Stories by Lois Williams

It's shaping up to be the Year of the Sheep at A&P shows in Northland this season, with concerns over Mycoplasma bovis risk.

Scientists begin work this week in Northland's Waipoua Forest to see how close kauri dieback has crept to Tāne Mahuta.

Homeless people are finding their way to Whangārei's new day shelter - which will offer a doctor's clinic and access to a social worker - even though it hasn't officially opened.

Department of Conservation staff in Whangārei have been forced to climb fences to visit its reserves to investigate complaints that Northpower is blocking public access to them.

A small Auckland airline is about to take on Air New Zealand by starting a competitively-priced service to Whangārei.

The deadline has been pushed back for Ngāpuhi people to offer feedback on the latest plan to get their Treaty settlement underway.

Department of Conservation staff visited a Northland power station on Tuesday to check out claims it is shutting people out of public reserves on the Wairua River.

Two Northland men challenging DOC's right to drop 1080 on Russell State Forest say it needs to show it has consent from Māori and the community.

Work's begun in earnest this week on Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre.

Conservationists are elated at the prospect of a long-awaited 1080 drop on Northland's imperilled Russell State Forest, but others in the community are feeling nervous.

The search for a humpback whale entangled in ropes in the Bay of Islands has been called off for the day.

A Dargaville vet has told Northland farmers what the government refuses to reveal: the location of the farm confirmed to be infected with mycoplasma bovis.

The man who hired the Waitangi Trust's financial manager had known the fraudster for 14 years and thought he was the least corruptible person he knew. Audio

Hapū in Hokianga are backing the idea of a name change for Tūhoronuku.

A private golf course developed by an American billionaire is now subsidising tree-planting efforts across Northland to protect rivers.

Ngāpuhi people living in the South Island say there must be fresh hapū elections for people to represent the iwi at Treaty negotiations.

An eleventh-hour action plan is on the table to save iconic kauri in Northland's Waipoua Forest after intensive discussions between iwi, DOC and scientists.

Developers keen to build a conference centre in Whangarei are eyeing up council funding set aside for the arts.

Northland's Te Roroa iwi has placed a rāhui on fishing and shellfish collecting on the beach where two humpback whales died this week.

Ngāpuhi hapū will head back to the Waitangi Tribunal if Andrew Little insists on a single settlement for the whole iwi, a hapū leader says. Audio

Bio-security experts in Northland have come up with a new device to deal with growing numbers of turtles in the wild.

Business confidence may be on a slide in national surveys - but it's heading in the other direction in Whangārei, according to those who should know.

The Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Mangawhai Ratepayers to continue their court battle over illegal rates.

A Russell man who has just become the first openly gay Anglican to become a priest says others can take heart from his ordination.