Natural Disasters
'My brother': Family found body of man swept away by river
There was three days of dedicated searching by authorities, but eventually it was Tekanimaeu Arobati's family that found him.
Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 29 January 2026
Winston Peters has intensified his attack on his own government's Free Trade Agreement with India claiming up to 20,000 Indians will be able to come into the country and the agreement will result in… Audio
'All I could see was this wall of water': Grandmother's harrowing escape
Philippa Wright says she, her grandson and husband Steve are "extremely lucky" to have survived a storm that laid waste to their township.
Morning Report Essentials for Thursday 29 January
This morning we spoke to our reporter at Mount Maunganui for an update on the recovery mission. There's confusion over changes to rules for people travelling to the UK. We were joined by the British… Audio
Homeowners facing further flood risk head to court
Auckland Council has bought over a thousand homes it's deemed too risky to live in, but some say the $1.2 billion scheme hasn't worked for everyone. Audio
Civil Defence payments wanted for storm-hit communities
The payments were activated following flooding in various parts of the country from 2022 to 2024, but are yet to be stood up for this year's weather events.
Northland Kiwi being killed in big numbers due to roaming dogs
There's a kiwi-pocalyse up north - and a lot of mud - Peter de Graaf reports. Audio
Midday Report Essentials for Wednesday 28 January 2026
Attorney General and Defence Minister Judith Collins, a former leader of the National Party, will retire from politics and not stand again aver the November election; Judith Collins was first elected… Audio
School receives support after two students killed at Mount
The Ministry of Education says it has been working with Pakuranga College to support students and teachers. Audio
'Overwhelming outpouring of grief': Iwi on deadly landslide
A hui will be held at a later date to discuss the future of Mauao and access to it.
Morning Report Essentials for Monday 26 January
The RNZ-Reid Research poll surveyed one-thousand-people from January the 15th through to the 22nd; A mix of cameras, drones, and human spotters are providing constant monitoring of the Mount Maunganui… Audio
Council staff drove past three Mt Maunganui slips before deadly landslide - camper
A camper has spoken about efforts to raise the alarm, including a call to police three hours before the slip.
Don't build in landslide zones, Tauranga officials told 20 years ago
Engineers told the council buildings should not usually be allowed in "runout" zones.
Thousands donated to Mt Maunganui landslide victims' families
Donors are paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week's massive slip at a Tauranga campground.
Storms, forestry slash: Where does legal responsibility lie?
Extreme weather may be the trigger for deadly and devastating slash, but the lines on who is responsible for prevention and clean-up are blurred.
Tonga's volcano eruption 4 years ago leaves mental scars
Four years on from Tonga's huge volcanic eruption and tsunami - how are the people bouncing back? Audio
Officials' warnings after fake images of Mt Maunganui slip spread online
Images on TikTok show scenes of destruction with mud and wreckage not actually visible at the site - with captions like "Mount Maunganui Campground. Prayers for those possibly trapped".
Slash, storms and the fight over responsibility
Extreme weather may be the trigger for deadly and devastating slash, but the lines on who is responsible for prevention and clean-up are blurred. Audio
Vandalism at flood monitoring sites endanger community, council says
River monitoring equipment that is "absolutely critical" for timely flood warnings has been damaged by thieves on two Marlborough rivers, sparking a plea from the council.
