Stories by Laura Smith

Kiri Danielle has cleaned up rubbish dumped on the mountain over the past 12 years.

A council legal bid for an injunction to get protesters to stay at least a metre from controversial sewerage works near Rotorua's sacred Lake Rotokākahi has failed - for now.

Rotorua is considering adding public forums to meetings for what may be the first time.

One mayor is warning of "disastrous consequences" if police and councils lose access to the country's network of more than 1000 highway CCTV cameras.

A group of Rotorua children have used science to prove whether the basis of the legendary love story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai is true.

The waters of Lake Rotorua's lit up in celebration of Matariki with the help of 160 drones.

A guardian of a lake near Rotorua alleges a crewman working on a nearby sewerage scheme threatened to kill him.

The derby star shares her personal story to explain why her hometown needs a new skatepark.

"It is an absolute disgrace we have infrastructure that has failed," one local says.

"Online abuse and threats" to attendees - "including children" - of a drag queen storytime event were among the reasons it was canned, a council review says.

After confusion over how the policy would be applied, the council has acknowledged it could have explained it more clearly.

Construction to reopen Rotorua's iconic museum will begin next month as the council secures the final funding needed and brings down the total cost.

Rotorua is wrestling with a costly dilemma: how to keep the pipes flowing after years of what one councillor describes as "chronic underspending".

Rotorua councillor upset at Housing Ministry plans to keep contracting hotels for emergency housing.

It's similar to an incident four years ago that resulted in 300 tonnes of weed being removed at a cost of $35,000.

Beggars "physically accosted" 10 Aussie tourists at a cafe last week, claims a Rotorua councillor arguing it is time to "seriously consider" a begging ban.

The 75 workers from Rotorua council-controlled organisation InfraCore will go on strike for eight days from Friday.

The decision follows 'hostile dialogue' and 'rapid spread of misinformation'.

The vessel hosted tourist cruises on Lake Rotorua for more than three decades until pandemic border closures forced it into hibernation in 2021, with 15 staff made redundant.

One councillor said his social media "lit up like a Christmas tree" with protests while another said the people should "call out" "horrible comments" about the event.

A woman allergic to wasps can now come and go from her property without fear of being stung after a 90cm wasp nest was removed from neighbouring vacant land.

The agency has about 900 homes in Rotorua and is making a major push for another 500 in two years.

Lynne Coutts says she is allergic and could experience severe swelling if stung.

Photos of maggots on the carpeted floor of Rotorua's Spa Lodge kicked off a series of events that led to the former backpackers being shut down, new documents reveal.

"The hall will need to be removed," a sign on the door reads, but the council now says it's still deciding.