Stories by Laura Dooney
News
Accused 'free at last' from shadow of murder charge
A Wellington man has been under intense scrutiny leading up to a charge of murdering Zena Campbell being dropped, and will now need to rebuild his life, his lawyer says.
Woman's surgery delayed by homelessness: 'There's nothing you can do, nothing'
A Lower Hutt single mother who needs surgery for a debilitating spinal injury can't get it - because she doesn't have a home to go to afterwards.
Te Papa's funding bid for new facility declined
Te Papa will spend about $2 million strengthening part of a storage facility in Wellington, after a bid for money to build a new facility for specimens preserved in spirits was declined.
Hundreds of homes could be built on prison site in Wellington
Three hundred new homes could be built on the site of an old prison in Wellington - some of them KiwiBuild affordable homes.
Virtual reality game lets people explore Wellington
Wellington has been turned into a virtual reality game where players can dive with whales, play drums on Cuba Street, and admire the night sky at Matariki.
Rapist's victims call for law change after $28k court ruling
The lawyer of a woman ordered to pay a man the court found was likely to have abused her has lashed out at the justice minister for suggesting her client had bad legal advice. Audio
New plans for quashed Shelly Bay development lodged
A new resource consent will be lodged for a multi-million dollar development in Wellington's Shelly Bay.
Te Papa seeks more govt money to safeguard infrastructure
Te Papa is warning the government that a lack of funding for infrastructure may put the public, staff, and its collections at risk.
Cause of Wellington's bus network failure revealed
An independent review into Wellington's troubled bus network has found the team in charge of creating the new network did not have the capability to see the changes through.
Wellington convention centre finally given the go-ahead
Wellington's convention centre has finally been given the green light after years of trying to get the project off the ground.
Wellington puts brakes on electric charging stations plan
Wellington City Council has been forced to park a plan to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the city after strong opposition.
Wellington councillors push for wider liquor ban
Wellington City Councillors have asked their staff to re-consider saying no to liquor bans in Kelburn and Kilbirnie.
Developers forgo profit to help ease capital's housing issues
More buildings in Wellington are set to be converted into apartments to be rented out by the city council.
Lower Hutt hard-hit by affordable housing shortage
A housing crisis in Lower Hutt is being exacerbated by people moving from nearby Wellington in search of cheaper rent.
Site for 12,000-seat indoor arena in Wellington revealed
The preferred location for an indoor arena in Wellington has been found, but it will be months before the land is free to be built on.
Residents urge runway application extension be denied
Locals opposed to the lengthening of Wellington Airport's runway are asking for an application for resource consent to be thrown out.
Cost to fix St James Theatre balloons by $16m
The cost to fix one of Wellington's most important venues is likely to be $16 million more than first thought.
Council spending thousands a month to keep bus network running
Wellington's regional council is paying $150,000 a month to add extra buses to its ailing new network.
Historic Wellington wharf recommended for demolition
Well-loved and historic wharfs in Wellington have been found to be in need of urgent repairs.
Nine suburbs in Wellington hit $1m as house values rise
Latest property valuations show nine suburbs in Wellington now have an average house price of $1 million.
Te Papa restructure: 'A really thorough root and branch review'
Te Papa has scaled back a proposed restructure of its collections team to what was first suggested after a backlash.
Te Papa needs more staff, not fewer - expert
An international expert says Te Papa museum needs more staff in its collections area, not fewer like a plan to restructure had outlined.
Councils feel powerless to stop gambling harm
Councils say they are unable to make changes to protect their communities from problem gambling, because of government policy.
Council pushes ahead for $32m cycleway
Wellington city councillors have unanimously voted to push ahead with a cycleway project in the southern suburbs, which will include a revamp of the Island Bay cycleway.
Wellington cycleway repair to cost $4m more
The revamp costs more than four times what was originally spent on the cycleway and is $4m more than was originally put aside to fix it.