Manawatu
Whose responsibility is it to organise public meetings?
Palmerston North Council Staff have pulled out of organising public meet the candidates sessions ahead of October's local body elections. But whose responsibility IS it to organise candidate meetings?
…Refreshing rubbish in Horowhenua
One person's trash is another person's treasure and a group of upcyclers in Levin are taking that adage to new lengths! Audio
91-year-old petitions govt to re-open Manawatu Gorge
A 91-year-old man passionate about getting the Manawatu Gorge reopened has collected 863 signatures by hand because he doesn't have a computer. Noni Sandilands caught a train to Parliament today to… Video, Audio
Farming – the Morrison family business
The Morrison family has been farming the same bit of land near Marton since 1864. More recently they've expanded and have purchased a hill country farm nearby. Will Morrison works Mangara Station and… Audio, Gallery
Rural Innovation Lab - Solutions to Farming's Big Challenges
Manawatu's Rural Innovation Lab will soon select and inject funding into three projects that could transform the primary sector. Audio
Working smarter not harder - the lean approach to dairying
When Jana Hocken moved from working as a business consultant in Brussels and Sydney to living on a Manawatu farm she couldn't believe the inefficiencies she saw in dairy farming. She's now practising… Audio
Damaged 1080 pellets trucked from West Coast to North Island landfill
Sixteen tonnes of 1080 has been trucked more than halfway up the country and dumped in a landfill in the small Rangitikei town of Marton.
Palmerston North Hospital struggles with influx
Palmerston North Hospital has been struggling with an unforseen influx of patients presenting to the emergency department.
Proposed tourist trail to bolster region after slips hit hard
The Manawatū Gorge-Te Apiti region suffered when slips closed the gorge road two years ago, but new funding means hopes are high for the future.
Measuring the Nitrogen Flow Under Crops
A Plant and Food Research principal scientist says measuring devices that look like giant rain gauges have been buried under crops all around the country to track the amount of nitrogen flowing into… Audio
‘Senior citizen’ monkey gets special treatment
A 28-year-old monkey who escaped a life in the circus to spend his twilight years with a foster family and his best friend - a cat - has had an emergency trip to the vet after he lost hair and weight… Video, Audio
Worms Defy Drenches
Veterinarian Anthony Oswald says parasites in sheep have developed a resistance to some drenches and farmers need to re-think when they drench and how they manage their stock to make sure their… Audio
Deputy mayor among critics of desecration of Māori carving
Tensions are rising in rural Manawatū after a volunteer chopped a phallus off a Māori carving standing sentry to welcome hikers at a popular walking track.
Smashing pumpkins: the dairy farmer turned seed-grower
Tom Welch is tired of dairying and has been looking for another way to make money from the family farm. He’s begun growing pumpkin seeds – and thinks he may be the only person in New Zealand… Audio
Palmerston North Muslims' fear: 'Somebody needs to act'
A community leader in Palmerston North is urging the police to do more to make the migrant and Muslim community feel safe.
He Ara Kotahi: Palmy's new bridge
Palmerston North is getting a new bridge! You may be thinking, who cares? But this 9 kilometre walkway is important for almost 18,000 people that live and work in the area. Audio, Gallery
Woman 'lucky' after crevasse fall on Mt Ruapehu
The police say a woman in her 20s was lucky to escape serious injury after falling 15 metres down a crevasse in the Whangaehu Glacier on Mt Ruapehu yesterday.
Two deaths: Police made wrong decision to chase car, IPCA finds
Police should never have pursued a vehicle which crashed and left a 15-year-old and 12-year-old dead, an independent report has found.
Pop-up pub: Friday night drinks in the woolshed
With all the near-by pubs now closed, a woolshed is now the informal gathering spot for Manawatu locals on a Friday night. 'Happy Hour On Now For Mental Health' says a sign on the fencepost outside. Audio
Mucking in together for mental health awareness
In days gone by, Northern Manawatu farmers haven't gone in for group activities, but now a group take social days off the farm together for the mental wellbeing of their community. Locals Jason… Audio