News
Covid-19: Drugs seized at border plummets during lockdown
Customs seized 70 percent less methamphetamine and 60 percent less MDMA at the border in the first three months of this year, compared to last year.
Orana Wildlife Park describes appeal response as 'incredible'
Online donations for Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park have topped $129,200, as it grapples to afford food, habitat maintenance, heating and vet bills during lockdown.
Man unable to find out if mother-in-law moved from Rosewood Rest Home
A man whose mother-in-law lives at Rosewood Rest Home and Hospital in Christchurch says he's been unable to find out if she was moved to Burwood Hospital.
EQC poorly prepared for Canterbury earthquakes - inquiry
The Earthquake Commission found it was poorly prepared for the Canterbury earthquakes and has left people with a "deep mistrust of government" that will take years to overcome, an inquiry has found.
Dementia care facility identified as Covid-19 cluster
Four staff and 12 residents from Rosewood Rest Home & Hospital in Christchurch have either tested positive for the virus or been identified as probable cases.
Shop owner left with no option but to let $25k worth of produce rot
After finding out his shop would need to close during the lockdown, Pat O'Dea planned to put all his produce out on the street for people to take but was told he couldn't because of the health risk.
Support for police presence to disperse crowds on beaches
Police have not ruled out taking a tougher approach to clear out city hotspots where hundreds of people are going for their lockdown fresh air fixes. Audio
Mosque shooter likely to get life sentence without parole - legal experts
Legal experts say the Christchurch mosque shooter will "undoubtedly" spend life in prison - likely with no parole - and there's a chance his jail time could be served in Australia.
Tenants told skipping rent not an option
Rental agencies are getting tough on tenants with ideas about skipping their rent payments.
Coronavirus: Tenants group calls for more help for renters
A mortgage holiday repayment scheme is welcomed by landlords, but hitting all the wrong notes with some renters who want more relief measures of their own. Audio
'Shop normal' pleas go unheeded in Christchurch
Pleas to "shop normally" appeared to go widely unheard in Christchurch yesterday, in the hours after yesterday's lockdown announcement.
Health authorities work to trace contacts of two who tested positive for Covid-19
At least two people who have tested positive for Covid-19 went to the Wanaka A&P show this month.
Coronavirus: South Island tourism suffering, operators warn
The South Island might still be free of confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, but it has slowed the number of tourists visiting some hotspots to a trickle.
Mosque attack donation logistics 'very difficult' and not over yet
At least $21 million in donations has been handed to mosque attack victims and survivors, but some are still asking for help buying groceries.
More than 50 buildings still too unsafe after Kaikōura quake
Since the November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, less than a third of Hurunui district's red-stickered buildings have been fixed or bowled.
Man proves in court his tiny house is a vehicle, not building
A court has ruled Alan Dall's tiny house is a vehicle, not a building. Tiny house owners say the case means legislation needs to be rewritten.
Hemp farm opens gates to the curious to promote 'wonder crop'
Growers of industrial hemp say red tape is stopping industries from making the most of what many regard as a potential wonder crop.
'Hidden scars': many still hurting, mayor tells quake service
Petals were cast into Christchurch's Avon River this afternoon, to mark nine years since the magnitude 6.2 Canterbury earthquake and to remember the 185 lives it claimed.
Sinkhole swallows Christchurch City Council vehicle
A ruptured water main caused the two-metre wide sinkhole to open up in Linwood this afternoon.
Councils in tsunami firing line not doing enough - research
Researchers say councils need to be doing much more to ensure homes and buildings aren't wiped out when a mega-tsunami eventually strikes the east coast of the North Island.
Evacuees reunite with their pets after flooding
Flood-hit residents have had emotional reunions with their four-legged friends - including a chatty cat named Shamonita Miss Inquisitive - after billeting them in special animal evacuation centres.
Anti-5G protestors rally in Christchurch as roll-out continues
About 200 anti-5G protesters turned out in Christchurch this afternoon, calling for more public consultation and a thorough examination before the new technology is used.
More coins in the hat needed for buskers festival
Christchurch's buskers festival is swinging into action tonight, and it's promising to lure the biggest crowds to the central city since pre-earthquake times.
Two still in hospital after bus crash near Queenstown
Two people remain in hospital after a tour bus rolled on the Glenorchy-Queenstown road yesterday afternoon.
Auckland Island pigs: 'It's a big call to eradicate them'
The Department of Conservation's efforts to cull Auckland Island pigs are being labelled a crime against humanity by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society.