Civil Defence
Unions urge capital building owners to secure fittings
Unions are concerned that pipes and fittings in Wellington's high-rise office buildings remain unsecured, despite decades of regulations.
Building services 'below standard' - could be lethal in a quake
The Insurance Council is calling on local authorities and the Government to address the problem of below standard compliance with seismic rules. A Wellington structural engineer Ignatius Black of… Audio
Loose fittings slip through capital quake standards
Unrestrained heavy pipes, wires and air conditioning units that could be lethal in an earthquake are escaping proper scrutiny.
In Christchurch, what is an ‘as is where is’ property?
Christchurch Dilemmas investigates the market for severely damaged properties. Video
KiwiRail wants quake-resilient facilities for ferries
KiwiRail wants new, earthquake-resilient facilities for the Cook Strait ferries, even if it has to share them with its rival, Bluebridge.
Engineers call for urgent tests on Wgtn buildings
Urgent tests are needed on precast hollowcore concrete floors in Wellington, which are found in 152 buildings in the city centre, a new engineers' report to the council says.
Higher floors needed for Dunedin flood risk
New homes in South Dunedin will have to be built up to a metre higher above the ground because of the area's 2015 flood.
$5m fund to help farmers with quake-damaged land
Farmers whose land was damaged by November's Kaikoura earthquake now have access to a new $5 million dollar government fund. The Kaikoura farmer and District Councillor Derrick Millton says the fund… Audio
Many Wgtn buildings struggle with different quake assessments
Multiple buildings in Wellington are struggling with different assessments from engineers of how earthquake-proof they are. Audio
Drilling to begin to access Wellington's undersea freshwater
A barge is about to begin drilling in Wellington harbour in a first-ever attempt to find fresh water below the seabed.
Edgecumbe mayor
The Government will pay for the clean-up of Edgecumbe homes, including those that weren't insured. We talk to Whakatane District Mayor Tony Bonne. Audio
"I'm not going back" -Edgecumbe local too frightened to return
Some people living in Edgecumbe say the stress of last month's flooding means they will never go back to the town to live. Audio
Govt to cover Edgecumbe clean-up bill
The government has announced it will foot the bill for the clean-up of flood-damaged houses in Edgecumbe, including for home-owners without insurance.
Is there room for the small business owner in the new city?
For those who fled on February 22, choosing to return is a financial - and emotional - dilemma. Video
Piha residents nervous as suspicious fires continue
Piha residents say the community is on edge over the spate of suspicious blazes in recent weeks. Audio
List of Wgtn buildings needing strengthening halved
Wellington City Council explains why it's taken 142 buildings off the list of those which need unreinforced masonry repaired. Audio
Piha residents anxious over arsonist's trail of destruction
Evan Lamberton has been up all night fighting fires in Piha. He says the difficult terrain made it hard for fire-fighters, as the fires got within a kilometre from houses. Ground crews kept the fires… Audio
Waiting on word from Vanuatu's cyclone hit islands
After being battered for three days Cyclone Donna is now moving away from Vanuatu's northern islands. Unicef's Lachlan Forsyth has the latest from Port Vila. Audio
Piha on edge following series of suspicious fires
Piha resident Kaya Prebble tells our reporter Sarah Robson she's heartbroken by the fire that destroyed the fish and chip shop where she works and her community is on edge after a series of suspicious… Audio
Kaikōura quake caused 6.9 metre tsunami
The Kaikōura earthquake caused an almost 7m tsunami, but low tide and land uplift prevented it from causing more destruction, a review has revealed. Audio
