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Local Democracy Reporting
Featured Local Democracy Reporting stories
Hoarder’s home drew 19 complaints before fire
In the early hours of Saturday morning the "materials", which included piles of scrap wood, ignited and quickly spread.
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The council with almost 50 vacant roles
6:26 am todayEnvironment Southland disestablished 51 roles and created 56 new ones in a shake-up which impacted almost a quarter of staff this year.
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Local elections are coming - Here's what you need to know
23 Jun 2025From playgrounds to cycle lanes, roaming pets to stinky rubbish, local authorities are responsible for planning and managing your city, town or district.
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Resident clashes with council over noisy building site
23 Jun 2025The councils says there are no limits to the building site's operating hours as it is in an industrial zone.
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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Mayor rejects dog taskforce amid calls for action from residents
22 Jun 2025Wayne Brown says he acknowledges the rising concerns about roaming dogs, but insists the council is already addressing the issue.
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Council chief executive calls for more staff as goldmine delays bite
22 Jun 2025Following a raft of complaints about wait times for resource consents, the West Coast Regional Council has conceded it needs to take on more employees.
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Pou return to Hastings Civic Square after restoration
20 Jun 2025This is the first full collective check and restoration since their installation.
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Great ride Te Hangāruru opens: ‘A gift to the community for Matariki’
19 Jun 2025It's being hailed as a vital piece of the vision to complete a 320km journey from Ruapehu maunga to the Tasman Sea.
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Tai Rāwhiti hapū Ngāti Oneone six weeks into protest seeking land's return
21 Jun 2025An online petition supporting the hapū has over 1950 signatures.
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Curious, concerned: Picton residents weigh in on SH1 changes
21 Jun 2025Picton residents have stopped by an NZTA display to show the proposed relocation of SH1 through the town.
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Why 'cute' pets are now included in pest management plan
20 Jun 2025The Bay of Plenty has added cute and charismatic critters to its pest list, along with changes to how other pests are categorised.
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'We're getting shook to pieces': Bridge worse than Third World, truckers say
20 Jun 2025Eastern Bay transportation operators are "ropable" about the surface of the Pekatahi Bridge.
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Rescued dump items go to struggling homes: 'It means everything'
20 Jun 2025Staff at The Dump Shop in Blenheim have been flat out, connecting households in need with furniture and appliances that were destined for the dump.
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Funding boost for Auckland's rare long-tailed bats
19 Jun 2025Funding from Auckland Council will help look after the native long-tailed bat, one of New Zealand's rarest and most vulnerable creatures.
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Cruise ship numbers set to plummet
18 Jun 2025The Bay of Islands $23.34 million cruise ship industry will be hit hard next season with the number of visiting ships almost halved.
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Fears Methven will be 'overun' with Airbnbs
16 Jun 2025A local resident fears an epidemic of Airbnb owners flouting the rules and over-running residential areas.
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Mangawhai risks $100 million economic disaster if sandspit fails: warning
16 Jun 2025Mangawhai sandspit has lost more than 420,000 tonnes of its locally-unique non-replenishing sand. Many in the community worry about its future as a result.
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Tribunal asked to halt seabed mine fast-track
15 Jun 2025The claimants want an urgent hearing into alleged Crown breaches.
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The 'quiet street' set to become State Highway 1
13 Jun 2025A resident who describes the decision as "pretty horrible" is concerned about a nearby school.
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Tourism operators at war with council over tourism funding cuts
Tourism operators across the district are boycotting Whakatāne District Council for cutting funding to Tourism Bay of Plenty.
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‘Drinking, urinating, littering’: Most back larger alcohol ban area in Gisborne
14 Jun 2025Eighty percent support adding Kaiti Memorial Park and areas around Kaiti School to a ban zone.
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Claim councillor told another to 'f*** off' after 'true history' clash
14 Jun 2025The councillor says he did not say the words - but his meaning was correctly inferred.
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Closing the book on a 50-year library legacy
12 Jun 2025A lot has changed in the Ashburton District since 1975, but there has always been one constant - the librarian.
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Smoke or fog? Former council chair fumes at Hawke's Bay pollution doubt
12 Jun 2025The local council questions whether his photographic evidence shows smoke or fog over the Heretaunga Plains.
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Protecting Kaikōura’s little penguins with secret safe zones
12 Jun 2025Dogs, cats and humans add to the kororā's problems - they are also affected by starvation at sea.
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'Moved around like cattle': Rough sleepers in makeshift CBD camp trespassed
11 Jun 2025The council says the operation was necessary due to antisocial behaviour.
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Resident battles council's 'ridiculous' choice of berm tree
11 Jun 2025"They haven't thought this through at all," Sarah Thompson says.
