Civil Defence
Australia bushfires: Town flees from flames to beach
A bushfire in the town of Tathra on the New South Wales south coast has destroyed almost 70 houses and damaged another 30. No one's been allowed back into the town since the fire started on Sunday. At… Audio
Gisborne braces for former tropical Cyclone Hola
MetService is warning the east coast of the North Island will get a battering later today or overnight. RNZ reporter Anusha Bradley says Gisborne locals are prepared, but not overly concerned. Audio
Papua New Guinea quake: Aid arrives after week wait
Aid has finally started to arrive at villages affected by last week's devastating earthquake in Papua New Guinea. The 7.5 magnitude quake hit the Highlands region last Monday, demolishing houses and… Audio
Gerry Brownlee defends EQC assessors
The former Earthquake Commission minister, Gerry Brownlee, is defending EQC over claims its assessors in Christchurch were not properly qualified. A growing number of homeowners in the city are… Audio
Riwaka locals vent anger over pre-Gita culvert maintenance
More than 50 Riwaka residents affected by former Cyclone Gita crammed into a school hall on Wednesday night to attend a post-disaster meeting with the Tasman District Council. The area was devastated… Audio
Fuel a worry for Golden Bay residents and tourists
It's been three days since Golden Bay was cut off due to slips on the only access road, and food and other supplies are having to be shipped and flown into the area. There is still no time frame for… Audio
Gita flooding worst in years - Tasman evacuees
Three days on from Cyclone Gita and locals are still making sense of what happened to them. Riwaka couple Katie and Pete Ferguson say the flood they've just been through is the worst in the eight… Audio
Riwaka in recovery mode following ex-Cyclone Gita
Many Riwaka residents only had time to grab their children and pets before fleeing to safety, out of the way of ex-Cyclone Gita. They're starting to return home to assess the extent of the damage. Video, Audio
No power or water in Waitara in wake of ex-Cyclone Gita
Many Waitara residents were still without power today - and now have no running water - as Taranaki continues to struggle with the aftermath of ex-Cyclone Gita. Video, Audio
Barges deliver food supplies to Gita-damaged Golden Bay
Barges arrived in Golden Bay today, bringing much needed supplies to residents and tourists who have been cut off by road following ex-Cyclone Gita. Video, Audio
Seven years on from quake, Christchurch still rebuilding
It's seven years today since Christchurch was rocked by the magnitude 6.3 earthquake. It killed 185 people, injured thousands more and led to whole suburbs and most of the central city being… Audio
Barrytown in clean up mode
On the West Coast residents in the small town of Barrytown were among some of the worst affected by former cyclone Gita. Charlie Dreaver has been there and filed this report. Audio
Gita: Riwaka evacuee describes panic in floodwaters
The small town of Riwaka on the Nelson side of Takaka hill was one of the worst hit communities in the district in the flooding caused by former cyclone Gita. Local woman Suzette Bonar and her family… Audio
Gita: Takaka supermarket says no need for panic
Tasman District Mayor Richard Kempthorne says Takaka and the surrounding area could take a year to recover from former cyclone Gita's devastation. But residents of the Golden Bay town have been more… Audio
New Plymouth on boil water notice, work starts on broken pipe
Repairs crews will be starting work at first light to fix the broken pipe that's cut water to a quarter of New Plymouth district's water network. A boil water notice is in place for at least a week… Audio
Gita: Storm sweeps 16 slips over Takaka road
Takaka and the surrounding area faces a long and expensive clean up after Tuesday night's big storm while other areas are still being hit by the tail of former-cyclone Gita. In Golden Bay the… Audio
State of emergency remains in Nelson/Tasman
Thousands of people are stranded in Golden Bay, and the Transport Agency says it's likely to be several days before State Highway 60 over the Takaka Hill is open to even a single lane. Video, Audio
Civil Defence Minister keen to talk to local govt
Civil Defence Minister Kris Fa'afoi says a conversation about long-term sustainability of some of New Zealand's most vulnerable communities has to be held between local and central government. Video, Audio
Serious shortage of food supplies in Takaka
RNZ reporter Logan Church joins Checkpoint live from Takaka, which has been cut off by road. Medical and food supplies were delivered to the region toda8y. Video, Audio
Flood of the century hits Golden Bay
Tourists stranded in Golden Bay might be evacuated by boat as Takaka Hill Rd, badly damaged by ex-Cyclone Gita, isn't expected to open for days. Video, Audio
