Stories by Maia Hart

When the Aratere ran aground in Picton Harbour, it wasn't clear who was leading the emergency response, the harbourmaster says. Audio

The decision to fast-track the consent, under the Covid-19 Recovery Act 2020, was released on Friday.

A former Marlborough councillor has overcome the final legal hurdle after taking the council to court over management of pines on his land.

Councillor-turned-MP Jamie Arbuckle said he received "a lot of phone calls from a lot of charities" when he announced he would donate his council salary.

It has been described by the region's first Māori ward councillor as frustrating and heartbreaking.

The long stalemate over the re-opening of the Marlborough Museum is over.

A poison drop to cull the number of rabbits in central Blenheim has been delayed after warm weather meant the pest already had "a lot of feed".

The team behind a cycleway from Picton to Kaikōura has called on the council to keep the job moving as it looks to ramp up construction.

An estimated $1800 hike in burial fees in Marlborough could be met with some "pushback" from the community, a councillor says.

Nicholas McGowan travelled to Blenheim with a vision.

Plans to spend nearly $40 million upgrading marine infrastructure in the Marlborough Sounds have been labelled "unnecessary", while others are worried their area will miss out on improvements.

Holes have been drilled into Spring Creek's stopbanks in an attempt to understand why they cracked, with initial tests showing the cracks are at least a metre deep.

The mayor says she understands the MP's bid to avoid a costly by-election but the decision is one for councillors.

Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques.

Those tasked with Marlborough's wheelie bin roll-out say they are confident that recycling is no longer going to end up going to landfill.

A seagrass still found in the region is in global decline and many don't know of its importance, a coastal scientist says.

The "visible decline" in the health of the plane trees meant it was clear a substance had been poured into the holes, a report to council said.

A Picton overbridge being built to keep traffic flowing when larger ferries brought more vehicles into town might not ever be finished.

A metre's worth of sediment on average has built up in Blenheim's Taylor and Ōpaoa rivers over the past 10 years, prompting a plan to dredge them.

Repairs are expected to cost $9m, but councillor says they are necessary due to the risk to human life.

Repairs to the Marlborough Sounds roading network are expected to cost ratepayers $106 million.

A raft of speed limit changes are on the cards for Marlborough's roading network, including permanent 40kph speeds outside schools.

Central Blenheim has become a place to socialise rather than shop, forcing retailers to close their doors.

Creeks in Marlborough that have "never dried out before" are empty, leaving questions about how long until the region needs tighter water restrictions.

Seagulls have started nesting behind sun screens on the side of Blenheim's new library and art gallery.