Stories by Emily Ireland

Just over 1000 South Wairarapa residents and ratepayers have signed a petition with the request.

KiwiRail says the changes are part of a safety programme and a plan to prepare the line for faster and more frequent services.

Masterton's council is considering "alternative approaches" to addressing the problem of businesses using public car parks for vehicle storage.

South Wairarapa and Carterton households could be faced with an average water bill of $7000 by 2035 if Wairarapa councils go solo for transformational water reform.

Tracey Collis says there is little public support for a toll on the replacement Manawatū Tararua highway.

People are being invited to workshops as three councils decide whether to opt in or out of a Wellington regional water organisation.

Congestion charging, a crackdown on public servants working from home, and an unreliable public transport system could create a perfect storm.

A council mistake in calculating direct debits has landed more than 300 ratepayers with unexpected bills.

Residents are now being asked what multimillion dollar solution they would prefer for Greytown.

A deputy mayor says she its disappointed the council has been forced to relitigate decisions it made last year.

The disparity between what schools are paying to councils means some are forced to dip into funds set aside for learning.

The council says its secret settlement with Health NZ over Wairarapa Hospital defects is only one factor, and all local bodies are facing rising premiums.

"Given the financial struggles facing councils and ratepayers, it's the last thing they need" Labour's Kieran McAnulty says.

The ratepayers in the southern district have borne the brunt of a cumulative increase of 138 percent since 2015, compared to about 58 percent in Masterton, and 70 percent in Carterton.

Although no increase is ever welcomed, these ratepayers have fared the best compared to other areas.

It follows a council committee meeting at which Bosley said the thought of giving community boards more power "terrifies" him.

The only road in and out of a collection of settlements hangs on a funding decision yet to be confirmed.

Celebrity chef and councillor Martin Bosley says he personally worked between 20 and 35 hours a week, which means his pay is less than $10 an hour.

A former nurse dismissed over "anti-vaccine information on Facebook" won't have her case heard by the Court of Appeal.

A common mistake with residential plumbing and drainage works was a key contributor of sewage in Masterton floodwaters, the council says.

South Wairarapa District Council is working to understand the full impact of a $51 million blunder by Wellington Water, just days after shaving 0.6 percent off the proposed rates increase for 2024-25.

A critic is querying whether South Wairarapa councillors' behaviour amounted to bullying.

South Wairarapa Mayor Martin Connelly has returned from a two-month leave of absence to a council he remains at odds with.

Carterton's deputy mayor is "disappointed" and "disgusted" at the response to a proposal to erect a memorial sculpture of the late Georgina Beyer.

The late politician was the world's first openly transgender mayor and member of parliament.