Navigation for News Categories
Local Democracy Reporting
Local Democracy Reporting headlines with summaries.
-
Blank Māori engagement section in governance manual raises questions
12 Feb 2026The omission was raised during council debate on the manual.
-
Barking dog row leaves owner afraid to leave home
12 Feb 2026There have been more than 50 complaints made about the barking of Sam Hall's two Jack Russell dogs.
-
'Dust bowl' fields to housing boom: a town's transformation
12 Feb 2026The transformation of Canterbury's Rangiora is clear, with the District Plan opening up land for up to 17,000 new sections over the next 30 years.
-
Lower North Island hotel runs dry - again
11 Feb 2026The Castlepoint Hotel has been told by officials to immediately stop serving alcohol after it breached the conditions of an earlier order.
-
Papatoetoe election re-run begins under scrutiny
10 Feb 2026Voting will open next month in a fresh Papatoetoe local board election after a District Court overturned last year's result due to voting irregularities.
-
Far North mayor shuts down rumour after councillor’s 'false' MP candidacy claim
10 Feb 2026Far North mayor Moko Tepania has confirmed he will not be standing as an MP at the coming general election.
-
Bus drivers still waiting for visa extensions
10 Feb 2026The future of about 50 Wellington bus drivers is unclear, with work visas for many of them expiring in the next few months.
-
The school where half the students aren't meeting attendance targets
10 Feb 2026A Canterbury principal says the nation needs to lift its game on school attendance.
-
Coins could go as Rotorua reviews city parking
10 Feb 2026Coin payments make up about 10 percent of the parking money collected and the council is asking whether the machines should stay.
-
'Underinvestment becomes more likely': Councils push back on rates cap
10 Feb 2026Local councils are worried about paying the bills if the government's proposed rates cap goes ahead.
-
Kaipara open to breakaway council with Auckland's north Rodney
9 Feb 2026The council is backing North Rodney Action Group's proposal to form a unitary authority by merging the area governed by Kaipara District Council (KDC) with the northern two‑thirds of the former Rodney…
-
From 'really useful' to 'pointless': Gisborne councillors split on social media
6 Feb 2026LGNZ now runs training on safe, effective social media use, popular with younger members.
-
Cat plague has Ōpōtiki residents calling for rule changes
5 Feb 2026Ōpōtiki residents whose properties are being overrun by cats are urging the council to instate a policy to restrict numbers.
-
Ashburton council faces $20 million bill for new bridge road
5 Feb 2026It is expected to cost $20 million for under 2km of new road to connect to Ashburton's long-awaited second bridge.
-
Karaoke bar with chequered history sacks staff, withdraws booze application mid-hearing
4 Feb 2026Deluxe karaoke bar can no longer sell alcohol after a shareholder fired its only qualified duty managers and withdrew its on-licence renewal application.
-
New earthquake faults discovered near North Island towns
4 Feb 2026A new study has uncovered new earthquake faults in the Wairarapa valley, four of which are close to some of the region's towns. Wairarapa's Emergency Management Office (EMO) controller, Simon...
-
Heavy EV charger hub opens at Lower Hutt landfill
4 Feb 2026The government, through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), covered $500,000 of the project.
-
'Nothing prepares you for it': Mayor's 'confronting' days after deadly landslide
5 Feb 2026Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale has described the days following the Mauao landslide tragedy as "the hardest week of my life".
-
Commuters feel pinch of fare rises
4 Feb 2026"Nothing is free," South Auckland resident Lepa says of Auckland's latest public transport fare increase.
-
Revealed: What caused deaths of hundreds of eels
3 Feb 2026The eels, including breeding stock thought to be 40 to 50 years old, were found dead in the Waiatāi Stream near Wairoa last month.
-
Council ratepayers overcharged after rates mistake
3 Feb 2026In December, concerns were raised about rates revenue being higher than expected.
-
Civil Defence defends Rotorua's inclusion in state of emergency
3 Feb 2026The Rotorua mayor was concerned it would cause confusion, given the low risk for Rotorua.
-
NZ Post closures in Rotorua to hit older residents hardest
2 Feb 2026Grey Power says disability, transport access and unfamiliar technology will turn a once simple errand into a "big challenge" for many.
-
‘Medicine for the soul’: Hawke’s Bay harbourmaster on dream job
1 Feb 2026This summer's crop of rule breakers on the water are flouting rules meant to prevent fatalities, a harbourmaster says, including speeding and taking children on boats without lifejackets.
Top News stories
- US Supreme Court rules that Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs are illegal
- A former prince is arrested in the UK with accountability in question in the US
- Ben Harrington heads to freeski halfpipe final, Fin Melville Ives takes brutal fall
- 'It's a strange place' - The Beths' singer Liz Stokes on US tour
- Service held for Northland woman Mihiata Te Rore, killed by a pack of dogs in Kaihu
Subscribe
Get the top 8 headlines each day at 8am with our daily email newsletter.
