Attributable to Detective Chris Nairn:

Bay of Plenty Police are investigating an aggravated robbery in Reporoa in which firearms and other items were stolen.

A broad westerly flow makes it windy for exposed parts of the South Island and lower North Island today, while it remains mostly sunny and warm in the north and east.

Police can now confirm the three boys who died in a Christchurch fleeing driver incident on Sunday 13 January have been formally identified.

They were Brooklyn Turia Taylor, 13; Glen William McAllister, 16; and Craig Robert Hickey-McAllister, 13.

Motorists are urged to plan ahead to avoid the traditional busy travel times this Auckland Anniversary weekend.

Ngāmotu Beach is open for swimmers and other recreational users, with the clean-up all but finished after yesterday’s discharge of diesel.

Six new Curious Minds Participatory Science Platform (PSP) projects will get the go-ahead in the first half of 2019, Venture Taranaki has announced, bringing the number of projects supported in Taranaki to 40 since the programme was launched.

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash on Eastern Hutt Road, near the Pomare railway station.

Police were called about 11.40am.

Initial indications are one person is seriously injured.

The road is closed and diversions are in place.

The ground in South Dunedin will come under close scientific scrutiny in a new research project on soil conditions and below-surface water levels.

Overgrown palm trees and vegetation causing damage to underground infrastructure will be removed from The Esplanade, near the Gladstone Road Bridge.

Specialist contractors will be onsite from 5.30am tomorrow morning to carry out the removals.

Police have recovered the body of missing Carterton man Finn Yeats.

The 20-year-old was reported missing from his home on January 17.

His body was located in the Tongariro area yesterday afternoon.