At approximately 6pm on Sunday 15th July a woman disturbed an intruder in her home on Brook Street, Nelson.

The woman noticed some items in her living room were missing and began to look around when she disturbed a man inside the home.

Nearly 50 new home builds in Wellington in the last year have taken advantage of a new rates rebate incentive introduced by Mayor Justin Lester.

Fifty-one people applied for the $5000 rebate and 49 met the criteria before the deadline of June 30.

Kōkako made a triumphant return to Mount Pirongia on Saturday, when 14 birds with a special connection to the area were released on the maunga.

A joint agreement to protect the near-pristine waters of Lake Taupō has been extended by two years to enable project partners time to plan for the future.

Maximum speed limits on parts of state highways around the Waterview Tunnel are changing next week.

Mountain Safety Council (MSC) CEO Mike Daisley said the recent death of a tramper in the Nelson Lakes region is a tragic reminder of the extra risks of solo tramping.

"We’d like to express our condolences to the family and friends of this tramper."

Police have now arrested and charged a woman with murder in relation to the death of 17-year-old Demetrius Pairama.

The 28-year-old woman is due to appear in Manukau District Court this morning.

Police are attending a serious crash in Pukekohe.

The crash, involving a car and a truck, occurred on Stuart Road about 5.45am.

One person has died in a collision between a car and a truck in Pukekohe this morning. One person died at the scene, another sustained minor injuries.

The Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was dispatched by the Taupo Police to Mt Ruapehu this morning to assist with the search for a missing man.

Instead of relying on central government to decide what is good for our communities it is time to empower councils and communities themselves to make such decisions, Local Government New Zealand and The New Zealand Initiative say.