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Featured Local Democracy Reporting stories
New animal rules: Tougher dog limits, new chook licence
Tauranga dog owners could soon face tighter rules for accessing beaches, paths and public spaces under a refreshed set of council bylaws.
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Suspected avian botulism outbreak in Greytown
4 Mar 2026Dead and sick birds had been found, however, the town's wastewater treatment process isn't affected.
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Auckland's 'stairs of doom' face uncertain future
4 Mar 2026The Kennedy Park stairs in Castor Bay have been closed to the public for more than three years after Cyclone Gabrielle caused significant damage.
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Wellington cable car merch sales soar
4 Mar 2026A $10 Wellington cable car-themed keychain is selling like hotcakes, while the big chill grips the capital.
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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Iwi opens houses to raise whānau at home
3 Mar 2026Ngāti Mutunga has opened new houses to help whānau get into home ownership and grow their family connections on tribal ground.
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Fewer mobility park flouters after 400% fine increase
3 Mar 2026The fine has increased from $150 to $750.
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How a teen's spinal injury sparked a major review of pool diving safety
3 Mar 2026Bay Venues has put a diving "pause" on its aquatic centres as a precautionary safety measure following the injury.
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One of Auckland's 'worst parks' now hotspot for skaters
2 Mar 2026A $5.4 million upgrade to Pamure's Lagoon Edge Reserve has seen it become a hub for skaters all across Auckland to meet at.
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'Just seems like a waste': Feud leaves rugby clubhouse in limbo
2 Mar 2026The feud has left the clubhouse derelict as a league club pushes for community use.
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Far North to use $5m cash injection to shift gears on pending rates
1 Mar 2026Mayor Moko Tepania announced the move during his second State of the Far North address in Kerikeri on Thursday.
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Does Lower Hutt have too many pools?
28 Feb 2026A new report has found Hutt City Council cannot continue to wield the axe on staffing numbers to cut costs and instead needs to offload some of its assets to improve rates affordability.
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Hapū seek ocean status to save Taranaki kaimoana
28 Feb 2026Hapū of Taranaki iwi want their interests along the region's western coast officially recognised, so they can continue to protect kaimoana when the current rāhui is no longer legally enforceable.
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'We can move on': Napier mayor names new deputy after sacking last one
27 Feb 2026Napier City Council mayor Richard McGrath stood down Sally Crown from her duties as deputy mayor in dramatic circumstances earlier this week.
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Hunt for culprit behind tar clumps from Waiouru to Wellington
27 Feb 2026Though there were "a number of speculative ideas" about the source of the tar, there was no set culprit for the spillage.
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New flood data shows where Manawatū-Whanganui most vulnerable
27 Feb 2026Various tests were run to simulate what would happen to existing flood prevention methods during extreme weather events.
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Division emerges in Canterbury over local government overhaul
27 Feb 2026Ashburton District Council generally supports the proposal, Selwyn is more cautious, and Environment Canterbury has pushed back strongly against being abolished.
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Local elections chief raises alarm over voter roll anomalies
26 Feb 2026A top elections specialist says a government inquiry must get to the bottom of major electoral roll anomalies during the 2025 local election.
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Study tackles growing dementia concerns among Māori
26 Feb 2026A hui brought whānau together to kōrero about recognising the signs and symptoms of dementia, understanding contributing and protective factors, and exploring ways to slow the progression.
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Auckland mayor defends funding model as local boards face $6m shortfall
26 Feb 2026A ward councillor claims the Mayor's Office had assured her multiple times last year that funding would be found to help local boards fill the gap.
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Collapsed Metlink train parts provider still owes employees wages
25 Feb 2026Staff are yet to see a cent for their last weeks of work.
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Work starts on first Ngāmotu marae for two centuries
25 Feb 2026The hapū of Te Ātiawa is ready to build its marae overlooking Ngāmotu beach and Port Taranaki and out to sea.
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Who wants to be Napier's deputy mayor now? Five say 'no thanks'
25 Feb 2026The mayor has suddenly stood down his deputy.
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'We want to get it back to what it was': Mauao faces long, costly road to reopening
25 Feb 2026A January storm caused more than 40 landslides on the mountain, with the worst taking six lives when it hit the holiday park below.
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Seven albatrosses among scores of sea birds grounded by last week's storm
24 Feb 2026"We knew something was going to happen, but we didn't expect it to be as bad as it has been."
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Breakdown of trust: Napier mayor removes his deputy
24 Feb 2026The unprecedented breakdown between the pair played out in full public view, with Sally Crown saying McGrath's decision-making was "ad-hoc", "reckless" and "chaotic".
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'Shuffled out of sight': Councillor condemns move-on powers
24 Feb 2026The government's move "falls well short of the standards of decency that Whanganui aims for", says a local councillor.
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New furniture disposal policy follows Wellington mayoral desk paper leak
24 Feb 2026A man who bought an old mayoral desk found 231 documents dated between 1988 and 2004, spanning the terms of four mayors inside.
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