Lauren Crimp

A government lawyer has told a court a settlement agreement between midwives and the Crown did not carry legal obligations to improve pay and contracts.

A lawyer representing nearly 1500 midwives says the government must be held to account for breaking two legally binding settlement agreements.

Midwives are taking on the government in court after what they claim has been nearly a decade of broken promises to pay and support them properly.

Nearly 200 people dived in frigid 9C Wellington water to raise money Saturday morning.

Te Kurutao Group Māori has 48 full-time staff, and the organisation is consulting on a plan to shed 27 roles.

"One of the cops nudge[d] it with his foot, and I thought, he's not going to nudge it if it's a body."

Two were stabbed and two others hit by a vehicle during the brawl described by police as "appalling" in Wairoa at the weekend.

Martin Ditlhabi, now 27, was arrested after a raft of sexual allegations on social media.

The 45-year-old is already facing charges of exploitation and rape.

The tragic deaths of three East Coast fishermen has sparked an outpouring of support from the fishing community across Aotearoa.

A transport union says KiwiRail plans to downsize the team by more than a quarter.

While people generally get ample warning before the bank forces them to sell their home, some are in deep denial, expert says.

Among the criticism comes a warning that the plan is at odds with the government's transport policy. Audio

No plans for relocation are set in stone yet, and eight months after council buyouts of other homes began, marae representatives say the process has been too slow.

An external review into last week's devastating flood following the controversial decision not to open the river mouth sooner is being commissioned.

Tatapouri fishing club members have described the deaths of their friends as tragic, heartbreaking, and unbelievable.

The ACT Party leader says NZ previously got by just fine with fewer public servants.

Councils are facing "extreme financial pressure" - but it means communities miss out, advocate says.

Thousands of public servants are suffering a double blow - out of work, in a struggling economy that's tipped to remain stagnant.

Public Service Minister Nicola Willis was grilled at the governance and administration select committee today about the thousands of job losses.

A 31-year-old has been charged with murder after a man died after a fight.

The community as a whole has to take responsibility, the Wellington City missioner says.

There will also be voluntary and proposed redundancies of permanent employees.

But the man's name will be kept secret to allow him time to appeal.

A weekend Levin car meet-up that descended into chaos has been labelled "ridiculous" and "disgusting" - and it's car enthusiasts who are being critical.