Stories by Niva Chittock
News
Leave cancelled, staff under pressure as Canterbury DHB sees high Covid-19 cases
Canterbury District Health Board is still grappling with high numbers of Omicron cases weeks after it thought it would be over the worst.
Christchurch cyclists quick to get on board with anti-theft register
As more people opt for two wheels to get around, bike thefts are also climbing, with more than four per day on average reported stolen in Christchurch.
'It was horrendous': Patients wait several years for surgery
Wait until the pain is so bad that you cannot sleep, then you might get on the public health waiting list - that is the advice some patients are being given by their GPs.
Bromley stench: 'Do your job - make our health paramount'
Christchurch City Council has had a morning of fiery presentations by residents at their wits end with putrid smells from council facilities. Audio
'We are here as a township' - Bluff reacts to teens' deaths
Locals in Bluff are rallying round the families who lost their teenagers in a fatal collision between a ute and concrete truck on Friday.
Cantabrian World War II hero to be recognised with headstone rededication
A Cantabrian World War II hero well-known overseas is being recognised at home this Anzac Weekend.
Canterbury flash flood damages houses
A flash flood in a small settlement south of Christchurch has damaged more than three houses overnight.
Springfield to get new drinking water pipeline
A new drinking water pipeline has been confirmed for the Canterbury town of Springfield.
Sloppy builders may be contributing to building inspection delays
Building inspection wait times have shot up for many councils, with some scrambling to reduce them from seven weeks back to the usual three to five days.
Teacher named students and ridiculed their work on podcast
A Christchurch high school teacher who discussed sexual acts, drug use and his students on a podcast has been found guilty of misconduct.
Water pipes shedding asbestos not restricted to Christchurch - Water NZ
A study has revealed deteriorating asbestos pipes are shedding fibres into Christchurch's drinking water. Water NZ says they aren't as resilient as initially thought.
Cost of fluoridating Christchurch's water blows out to $63m
Christchurch city councillors have been told it would cost $63 million and take at least three years to fluoridate the city's water supply.
More people gardening and foraging in Canterbury as living costs rise
Sky-high food prices and a rising cost of living have Cantabrians heading to the garden.
National launches troll hunt: Online abuse 'unacceptable'
Accusations a Young Nat has been trolling female politicians online has prompted an investigation by the National Party, with the abuse denounced as cowardice on all sides.
Woman faults ANZ security after thieves strip her bank account
A Christchurch woman has been left reeling after thieves broke into her car and then used ATMs to steal thousands of dollars from her savings.
Springfield residents told to 'sit and wait' for fresh water supply one year on
Residents of a Canterbury town have not had a reliable source of safe drinking water for nearly a year - and three weeks ago began showering in a community hall.
Tairāwhiti flood damage 'will take about a year' to clean up
Tokomaru students had been back in flood-repaired classrooms for just weeks, while two residents lost a campervan they were living in while their house was fixed after last year's floods.
'Excited', 'too late', 'free to go out': Christchurch reacts to Covid-19 changes
With vaccine mandates for many workers lifted in under two weeks and QR code scanning soon to be a thing of the past, RNZ took to the streets of Ōtautahi to find out what people thought of the…
Organisers of car meet where tanker was damaged say they couldn't control crowd
A group who helped to run a Waikato car meet, in which some of the attendees attacked a milk tanker, say they do not condone that behaviour.
'Behaviour is unacceptable': Police seek offenders after milk tanker damaged
An investigation has been launched into the smashing of a milk tanker's windscreen and milk being tipped onto a road at the weekend.
Bottles for cash buy-back scheme back on the cards
A shake-up to the country's waste system is hoped to cut down the near 13 million tonnes of waste New Zealand sends to landfill every year.
The price of ecocide: Govt urged to support criminalisation
A conservation group is calling on the government to push for mass environmental destruction, or ecocide, to be declared a crime by the International Criminal Court.
Cranmer Square protesters told to leave by Thursday
Protesters illegally camped at Christchurch's Cranmer Square for nearly four weeks have been asked to leave by Thursday.
Canterbury protest disruption: 'Give us our once-peaceful homes back'
Residents who live near the occupied Cranmer Square anti-mandate protest in Christchurch say the ongoing disruption and noise is callous and selfish.
Environment Ministry considers national database to register old landfill sites
The Ministry for the Environment is considering creating a national database and fund to protect vulnerable old landfill sites.