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Mum calls for mandatory e-scooter helmets after crash leaves son with fractured pelvis and memory loss
Radio New Zealand

Mum calls for mandatory e-scooter helmets after crash leaves son with fractured pelvis and memory loss

Her son's helmet likely prevented a head injury after a Greymouth e-scooter crash, as ACC payouts for such accidents keep rising.

By RNZ • 4 min read • 2 days ago
Weather: Heavy rain falls on lower North, upper South Island
Metservice

Weather: Heavy rain falls on lower North, upper South Island

Heavy rain and slips have closed several South Island highways, with travellers urged to delay journeys and snow also forecast.

By RNZ • 2 min read • 2 days ago
Government road funding cuts will cost Tararua nearly $1.3M
Local Government

Government road funding cuts will cost Tararua nearly $1.3M

Ratepayers face an extra NZD $1.286 million bill over three years unless Tararua's road funding cut is reversed.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • 2 days ago
Austroads releases climate adaptation guide for roads
Risk & Compliance

Austroads releases climate adaptation guide for roads

Road agencies now have a structured way to rank climate defences as extreme weather disrupts networks and strains adaptation budgets.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last week
ACT promises to axe millions in roadside art spending
Auckland Transport

ACT promises to axe millions in roadside art spending

Motorists could be spared millions in roadside sculptures and monuments, with funding redirected to road building under ACT's transport policy.

By RNZ • 3 min read • Last week
New Zealand records third-warmest winter on record
Sustainability

New Zealand records third-warmest winter on record

South Island warmth and a June heat spike drove New Zealand's winter to 9.7C, with 27 places logging record seasonal temperatures.

By RNZ • 2 min read • Last week
Tararua braces for an 'intense' El Niño season
Agricultural Technology

Tararua braces for an 'intense' El Niño season

Water restrictions are likely to come in earlier than usual as scientists warn the district faces one of the strongest El Niño events in recent history.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last week
Council boss apologises over Westport flood funding 'miscommunication'
Risk & Compliance

Council boss apologises over Westport flood funding 'miscommunication'

Westport residents are set to share NZD $1.8 million in flood protection funds after the regional council admitted the split was badly communicated.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last week
Greenstone adds eight Volvo haulers to Philippines fleet
Supply Chain

Greenstone adds eight Volvo haulers to Philippines fleet

Fuel savings and reliability are driving Greenstone Resources' push to lift hauling capacity as mining operators face tighter cost pressure in the Philippines.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week
Boulders blamed for increase in illegal parking
Small Business

Boulders blamed for increase in illegal parking

Footpath parking has surged in Ōpōtiki after six spaces were removed from Church Street, prompting complaints from struggling retailers.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 4 min read • Last week
Wairoa's floods help drive change to emergency management law
Civil Defence

Wairoa's floods help drive change to emergency management law

Wairoa councils will soon be able to clear river mouths and debris sooner, after floods exposed delays in emergency response.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 4 min read • Last week
'Iconic national' road thrown a funding lifeline
Māori

'Iconic national' road thrown a funding lifeline

Ratepayers in South Wairarapa will avoid a funding gap of up to NZD $35 million after NZTA agreed to keep Cape Palliser Rd largely subsidised for three years.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last week
Flush with potential: Shifting wastewater from sea to soil
Tasman District Council

Flush with potential: Shifting wastewater from sea to soil

Reuse plans could cut ocean discharge and help irrigate crops, sports grounds and industry across Nelson Tasman within two years.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 5 min read • Last week
Heat on senior staff as councillors pick apart landslide failures
Risk & Compliance

Heat on senior staff as councillors pick apart landslide failures

Council chiefs faced intense scrutiny after a review said six deaths in the Mount Maunganui landslide were preventable, with inquiries still under way.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 5 min read • Last week
Civil Defence group writes to Minister over rates cap concerns
Risk & Compliance

Civil Defence group writes to Minister over rates cap concerns

Emergency response funding could be squeezed under planned rates caps, prompting Southland Civil Defence to seek an exemption from the Minister.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 2 min read • Last week
Is your home ready for a heatwave?
Auckland Council

Is your home ready for a heatwave?

Auckland homes face longer, hotter summers, with new research warning heatwaves could nearly double and indoor overheating is already a problem.

By RNZ • 4 min read • Last week
El Niño expected to be 'strongest in recent history'
Agricultural Technology

El Niño expected to be 'strongest in recent history'

Strong winds, dry spells and flooding are more likely across New Zealand as the Pacific pattern strengthens to very strong in September.

By RNZ • 3 min read • Last week
Why Hamilton has so many speed bumps
Local Government

Why Hamilton has so many speed bumps

Safety gains from raised road platforms in Hamilton are outweighing complaints, as councils review costly fixes for faulty installations.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 5 min read • Last week
When crisis communications create a second workplace crisis
Risk & Compliance

When crisis communications create a second workplace crisis

Poor communication can deepen the fallout from a workplace incident, leaving employees, families and regulators without timely, accurate updates.

By Mark Devlin • 5 min read • Last week