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Featured Local Democracy Reporting stories
What new granny flats rules mean for costs, consents and rates
You no longer need a consent to build a backyard flat, but there are still costs and regulations.
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Waioeka Gorge closed for next month after airlift operation
21 Jan 2026Up to 40 slips blocked 60 kilometres of the state highway after the area received double its average January rainfall.
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'Do not relax': Environment expert warns dog owners, swimmers
20 Jan 2026Algal bloom is unusually low for this time of year, but there was no room for complacency.
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Settlement hit by month of rain during weekend weather bomb
20 Jan 2026It recorded over 285.5mm of rain over the weekend.
Local Democracy Reporting headlines with summaries.
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What is Local Democracy Reporting?
31 May 2021Find out more about the scheme and how to become a host newsroom or accredited media partner.
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Fisherman fears Lake Heron rules could go too far
20 Jan 2026One long-time angler is voicing concerns about being locked out of Lake Heron.
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'They will lose money': Kāinga Ora to sell land it bought for $70.4m in 2021
19 Jan 2026The state housing agency faced claims it overpaid for the Ferncliffe Farm site.
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Cats kill millions of birds, bats, lizards and other native animals a year, HBRC says
16 Jan 2026But other native animals such as bats, lizards, and invertebrates, are also particularly vulnerable, Hawkes Bay Regional Council says.
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Parents question pool's 'manu' restrictions ahead of World Champs
16 Jan 2026Some are saying they are surprised to see children being told off at the Norman Kirk Memorial Pool, which has been used for diving practise.
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Gisborne mayor reflects on council staffing, RMA reforms and 2026 plan
16 Jan 2026Rehette Stoltz, Mayor of Gisborne, speaks to Local Democracy Reporting about her summer break and reflects on the year that's been and the year ahead.
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'It's devastating': Generations-old eel population wiped out
15 Jan 2026Hundreds of tuna, including breeding stock thought to be 40 to 50 years old, have been found dead in the Waiatai Stream.
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Tauranga businesses grappling with increase in homeless
17 Jan 2026Tauranga retailers say more homeless has meant more aggressiveness and damage, with staff at one store facing daily urine clean-ups.
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Minister reviews funding after $133k Rotorua lake weed clean-up
16 Jan 2026Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell calls the city's weed control funding 'grossly unfair'.
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Many of Wairarapa's recent forest fires began in old burn piles
15 Jan 2026Farmers are concerned about forest fires, but the region's biggest forestry firm says it is well prepared with a comprehensive wildfire plan.
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Kaikōura 'absolutely pumping' with summer visitors
15 Jan 2026Kaikōura is experiencing its busiest summer in years, with strong numbers of international and domestic travellers.
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Kaiapoi principal steps up as national president
15 Jan 2026Jason Miles is taking two years leave as Kaiapoi North School principal to serve as New Zealand Principals' Federation president.
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One children's author sweeps Gisborne's most-borrowed books list
14 Jan 2026Dav Pilkey wrote all five of Gisborne's most-borrowed library books last year.
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Microscopic jellyfish bring unwelcome sting for swimmers
14 Jan 2026Swimmers started flocking to local pharmacies on Saturday seeking relief from the painful red bite-like marks.
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Council opens door to private management of Rotorua Night Market
14 Jan 2026It's the latest potential shift for the long-running Thursday event.
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Funding shake-up sparks fears for fragile road to Cape Palliser
13 Jan 2026Funding for the popular road along Wairarapa's south coast to Ngawi and Cape Palliser is changing, with locals anxious to ensure the vulnerable route is future-proofed.
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Poripori waterhole tragedy: Second water death in two summers
12 Jan 2026Signs in the area warn of drowning risks due to water flows released from the Lake McLaren dam upstream.
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Fight to save tourist route from the sea
12 Jan 2026The road to Cape Palliser risks being reclaimed by the sea, with the community and the council seeking a permanent fix.
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Residents say solar farm fell short on native plantings
12 Jan 2026Residents are unhappy with their view of a new solar farm built across the road as they say it hasn't delivered the amount of planting that was promised.
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Free week of bus travel, as Hawke’s Bay unveils major network shake-up
10 Jan 2026The new service replaces the previous MyWay trial, which ends on 23 January.
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Failed drug test one of several vehicle policy breaches by council
11 Jan 2026The news comes as the council looks to increase its stock of hybrid or electric vehicles, in line with its climate commitments.
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Train tracks, lines ripped up at Wellington's Melling station
10 Jan 2026The station closed for three years on Christmas Eve, as part of a $1.5 billion infrastructure project.
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‘The only noise is ourselves’: Inside iwi's two-week Whanganui River journey
9 Jan 2026A Whanganui iwi leader says reserving stretches of the Whanganui River exclusively for the two-week tribal river journey has transformed the experience for participants.
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Island recycling centre rebuilt and booming after blaze
8 Jan 2026A blaze in December 2024 at the Aotea Community Recycling Centre damaged most of the contents of the Anamata shop, its main shed and the solar power system.
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