Phil Pennington

An overhaul of the legislation has reached the crucial stage of select committee submissions, after a years-long effort to replace the 24-year-old Civil Defence Act.

Fire crews aren't supposed to call in helicopters without police authorisation, but some say it's taking too long.

If you want to catch a tiny bird and move it to a new home, you need expert help and your car's aircon. Audio

The harbourmaster helped search for a 14-year-old who had jumped off a burning boat he had been left in charge of.

Raymond Morgan bought it for $200 last year then found over 200 documents in it, dated between 1988 and 2004, in a locked side cupboard.

Commuting cyclists are choosing to avoid the tunnel and go through a pedestrian tunnel on bikes.

But police bosses say 57 percent of officers having considered quitting in the last year is not a pressure point for pay negotiations.

It might take law changes to keep them out of trials, the government's chief legal advisers say.

The Petone railway underpass on a nearly-new $70 million cycleway is thigh-deep in water more than two days after the storm and heavy rain in Wellington.

"It's all very well to have plans, intentions and work-around but when this is a daily issue it becomes very difficult, demoralising and dangerous."

Corrections is rushing new high-security units at Hawke's Bay, prompting questions over risks and reduced amenities amid record inmate growth.

Visions of a digital twin for each soldier, laser weapons and drones using satellites to engage with targets before a human pulls the trigger are all in the latest NZDF briefing.

Health New Zealand says two of its flagship hospital rebuilds are on track despite Treasury alerts put on them months ago, that suggest "successful delivery appears to be unachievable".

Western Bay of Plenty District Council says yellow stickers have replaced the red and the properties can be accessed under certain conditions.

An Australian may have to play the bells at Pukeahu on Anzac Day.

A ladder-truck broke down as it set up the hose to fight the fire at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College, with another having to be sent from Hamilton.

Even so, they came close to losing out entirely when engineers hired by the Earthquake Commission, backed its orginal call that it was not landslide damage.

The outage took out systems doctors and nurses need, forcing them to use paper for 36 hours.

A Treasury report suggested two tranches of the new school seismic projects were approved in December by the Cabinet, with each worth more than $100 million.

Sewer robots are being used to patrol pipes elsewhere in the world to keep them from blocking, but what about in New Zealand? Audio

An RNZ request for the key documents came up mostly empty, with ministerial briefings either largely blanked out or withheld entirely.

Treasury reports showed a $1.5 billion discrepancy between actual and forecast spending, and some agencies have been called to explain.

An IT failure that forced some hospitals to rely on pen and paper for 12 hours follows closely on the government setting up a new centre to try to fix the plethora of weak old systems.

The Public Safety Network project was an answer to first responders being let down by communications technology in previous disasters.

The signs - such as ones saying 'dire emergency' - have been emblazoned on trucks and fire stations for months.