West Coast

A group of boaties on the West Coast have been airlifted to safety after their boat crashed into a bridge on the Taramakau River - between Greymouth and Hokitika.

West Coast Regional Council has been accused of causing coastal erosion by allowing big companies to take too much gravel from riverbeds.

A Maruia farmer is threatening to burn off 80ha of native bush on his property and turn it into pasture in a bid to raise its value and save his farm.

The Te Waonui Forest Retreat and Scenic Hotel in Franz Josef and the Heartland Hotel and Heartland Glacier Country in Fox Glacier will close at the end of the season in May.

Australian miner Oceana Gold has come in for plaudits from the Department of Conservation for its restoration work at the former Globe Progress goldmine near Reefton.

Dozens of rare ducks took to the sky today, but not under their own wing power.

Development West Coast has committed $5 million towards an assistance package for Franz Josef and Fox Glacier communities.

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash says he won't make any promises to struggling communities in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier.

The 180 Degrees Trust runs youth development programmes for at risk young people in Canterbury. The biggest event on its calendar is the Southern Alps Traverse, a gruelling, character-building…

The annual budget for work on the West Coast's new district plan is heading for the $1 million mark, and the project will cost ratepayers at least $2.6 million over the next three years.

Tourist attractions or industrial sites? The future rules for West Coast ports have come under close scrutiny this week from the Tai o Poutini Plan Committee.

Businesses near Franz Josef and Fox glaciers have issued a plea for government support after a recent survey found widespread job losses and many people abandoning struggling communities.

A proposal that councils should deal with iwi other than Poutini Ngāi Tahu over historic sites and wahi tapu has been rejected.

The West Coast may have the cleanest rivers in the country but a six-monthly review has shown the regional council is struggling to meet some of the goals it has set in relation to freshwater.

A fire has ripped through two houses in Runanga, north of Greymouth, overnight.

About 150 properties in Buller have been affected by a council error that wrongly classified them - and saw some facing potential rate increases of up to 300 percent.

The National Bowel Screening programme is coming to the West Coast with free tests for people aged 60 to 74.