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Local Democracy Reporting
Local Democracy Reporting headlines with summaries.
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Wipes and rocks wreak havoc on Tasman’s wastewater
6 Jan 2026While the problem of flushed wet wipes in Tasman's wastewater system has not gone away, rocks are driving this year's cost increase for clearing wastewater blockages.
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'Outside the box': Swimming excavator dredges river
7 Jan 2026An amphibious excavator has begun dredging the pop-up garden patch growing out of a river in central Blenheim.
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'Most things seem to die': Warning over unchecked spread of invasive worm
5 Jan 2026An environmental group calling for control of parchment worm in the Marlborough Sounds has criticised the Marlborough District Council for years of inaction.
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Stolen turtles leave locals mad as shell
5 Jan 2026Several prized reptiles have been taken from a park enclosure, and police are getting involved.
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High-risk intersection near Havelock North to get $2.7m roundabout upgrade
5 Jan 2026It's among the district's highest-risk locations, with 10 crashes, including one fatality, over the past five years.
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Wood seller urges crackdown over 'firewood cowboys' on Facebook
2 Jan 2026"They don't pay tax, lack safety standards, and sell poor-quality products which are harming consumers, legitimate businesses, and the wider community," John Caulton claims.
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'For Wairarapa an amalgamation proposal will help': Wilde
1 Jan 2026In a summer series on Wairarapa leaders' views on the government's proposed local council reforms, South Wairarapa mayor Dame Fran Wilde shares her perspectives.
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Northland’s population to quadruple with summer tourist influx
1 Jan 2026More than 800,000 visitors typically flood into the region over the summer peak.
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Libby Fletcher honoured for protecting Lake Tarawera
31 Dec 2025The recognition follows more than a decade of work in environmental protection, community engagement, and local public service.
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Dark sky champion initially didn't believe New Year honour email
31 Dec 2025Viv Napier, former South Wairarapa District Council mayor, said the honour came as a complete surprise to her.
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New Year Honours: Greytown couple applauded for lifetime of service to music
31 Dec 2025Ed and Juliet Cooke have both been awarded the King's Service Medal (KSM) for their services to music.
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Mayor's mission to bring back Rotorua hydroslide
30 Dec 2025Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has made it her mission to bring back the hydroslide that used to be part of the Leisure World theme park.
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Summer brings sense of 'home' for new migrants
29 Dec 2025About 800 new migrants from more than 45 countries have settled in Whangārei this year.
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The tragic story behind Hawke’s Bay’s blossom spot
1 Jan 2026The Pakowhai Rd site is near the scene of a fatal car crash on the Chesterhope Bridge in 1998.
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Tourism business ‘extremely distressed’ by road closures
29 Dec 2025A Marlborough Sounds tourism operator says restricted access road closures is leaving them cut off from customers at the start of the peak summer season.
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The council that's proposing a 0% rates rise
29 Dec 2025Northland local government leaders are reacting cautiously to news of Te Tai Tokerau's proposed first rates freeze in a decade.
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Rotorua dreams of Warriors return after seven-year absence
28 Dec 2025The New Zealand Warriors have not played in Rotorua since 2020 - and won't in 2026 either.
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Thousands of Wairarapa properties at risk in the event of 1-in-100-year flood
30 Dec 2025The number of houses at risk is likely to increase, with modelling suggesting the effects of climate change will also increase in the future.
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Bay of Plenty wallaby infestation: 2000 controlled this year
27 Dec 2025The Bay of Plenty Regional Council killed or contained more than 2000 wallabies as part of its pest control programme in 2024/25.
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Public urged to remain vigilant to hornets over summer
23 Dec 2025To date, there have been been reported sightings only in Auckland - with the discovery of queen hornets and nests in the Glenfield and Birkdale areas.
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Summer swimmers urged to check Rotorua water safety
26 Dec 2025Coastal and tidal waterways remain New Zealand's most deadly.
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The town that opened its doors to Polish refugee children
25 Dec 2025It's been eight decades since hundreds of children found a new home in Pahīatua during WWII.
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End of the line for Melling train station
26 Dec 2025The iconic station would close for about 36 months.
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