Stories by Laura Smith

"The hall will need to be removed," a sign on the door reads, but the council now says it's still deciding.

With homeless people being asked to leave reserves, does Rotorua need a night shelter again?

A Rotorua resident has spent his own time removing masses of rubbish from a local stream.

A small Rotorua school that fought plans to allow higher buildings in its neighbourhood after finding human poo, drug paraphernalia and sanitary pads on its grounds is celebrating a win.

Rotorua and Tauranga's councils have thousands of parking spots, but down the road these numbers will change.

Iwi fears sewerage scheme could pollute sacred lake.

Kingsley Ridings stepped on corroded metal at the ramp and has had four surgeries since.

The owner of Rotorua's iconic Lakeland Queen paddle steamer has been given six months to move.

Rotorua's council has permanently removed its after-hours dog drop-off box from the Rotorua Pound for health and safety reasons.

It comes despite the council looking to put off work to spread costs over longer.

The paddle boat was once a common sight on the lake but has been sitting on dry land for the last three years. Local Democracy Reporting's Laura Smith finds out why.

From serving at McDonald's to the civil service, Fisher Wang is now set to guide a new generation on local politics.

The government is investigating whether four accommodation providers in Rotorua are complying with tenancy laws - including Spa Lodge.

It comes as they face a bill for a sewerage scheme they must legally connect to.

A fire allowed to burn for hours, a door with four locks, holes in the walls and scattered rubbish - these are some of the living conditions at Rotorua's Spa Lodge described in a council assessment.

The council issued the lodge two dangerous building notices within a week.

"I am resisting the urge to say 'I told you so'," one councillor said.

Hundreds of Rotorua dog owners face $300 fines as the council cracks down on residents "unwilling" to register their pets.

Rotorua's council is moving to shelve controversial plans to put sportsfields and housing on a golf course as part of a $62 million proposal, with nearly $190,000 already spent.

Rotorua's council has taken a U-turn from a "blanket" approach to reducing speed limits and will instead work with schools to set them.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell will travel to Japan and China in April for a sister-city visit, at a cost of $10,000.

Nine homeless people in Rotorua have rejected offers of help - and could face being trespassed from the city's reserves.

After two years of petitioning her council landlord to replace her deteriorating windows, pensioner Mary Smith's home is warm and draught-free.

A Rotorua councillor questioned the seriousness of bus-stop bashings in a council meeting but later says he conflated incidents.

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell talks about the highs and lows of her job - and the little girl who makes her smile even on the hardest of days.