Nita Blake Persen

The Gisborne District Council was warned in a report more than seven months ago forestry debris was likely to cause problems if there was heavy rain in the area. But Gisborne District councillor… Audio

An Auckland university is urging staff and students to put some plastics straight into rubbish bins as it is no longer able to find anywhere to recycle them. New Zealand recyclers have been struggling… Audio

The head of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is concerned about a major increase in the amount of water farmers may be able to access for irrigation from an aquifer in the Ruataniwha Basin. The Board… Audio

District health boards could be in for a major shake-up as the government looks to cut back on bureaucracy and improve access to health care services. Audio

Thousands of experienced nurses could get pay rises of up to 16 percent under a new package being offered by district health boards. The latest offer virtually doubles the previous DHB offer in March.

Some nurses say an independent panel's recommendations to boost pay don't go far enough and they hope proposed strikes do go ahead. The panel, which has been working to resolve a pay dispute between… Audio

An independent panel has recommended nurses receive an overall 9 percent payrise over the next two years, but their union says it's less than what they hoped, and might not be enough to stop nurses… Audio

Community midwives have been telling the government the service is in crisis and rural midwives are getting out. Charlie Ferris who works in Central Otago says the Budget funding boost of $103 million… Audio

Children who spend more time in nature while they're growing up are less likley to develop asthma, according to a new study from Massey University. The study followed nearly 50,000 children over 18… Audio

Midwives who say they're overworked, stressed and underpaid are marching on Parliament today to rally for better pay and conditions. The Health Minister, David Clark, who's said he's working to… Audio

A study, published in the journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, tested tampons and menstrual cups to see how much staphylococcus bacteria would grow, which can cause toxic shock syndrome.

An unusually long, dry summer has caused an explosion in rat and mice numbers, creating extra work for groups working towards a predator-free New Zealand. Pest controllers say they're gearing up for… Audio

Around 15,000 people who have had to wait up to seven years to take part in a bowel screening programme will have to wait several more months to be checked for cancer. Audio

A stoush between the kiwi gold and silver medallists has overshadowed New Zealand mountain bikers taking out three of the top four spots in the Commonwealth games yesterday. Video, Audio