West Coast

A state of emergency has been declared in Fiordland after flooding cut off the only road out of Milford Sound, leaving more than 380 people stranded.

Heavy rain on the West Coast has caused power outages, threatens the water supply, and has closed part of SH6.

While many community newspapers around New Zealand are closing, the Westport News is breaking viral stories, adding staff, and buying a new printing press. Hayden Donnell talks to the paper's co-owner…

West Coast council mayors and chairs want changes to the their local conservation board, protesting that it's too "green". They've put up candidates they say would be a better fit.

Punakaiki people who want a community centre have mounted a blistering defence against a handful of locals who questioned their motives.

Buller District Council has lifted a 'boil water' notice for Reefton residents after tests showed the town reservoir is clear of E coli bacteria.

Punakaiki locals who have campaigned for a community centre in their village say submissions from some who oppose the project are so offensive they are seeking legal advice.

People who care about their local rivers and the way the water is used might want to show up for meetings on the West Coast this week - and volunteers for a water management group are needed.

Proposed changes to whitebaiting rules are largely good - apart from plans to designate nearly all West Coast rivers as refuges, the West Coast Whitebaiters Association says.

An American hiker who had a brush with death in a flooded Tasman river last month has abandoned his South Island hiking plans, and is now biking and rafting instead.

The mayor of Greymouth is disappointed the government's declined assistance to local businesses after a slip shut a main arterial route into the town for 10 weeks. Audio

Complaints about water pollution on the West Coast are on the rise and a good number involve small gold mining operations.

The average house value in the district is now $208,000, with land values increasing 11.3 percent to $62,000.

The government is expected to unveil a long term investment plan for sustainable tourism early this year using funding for a new tourist tax.

The West Coast Regional Council says its investment in a 1080 poison factory in Canterbury is a sound one that will deliver increasing returns.

The Grey District's former mayor believes his New Year's honours recognition is symbolic of West Coast's strong character during a decade of adversity and struggle.

The opening of the West Coast's Haast highway this morning is being welcomed as an early Christmas present for the region.

Openness and transparency will be the norm at West Coast DHB meetings from now on - by order of its new chairman Rick Barker.

A couple who found a woman washed up on a West Coast beach say it's a miracle she and her son survived. Audio