Stories by Sam Olley

Thousands of people are still without vaccine passes, waiting for their overseas vaccination records to be added to the New Zealand register.

It has taken 23 days for a New Zealander in the US who has not been home since before the pandemic to receive his Covid-19 vaccine pass.

Aotearoa's fuel security fate is dividing experts and suppliers.

Two years on from the disastrous Whakaari / White Island eruption, a lawyer representing Australian victims says the regulatory shortcomings are "terrifying".

The Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Act 2021 has made it easier for drug testers to operate at festivals. But there's more work to be done to ensure young people remain safe, advocates say.

A code of conduct complaint has been laid about Sandra Goudie's Covid-19 vaccination views, but the council has not investigated, saying the matter was resolved informally.

Pharmacists say they are stretched and tired, providing Covid-19 vaccines and passes on top of their usual mahi.

The government won't back down amid growing pressure to stop unvaccinated visitors to Northland this summer.

With the country moving to the new traffic light system on Friday, changes have been made behind the scenes to help get vaccine passes out.

The scrapping of Whangārei waterfront development plans have left some relieved and others resentful.

Long waits, cut-offs, and unanswered messages are leaving callers to the Covid-19 vaccine pass helpline helpless.

New report indicates the proposed waterfront development could cost ratepayers an additional $13m.

The Prime Minister says raw sewage seeping into the walls of Whangārei Hospital won't be tolerated.

The family of an elderly couple killed by a car in central Taupō hold no animosity against the driver.

The MP for Whangārei is "appalled but unsurprised" by raw sewage leaks at the city's hospital.

The failing piping is expected to take two years and $2.8m to fix, because it is surrounded by asbestos.

The New Zealand College of Midwives wants the government to record Covid-19 vaccination rates among pregnant people.

Data leaked from midwives shows hundreds of pregnant people in Te Tai Tokerau are not Covid-vaccinated, as the number of cases climbs.

The decision to move the top of the country out of alert level 3 at midnight on Thursday goes against the hopes of the Te Tai Tokerau iwi chairs.

Refrigerated containers are being hired, bought, and scoped out to store Covid-19 bodies across the country.

One in five people are still unvaccinated in Northland and there are now 10 active cases in the region.

Covid-19 has locked down parts of Northland, but if the virus rips through how will Whangārei Hospital cope when the battered building can't even stand up to heavy rain?

Occupants of a car and a bus deliberately parked to obstruct traffic on SH1 only moved out of the way this afternoon after "lengthy engagement with police".

Te Tai Tokerau principals are noting "major" concerns that Covid-19 vaccine mandates are driving out irreplaceable staff.

People who have waited patiently - and often painfully - for weeks in lockdown are finally able to access face-to-face care from dentists, physios and other allied health professionals.