Stories by Lois Williams
News
Northern iwi cheer new government decision
There's elation at Waitangi over New Zealand First's choice to go into government with Labour.
Citizens Advice Bureau calls for help for beneficiaries
Whangarei's Citizens Advice Bureau says desperate people are missing out on entitlements.
Māori forestry firm claims regional development stardom
Thirty years on, a company growing trees on marginal Māori land has made $73m in profit and paid back a government loan with interest. Audio
Pair charged with fraud over disappearing $1m
Two trustees of a Māori-owned forest in the Far North have been charged with a million-dollar fraud.
Teaching the homeless to build new homes
He Korowai Trust in the Far North, which has been housing the homeless, has won a $2 million grant to set up the Sweet-As Academy to teach trades to people who have not had formal education.
Kaipara mayor's resignation shocks colleagues
Kaipara District Councillors are stunned by the sudden resignation of the mayor Greg Gent, who was a year into his first term.
Call to treat sick kauri in state forests
Research into kauri die-back is now at the point where decisions can be made about treating sick kauri in state forests, the scientist leading the research says.
Makeover for Northland town
It was once a thriving town where almost everyone had a steady job.
Northland hapū and conservationists fight for river access
Local Māori and conservationists have claimed the right to access a Northland river today - by driving though the middle of a working dairy farm.
Swamp kauri mining at fuel site was years ago - neighbours
The land around the pipeline break was dug over two to three years ago, neighbours say.
Pipeline leak still highly explosive - Refining NZ
Crews have been working around the clock for four days to fix the ruptured major fuel pipeline - but the repair job is too hazardous to be rushed, Refining NZ says.
Dover Samuels: Don't make ratepayers pay for appeal
Northland ratepayers should not have to foot the bill for an appeal against a High Court decision over unlawful rates, a former Far North politician says.
Protesters jubilant at beachfront victory
The new owners of a Far North campground have pulled out of an agreement to lease a beachfront reserve, after a peaceful protest by locals.
Hone Harawira's last stand? Not if he can help it
The tussle for Te Tai Tokerau this election has two old rivals shaping up for the seat: Mana's Hone Harawira versus Labour's Kelvin Davis.
Speech therapy for pupil after media coverage
A pupil with a cleft palate has finally been approved for help with speech therapy - but only after his mother and the school went public, a Northland principal says.
Ngāpuhi mandate hui moves hapū towards unanimity
Peace appears to have broken out at a hui in Northland aimed at mending the rifts caused by the Ngāpuhi mandate row.
Judge urges Northlanders to confront meth addiction
A Northland District Court judge is finding about 90 percent of the cases he hears involve drug addiction, he says.
Diver joins calls to address Niagara shipwreck
Diving pioneer and environmentalist Wade Doak is backing calls for a high-tech survey of the wreck of the Niagara, off Northland's east coast.
Dire warnings over wreck of the Niagara
Conservationists and salvage experts say it risks an oil spill four times worse than the Rena, but Maritime New Zealand is unconvinced.
Farmers, schools and hapū join forces to save Kaipara Harbour
Locals are planting 20,000 native trees this winter to stop sediment reaching the stricken harbour and harming its kaimoana.
Woman lay dead, undiscovered by mental health services
The neighbour of a Whangarei woman who lay dead in her bedsit - possibly for weeks - says authorities need to explain why no-one knew. Audio
Conservationists to take swamp kauri case to Court of Appeal
Northland conservationists who oppose the export of swamp kauri are heading back to court for another round with officials.
One-dog proposal raises hackles in Far North
The district council is facing strong opposition over its one-dog-per-household proposal to protect threatened native birds.
Ngāpuhi mandate kicks off new series of hui today
The Ngāpuhi mandate authority kicks off a new series of hui around the north today to seek feedback on its stalled Treaty settlement.
Northland hapū run out of steam in water-bottling fight
Hapū near Whangarei say they have run out of steam to oppose plans for a water-bottling operation at Poroti Springs, but remain adamant they don't want it.