Stories by Tim Brown
News
Sister of murdered teen believed accused was sexually grooming
Amber-Rose Rush's sister sounded warnings about her friendship with her accused killer in the months before she died.
Dunedin flat parties so big, people travel from Auckland to attend
Dunedin students say the flat party culture has grown in response to Otago University acting as the fun police and clamping down on student pubs and bars. Video
Queenstown's housing crisis: 'Waiting list is increasing'
Property values have levelled off but there are high rental costs, low-wage workers resorting to sharing beds and issues for neighbouring Central Otago.
Evicted campground residents may be left homeless
Residents of a former Queenstown camping ground may be homeless after being evicted to make way for a billion-dollar development.
Whistle-blowers expose bullying at Dunedin Women's Refuge
Staff say that they felt humiliated, intimidated and that there were unsafe work practices and theft at Te Whare Pounamu Dunedin Women's Refuge.
Man caught driving three times legal limit with child in car
Dunedin police have sent a warning to the city's motorists after a series of concerning drink driving incidents over the weekend.
Ninety people hand in guns at first southern gun buyback
About 90 people have handed in firearms at the first buyback in the Southern district - an area where 10 percent of the population are firearms owners.
Police breath-testing inside people's homes, lawyer says
The police are flouting the rules on breath testing, carrying out tests in people's homes to catch them out sometimes up to two hours after they were last seen driving, a Dunedin lawyer says.
New steepest street holder's measurement 'cherry-picked' - surveyor
Dunedin has not given up the fight to claim the world's steepest street again, even though the title has been officially stripped from Baldwin Street by Guinness World Records.
Queenstown infrastructure committee hasn't met in almost a year
The committee charged with reviewing policy and strategy for Queenstown Lakes' infrastructure hasn't met in almost a year, despite strain due to rapid growth in development and visitor numbers.
Absence of cancer agency plan 'another broken promise' by Labour
The health minister has given his clearest indication yet that a national cancer agency may not be part of the government's plans for overhauling cancer care.
Protection wanted for 'most important terrestrial fossil site in NZ'
Dunedin residents want permanent protection for Foulden Maar, which was under threat of being mined until the company planning to do so went into receivership.
Receivership delivers reprieve for geological treasure trove
Plaman Resources, the company behind a controversial mineral mine in inland Otago, has been placed into voluntary receivership. Audio
Cancer care battle: 'The lack of prevention in NZ is not good enough'
A Southland father with terminal bowel cancer hopes to trigger a citizens-initiated referendum to reform cancer care in New Zealand.
Crusaders back players under fire: 'There's two sides to the story'
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson is starting the players at the centre of allegations of impropriety against the Blues at the weekend.
Council called 'racist, unethical, left-leaning, PC control freaks'
An Otago Regional Council move to allow Ngāi Tahu to hand pick two candidates to sit on its policy committee has been called racist by councillor Michael Laws.
Second assault involving Southland school pupils circulated
A protest is planned after a second video of assaults involving pupils from Southland school was circulated on social media. Audio
Clutha dry: Farmers call for drought declaration
Farmers in Otago's Clutha district are struggling with ongoing dry conditions, prompting calls for a drought.
'Ignorant' and anti-Islamic incidents in accused gunman's former city
Brenton Tarrant, the accused in the Christchurch terror attacks, lived in Dunedin, but the city's civic leaders say incidents of harassment and other racist behaviours centre on an undesirable…
Man remains in hospital after 'coward's punch' at Six60
A man remains in hospital with head injuries from an assault at a Six60 concert in Dunedin on Saturday night.
Dunedin bus hub to finally open this month
Authorities say it will be the final piece in the puzzle of the game-changing overhaul of the city's public transport network.
Otago farmers may voluntarily restrict water usage
Farmers in Central Otago may resort to voluntarily restricting their water use in the next week as the prolonged hot and dry weather shows no sign of abating.
Pike River mine re-entry reminds Kaitangata of another disaster
As operations ramp up on the West Coast to re-enter Pike River mine, in another small mining town minds are turning to another tragedy underground - the death of 34 men and boys in Kaitangata in 1879.
Dunedin hospital rebuild plans revealed
Major infrastructure changes may be afoot in Dunedin as the Ministry of Health unveils the masterplan for the city's hospital rebuild.
Parts of Dunedin Hospital rebuild fast-tracked
Parts of the Dunedin Hospital rebuild have been prioritised because the facility "will not last the distance in its current state", Health Minister David Clark says.