Stories by Nita Blake-Persen

Lengthy delays in getting ambulances to people in need are being investigated by St John, as demand on its service and staff shortages begin to burn.

Analysis - Vaccination rates are slow in Te Tai Tokerau, where government neglect of the region has created fertile ground for mistrust, writes RNZ reporter Nita Blake-Persen.

A former Air New Zealand flight attendant who's now at the frontlines of Auckland's covid vaccination rollout says it's not a career change she ever anticipated - but one she couldn't be more proud…

Police investigating the discovery of a baby girl's body at an Auckland recycling facility are scouring CCTV footage from around 100 trucks to find out how she ended up there.

Essential workers and a top Covid-19 expert are among a growing group calling for rapid tests to help New Zealand get ahead of the Delta variant spread. Audio

The Coromandel community is cautiously optimistic it may have dodged a Covid-19 bullet - with widespread testing so far revealing no sign of the virus.

It's crunch time in Northland for a pioneering peanut crop - which government agencies hope could provide a viable product for the area.

Auckland's mayor has written to Ports of Auckland to formally express his concerns about its performance.

One person has spent more than 600 nights in emergency accommodation while they waited for public housing to become available. Video

Renters whose freezing homes won't be insulated before new regulations come into effect next month say they have no power in getting their landlords to bring them up to scratch. Audio

The Auckland branch of Destiny Church has been put on notice by the Department of Internal Affairs for failing to file its annual charity returns on time.

More than a month after hundreds of Lime e-scooters rolled out in Auckland, the city council has kicked-off a campaign to promote their safety.

A bylaw might need to be changed to allow electric scooters to travel in cycle lanes, Auckland's mayor says. Video

The number of claims being made to ACC as a result of e-scooter injuries has skyrocketed - nearly 40 claims have now been lodged, with some relating to concussions or brain injuries.

The remains of 27 New Zealand soldiers are finally on their way back to New Zealand after resting in cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore for decades.

Nurses begin voting today on District Health Boards' latest pay offer amid last-ditch efforts to avoid a nationwide nursing strike.

Some South Auckland people are struggling with loss of vision as a soaring number of patients suffering from eye conditions leads to long waiting times for treatment. Audio

Gisborne District Council was warned in a report more than seven months ago that forestry debris was likely to cause huge damage in another big storm.

New Zealand recyclers are rejecting some types of plastic as China's waste ban leaves them with no export market.

The head of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is concerned about a major increase in the amount of water farmers may be able to take for irrigation from a Ruataniwha aquifer.

Christchurch Hospital emergency department staff say they've been spat at, pinched, slapped and threatened.

District health boards could be in for a major shake-up as the government looks to cut back on bureaucracy and improve access to health care services.

The current pay offer to nurses is inadequate, but the industrial action could be called off if DHBs come up with something better this afternoon, a Nurses Organisation spokesperson says. Audio

Nationwide nurses' strikes could still be on the cards after an independent panel working to resolve a pay dispute failed to meet their expectations. Audio

A $3.2 billion dollar investment in health is being seen as a win by many in the sector, but some say the figures aren't what they appear to be.