Ellen O'Dwyer

Earth Sciences New Zealand has identified areas where soils are severely drier than normal in Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, North Otago, South Canterbury and North Canterbury.

District Cour Judge Ema Aitken is accused of disrupting a New Zealand First event at Auckland's Northern Club last November.

Andrew Little says it's more likely the region's councils will become a super-city following reforms announced this week. Audio

A Judicial Conduct Panel will consider Judge Ema Aitken's behaviour.

There are 19 confirmed cases in the current measles outbreak.

Chris Bishop is rejecting criticism over a decision to reallocate funds to a walking and cycling bridge in his electorate.

There were just nine votes separating the top two candidates.

Researchers, advocates and those who've struggled with addiction are renewing appeals for a complete overhaul of the 50-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act. Audio

FENZ said it wanted to hear from anyone with a dashcam who was on State Highway 47 on Saturday afternoon.

"There will be some time before everything is cleared away and we know the true extent of biodiversity loss," the minister says.

The bill was introduced by ACT and part of National and Act's coalition agreement.

Whakamātūtū is facing a shutdown after ACC stopped funding clients to use its services

Residents and the mayor are urging Health NZ to act, saying families are struggling to get basic medical help locally. Audio

Porirua's mayor-elect, Anita Baker says the council can't get started on business until the contested seat is sorted.

"We came out to secure the carport but it was pretty much gone," Hone Tibble says.

Passengers described "gripping their seats" through rocky landings in the capital on Tuesday morning.

The film studio is looking for a new owner, despite housing several large scale productions.

At least 10 others got sick from E.coli contaminated water at Hanmer Springs Forest Camp last month.

Heavy rain battered Waitomo in the early hours of yesterday morning, causing rivers to rise and flooding roads, farms and some houses.

Janet Milner died four days after after bariatric surgery at the private Chelsea Hospital in Gisborne.

An amendment to the Policing Act will allow police to collect and use images in public spaces.

Mark Mitchell has lung problems stemming back to an incident as a police officer in the 1990s.

The Drug Foundation is also recommending a complete overhaul of the Misuse of Drugs Act and throwing out the drug classification system.

A second aid flotilla heading for Gaza, with at least one New Zealander on board, says its vessels are under attack by the Israeli military and several of its boats have been intercepted.

More than 200,000 located in coastal inundation and inland flood zones, government agencies have found. Audio