.

Employers can avoid the proposed mandatory registration - and the associated costs and professional development - by rewriting job descriptions, and unions say that undermines the law's very purpose.

Junior midwives taking riskier cases is responsible for a higher rate of baby deaths compared to their colleagues with up to five years experience, the ministry of Health says.

Controversial changes to the Family Court aimed at getting lawyers out of family disputes do not seem to have worked and children were suffering, says Justice Minister Andrew Little.

A police-led programme to tackle domestic violence has drawn up thousands of safety plans for at-risk families but appears to be actually helping in only a very small number of cases.

The Crown has spent more than $1 million on a seven-year battle to extradite a Korean-born New Zealander accused of murdering a woman in China.

Another group of caregivers is going to court to be paid to care for their disabled adult children or spouse.

A mother who took the Health Ministry to court demanding to be paid for caring for her adult son says the needs assessment on which the offer is based is flawed. Video, Audio

The Feilding stockyards are the most likely source of a discharge of animal waste in two waterways, the regional council says.

A quarter of weighing instruments tested don't comply with regulations, New Zealand's weights and measures watchdog says.

The Court of Appeal has told health officials to simplify access to disability support services, describing the existing policy as "verging on impenetrable". Audio

The government has blocked the sale of 19 hectares of land on the West Coast to a coalmining company.

Foreign affairs staff came to the aid of nearly 3000 New Zealanders in the past year.