Stories by Anusha Bradley

The victims of New Zealand's first convicted slaver and human-trafficker are "ecstatic" to learn their abuser will spend the more than a decade behind bars, Immigration New Zealand says.

Seasonal workers stuck in Hawke's Bay are suffering from depression and anxiety because they don't know when they can return home.

Potential locations for several small dams are being investigated by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

The ability to identify Covid-19 clusters during the height of the outbreak was a "significant point of weakness" for the country's 12 public health units, an independent review has found.

Airways New Zealand says it will now consider all options for the seven airports before making a final decision.

An unemployed migrant living on a friend's couch says she was stuck in a "desperate" situation because Air New Zealand keeps cancelling her flights home and she could not get through to their call…

The latest Ministry of Health national results showed two of three performance targets were not met.

A $4000 farewell morning tea shout for Napier City Council's former chief executive has raised eyebrows around the council table.

More help for foreign nationals stuck in New Zealand because of Covid-19 is being considered by the government, says the immigration minister.

An increasing number of stranded foreign nationals are looking for work in Hawke's Bay, despite the season, and civil defence says it is like "watching a slow train wreck".

From turning backpacker dorms into escape rooms, or dumping fine dining for comfort food, Hawke's Bay businesses are coming up with innovative ways to survive in the post-Covid-19 world.

A review of Napier's water supply has identified several risks, including the catastrophic scenario of the city running out of water.

Two small Hawke's Bay music venues are raising money to bring more musicians to the region, in a bid to support artists and the local music scene decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Experts fear a future outbreak of Covid-19 could be harder to control because half of the country's DHBs are not using the government's national contact tracing system. Audio

Many artists and musicians are welcoming a $175 million government package aimed at protecting 90,000 jobs.

The review comes as at least one district health board is refusing to use the national contract tracing software, citing concerns with its ability to deal with complex cases or clusters.

The rolling hills on the Dasent family's farm in rural Hawke's Bay are a sea of brown as far as the eye can stretch. Video

A Facebook page for Hawke's Bay farmers struggling with severe drought is being credited with saving lives. Video

People in rural parts of central Hawke's Bay are being urged to test drinking water bores as nitrate levels in some areas soar.

The family of a couple who caught Covid-19 on a cruise are considering legal action against the ship's operator Royal Caribbean.

A group of high school students have created a low-cost ventilator using pieces of wood, lego, and a power drill.

With brand new areas for suspected Covid-19 patients and a doubling of intensive care beds, Hawke's Bay Hospital hopes to reassure the public it is safe to seek medical help.

Hunting or camping in Te Urewera will not be allowed at Covid-19 alert level 3, Tūhoe says.

Being cooped up at home is forcing New Zealanders back into the kitchen and while it's a silver lining for some, others are pining for takeout.

A Hastings-based Samoan chief has been found guilty of 10 charges in human trafficking and 13 charges in dealing in slaves.