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Double job MP's resignation from council may not stop by-election
The 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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Councillors face criticism after mayor's sidelining
8 May 2024A critic is querying whether South Wairarapa councillors' behaviour amounted to bullying.
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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…
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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.
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 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.
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West Coast mine proposal gets council go ahead
29 Apr 2024It follows an earlier rejection of an Australian mining company's proposal to mine mineral sands from Barrytown Flats north of Greymouth.
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Cost of living crisis: Families opt for Kiwisaver cashouts, cut back on food
29 Apr 2024Families are cutting back on essentials and withdrawing their KiwiSaver funds as they struggle with the rising cost of living, a budgeting service says.
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'We had a democratic process' for Māori ward, mayor says
23 Apr 2024Gisborne councillors have voiced frustration the central government will make them redo their work.
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Rotorua’s $3 billion, 30-year plan to fix aging pipes, roads and more
28 Apr 2024Rotorua is wrestling with a costly dilemma: how to keep the pipes flowing after years of what one councillor describes as "chronic underspending".
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Council continues four-year Māori ward fight in face of govt changes
24 Apr 2024A council that played a key role in getting Māori ward polling removed is now lobbying against government plans to reinstate binding referendums.
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Carterton could get Georgina Beyer statue
27 Apr 2024The late politician was the world's first openly transgender mayor and member of parliament.
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Liquor plan risks creating 'desolate wasteland' - restaurateur
26 Apr 2024A prominent business family hopes "common sense" will prevail before proposed alcohol regulations come into force.
![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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