Northland

The move goes against a directive issued by former director-general of health Sir Ashley Bloomfield. Audio

Police have charged a 48-year-old man with murder in relation to a fatal house fire in Whangārei in April this year.

Three men have been arrested and charged with multiple crimes.

The company is expanding its storage facilities after it agreed to build a bitumen import terminal for Fletcher Building subsidiary Higgins Contractors at Marsden Point.

A mammoth effort from volunteers has seen the majority of the pod refloated.

Toa Pitman is wanted for an alleged "violent" family harm incident - and has several other arrest warrants for other offending.

The highway was closed for more than an hour, causing long queues in both directions.

A police spokesman says no search is underway - the boat's last known location was about 50 nautical miles offshore.

The inmate's death is currently being treated as unexplained.

There is serious concern for the missing vessel and its occupants.

Gavin Benney wants to halt his council's drinking water fluoridation implementation.

The vessel has been served with an abatement notice, which is an order to stop.

Whangārei District Council says it's looking into reports about councillors' comments on social media relating to the hīkoi - but won't say if any formal Code of Conduct complaint has been lodged.

The test could save people from discovering they had cancer once it was untreatable, when the only option left was palliative care.

A toxic weed spreading like wildfire through Northland pastures can cause "serious health problems" if stock eat it.

"We felt it was worthwhile doing a little bit of mahi around town, having a little bit of a clean up, putting our best foot forward," locals say.

A multimedia show with waitata and student performances rounded out the night.

Thousands have turned out in Whangārei, the first city on the hīkoi.