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Featured Local Democracy Reporting stories
Is Ōtara town centre really alcohol free?
Ōtara town centre is legally an alcohol free zone, but "you wouldn't know it" according to some community advocates.
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Council continues four-year Māori ward fight in face of govt changes
24 Apr 2024A council that played a key role in getting Māori ward polling removed is now lobbying against government plans to reinstate binding referendums.
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'We had a democratic process' for Māori ward, mayor says
23 Apr 2024Gisborne councillors have voiced frustration the central government will make them redo their work.
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'Too many dead ducks': Residents demand action over smelly lake
24 Apr 2024Dead birds and fish, and "out of control" lillies are pushing residents along a lake in Whakatāne over the edge.
Local Democracy Reporting headlines with summaries.
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Deputy mayor almost steps aside over misunderstanding
23 Apr 2024The incident involved an email referring to an investigation into a combined Three Waters entity for Otago and Southland.
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What is Local Democracy Reporting?
31 May 2021Find out more about the scheme and how to become a host newsroom or accredited media partner.
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'Gone berserk': Vandals plague public toilets
22 Apr 2024A public toilet block in a small town is battling ongoing vandalism, forcing the council to explore new solutions.
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Mayor hits out at government's Māori ward changes
22 Apr 2024Moko Tepania says the government's plan is 'disheartening' when they are already on the back foot with issues facing the region.
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Toll for Ashburton’s second bridge not being ruled out
24 Apr 2024The Transport Minister is not ruling out introducing a toll on a second Ashburton bridge - either on the new bridge or existing State Highway 1 crossing - to help pay for its construction.
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Council and Health NZ tight-lipped on Wairarapa Hospital settlement
22 Apr 2024The two entities refused to disclose the settlement amount that ended a lengthy legal dispute over Wairarapa's defective hospital.
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Another Gisborne forestry company loses accreditation
22 Apr 2024Two Gisborne forestry companies have lost their sustainability certifications within two months.
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Shane Jones will join 'shrill voices' of climate change, but only for 'practical things'
20 Apr 2024The Regional Development Minister spoke at a speech at the dawn ceremony celebrating the Waipaoa River Flood Resilience Project yesterday.
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Pungent, rotting lake weed takes over Rotorua's lakefront
20 Apr 2024It's similar to an incident four years ago that resulted in 300 tonnes of weed being removed at a cost of $35,000.
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'Game changer': Ashburton’s new freight hub to move trucks off highway
19 Apr 2024A new freight hub is being described as a "game changer" for Mid Canterbury, which will help shift trucks off the busy highway and keep Ashburton moving.
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Complainants tight-lipped over Invercargill mayor’s apology
18 Apr 2024The two councillors who lodged a code of conduct complaint against Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark will not comment on his recent apology.
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Dog owners fined after 27 cats killed
18 Apr 2024Owners of several roaming dogs that were on a cat-killing spree, terrorising a south Auckland neighbourhood, have been fined.
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Call for begging ban after report 10 tourists 'physically accosted' at cafe
17 Apr 2024Beggars "physically accosted" 10 Aussie tourists at a cafe last week, claims a Rotorua councillor arguing it is time to "seriously consider" a begging ban.
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$10b transport plan gets tick from Canterbury mayors
19 Apr 2024The plan includes the proposed Woodend Bypass and a second Ashburton bridge as key projects.
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Invercargill down to just one parking warden
17 Apr 2024A councillor says delivery drivers are openly flouting parking rules in the absence of anyone to police them.
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NZ's biggest tsunami siren replacement project underway
16 Apr 2024Replacing 205 New Zealand-made sirens with only 94 Danish-designed sirens will not mean loss of public safety, Civil Defence says.
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‘Corrosive obsession with a person’s race’: David Seymour on Māori Wards
12 Apr 2024ACT Party leader David Seymour would vote against Māori wards if his home council were to hold a referendum on them.
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Level of contamination ‘not known’ in about 70 percent of West Coast sites
16 Apr 2024There are still big gaps in the knowledge about the number of contaminated and environmentally hazardous sites on the West Coast.
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Burials and housing: The fees set to rise in Masterton
12 Apr 2024Dying is proving to be a pricey task, with the Work and Income Funeral grant failing to cover burial costs in Masterton.
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'Devastated': Widow pleads for late husband’s dream to be realised
12 Apr 2024The wife of a late Rotorua councillor is pleading with the council not to shelve her late husband's dream of a skatepark.
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Māori reconnecting with the night sky
9 Apr 2024Mana whenua are rediscovering a connection with the night sky, a Māori astronomer says.
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'Big bureaucracy': Rising council staff numbers called out
11 Apr 2024An increase in West Coast Regional Council staff numbers to almost 80 has been called out by a senior councillor.
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Ōtara is for Ōtara': Local board opposes boundary change
11 Apr 2024A move into Papatoetoe would cut through South Auckland communities, the board chair believes.
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'We will not be silenced': Gisborne council backs Māori wards
8 Apr 2024Gisborne District Council has shown its support for retaining Māori wards as the government looks to bring back binding referendums.
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