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Fears local board funding shake-up will hurt 'poorest of community'
A proposed funding shake-up has sparked criticism it could drive inequality in communities that already suffer from historic underinvestment.
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Residents urged to have their say on 'very ugly long-term plan'
10 May 2024Western Bay of Plenty households face paying an extra $300 to $350 per year under the council's long-term plan proposal.
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Rakiura / Stewart Island on course to tackle predator hit list target
9 May 2024Predator Free Rakiura will become the world's largest predator eradication project for an inhabited island if successful.
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Councillors face criticism after mayor's sidelining
8 May 2024A critic is querying whether South Wairarapa councillors' behaviour amounted to bullying.
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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Franz Josef landowners angst over flood strategy: ‘It’s ruined our equity’
8 May 2024Waiho Flat landowners have expressed angst and frustration as they watch their devalued land "going down the river" despite a West Coast Regional Council promise four years ago they would be…
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'Transport disadvantaged': Inequity proving a barrier in Invercargill
7 May 2024Transport inequities are proving a barrier for some young people in Invercargill, preventing them from joining in group activities.
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Quarry risk to TranzAlpine train, but no quick fix
11 May 2024Delays in the decommissioning of dangerous rock quarry near Greymouth have raised the ire of a West Coast regional councillor.
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'Abuse and threats': Inside the decision to cancel drag queen library event
11 May 2024"Online abuse and threats" to attendees - "including children" - of a drag queen storytime event were among the reasons it was canned, a council review says.
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Decision on new name for National Park sent to minister
10 May 2024National Park is the current name for the village on the western edge of Tongariro National Park but iwi researchers claim Waimarino as the original name.
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World-leading technology to avoid future Auckland Airport flooding
9 May 2024After significant flooding at Auckland Airport during the Auckland Anniversary floods, steps are being taken to ensure it does not happen again.
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Double job MP's resignation from council may not stop by-election
9 May 2024The mayor says she understands the MP's bid to avoid a costly by-election but the decision is one for councillors.
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Iwi defends Māori sites amid Grey District protest
3 May 2024Poutini Ngāi Tahu has defended Māori sites of significance after the Grey District called for them to be cut from the West Coast's proposed one district plan.
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Rotorua BnB host says rates hike for holiday rental owners 'beggars belief'
7 May 2024After confusion over how the policy would be applied, the council has acknowledged it could have explained it more clearly.
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New Kāinga Ora homes bring hope amid housing crisis
7 May 2024One family lived in a tent during the cyclone, while another ended up in emergency housing and even slept in a truck one night. These are their stories about moving into a brand new home.
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Systems rather than people led to failures, emergency response leader says
5 May 2024New Zealand's highest-ranked civil defence emergency response leader says systems, rather than people, are at the heart of major criticisms in a new report.
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MP to keep job as councillor - and two salaries
6 May 2024Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques.
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The residents who will be hardest hit by congestion charging
6 May 2024South Aucklanders face a lack of reliable and affordable public transport, meaning they'll cop any charges the worst, the local board says.
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Hope for Southland lagoon after toxic algae threat
4 May 2024The impacts of a cyanobacterial bloom at a Southland lagoon won't be known for some time, but the water has been restored.
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Deputy mayor 'disgusted' by response to Beyer sculpture
2 May 2024Carterton's deputy mayor is "disappointed" and "disgusted" at the response to a proposal to erect a memorial sculpture of the late Georgina Beyer.
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ECan chair steps down, pending investigation
3 May 2024This follows recent media comments about Peter Scott's farming activity.
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South Wairarapa Mayor not backing down
3 May 2024South Wairarapa Mayor Martin Connelly has returned from a two-month leave of absence to a council he remains at odds with.
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'I'm going to come up one morning and find someone has died': Seven crashes at one fence
3 May 2024Tracy Watson has repaired the same fence over and over times.
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Wheelie bins aim to fix Marlborough’s recycling issues
3 May 2024Those tasked with Marlborough's wheelie bin roll-out say they are confident that recycling is no longer going to end up going to landfill.
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Boy racer's car crashes into bystanders, injuring two
2 May 2024A person was taken to hospital and the driver's car impounded after the incident.
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Poor air quality forces rethink of town's industrial sites
1 May 2024Mount Maunganui's poor air quality is impacting people's health, with officials saying there is a "critical need" to find alternate sites for businesses that emit pollutants.
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‘Monumental’: Funding secured to fix and reopen Rotorua Museum
1 May 2024Construction to reopen Rotorua's iconic museum will begin next month as the council secures the final funding needed and brings down the total cost.
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Auckland's raised crossings ditched for new approach after criticism
30 Apr 2024Auckland pedestrians will get flashing ground lights, traffic islands and other road safety measures to replace the heavily criticised raised pedestrian crossings on roads.
![The review confirmed poor air quality at Mount Maunganui was creating significant health risks and premature deaths. Photo: Supplied. [via LDR Single use only]](https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--yJnXRLXw--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_288/v1714508926/4KQVDS3_Mt_Industrial_LDR_scaled_jpg)
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