Stories by Sharon Brettkelly

A simple stroll down Queen Street will reveal more than 38 empty shop fronts. What happened to Auckland's main street, and how can we fix it? 

It's one of the most high-stakes Pacific Islands Forum in recent memory, but political power plays may be standing in the way of real progress.

The new Australian prime minister is keen, so will Kiwis' rights across the Tasman finally be brought in line with Aussies' rights here?

How hard was it to get a free trade deal with the European Union across the line? 

We're producing up to 150,000 tonnes of surplus food every year. The New Zealand Food Network steps up and takes it before it reaches what would've been its destination: landfill.

Elite sporting bodies worldwide are barring transgender women from competing if they've experienced male puberty, all in the name of fairness – but The Detail finds out that the science isn't that…

About half of the 400 people who arrive in New Zealand as asylum seekers every year end up being accepted as refugees - but why are they treated differently to people arriving through the quota…

Twenty years ago, he thought human-induced climate change was a load of rubbish. Now, George Moss' dairy farms are leading the way in counting - and cutting - greenhouse gas emissions.

Kriddles Roberts is doing everything she can to help people in need in west Auckland - The Detail heads along to one of her community events.

It's one of our top tourist destinations, but Rotorua locals are worried about the proliferation of city motels being used for emergency housing – with no end in sight. 

It's three months since parliament unanimously passed the Russia Sanctions Act - but are sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine actually having an impact?

Big changes to the way pigs are farmed are on the cards - is it possible to strike a balance between the views of farmers, vets and consumers?

Amid a global shortage of nurses, how does New Zealand lure health staff from overseas to fill our workforce gaps?

The Queen officially celebrates her platinum jubilee this weekend, but does Britain's longest-reigning monarch maintain her relevance and popularity here in New Zealand?

How did billionaire Chinese businessman Lin Lang end up exporting thoroughbred horses from New Zealand to China - and why has the lucrative business come to a halt?

Newsprint shortages, supply chain delays and soaring costs are making life even harder for newspaper publishers in New Zealand.

A massive landslide swamped part of the Bay of Plenty town of Matatā in 2005. Seventeen years on, the managed retreat process is finally coming to an end.

It's six months since a fire tore through part of Christchurch's main wastewater treatment plant. But residents in neighbouring Bromley are sick of the resulting stench that's invaded their homes.

Could a domestic coastal shipping service ease some of the country’s supply chain woes, get more heavy freight off the roads and help reduce emissions?

Is New Zealand prepared for the impacts of a nuclear war or some other global catastrophe? With Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.

What's the fuss about co-governance? As The Detail finds out, it's not a new concept and voters are being urged to get on board with it.

The Detail talks to Sri Lankan Kiwi and Newshub journalist Kethaki Masilamani about the crisis in Sri Lanka and the protests that seem to have united its long divided population.

America's Cup sailor Simo de Mari's life changed in the most unimaginable way in March 2019. He tells The Detail about his mission to walk again after a freak accident at Omaha Beach. 

All over the country, ratepayers are forking out millions of dollars for CCTV cameras. But are they actually making us any safer?

The Detail heads to Tokomaru Bay to find out how locals are faring after three major floods in less than a year - what's next for the East Coast township?