A state of emergency has been declared in Nelson after the Maitai River breached its banks this afternoon. Follow updates with RNZ's blog here.

Christ Church Cathedral restoration workers have become the first people to venture inside the collapsed building since the devastating 2011 earthquake.

Tributes have been paid for Te Arawa leader and long-time Māori education advocate, Sir Toby Curtis, who died on Wednesday aged 83.

A new Rural Water Scheme has opened at Ōhakea, five years after it was revealed that some drinking water supplies had been contaminated by toxic firefighting foam.

A New Zealand Post spokeperson says they did not know how much mail had been taken since 2020 because the woman destroyed some items.

A man jailed more than 15 years ago for a gruesome murder in Palmerston North says at the time he was scared of the world and disconnected from reality.

National polytechnic Te Pūkenga's chief executive, Stephen Town, has resigned with effect from yesterday, the organisation says.

Another 16 people with Covid-19 have died and there are 4489 new community cases, the Ministry of Health has reported today.

The Department of Conservation has reviewed its hut warden training and improved visitor safety information after a woman died while tramping to Angelus Hut.

A kayaker remains missing on Lake Rotorua after a whole week.

WorkSafe lacks a clear strategy and it cannot say if its activities are cost effective or reducing workplace harm, an independent review has found.

Properties worth $1 million on Wellington's Petone foreshore could reach $100,000 each year to insure in 20 years, a climate risk expert says.

One year on from the country's longest Covid-19 lockdown, an epidemiologist says further lockdowns cannot be ruled out, instead preparing to do them better.

Police are still awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations and tests to identify the human remains found at an address in the Auckland suburb of Manurewa a week ago.

Police seeking the driver of a white van involved in a hit-and-run in Christchurch have located them and filed a charge.

People are being reminded to think carefully about seeking medical care as the city's emergency department struggles with demand.

Students at a Hastings college have been sneaking in Uber Eats at lunchtime, with some claiming the food they get at school is atrocious.

Allegations of racism, sexual assault, homophobia, bullying and actively discouraging victims from going to the police are contained in a leaked copy of an investigation into Arise Church.