Kate Gudsell

About 90 percent of Wakefield School's pupils have been evacuated from their homes. The rural school has a roll of 278 children and was closed on Friday. It will be open today at the Hope Community… Audio

A large North Canterbury irrigation scheme is being allowed to exceed recommended levels of nitrate in the water - potentially for years. Forest and Bird says there should penalties for the pollution… Audio

The West Coast Regional Council wants more science to prove that human driven climate change is happening before it will commit to reducing emissions. That's despite some of its ratepayers saying the… Audio

Tougher lending restrictions and a more agile construction industry is why Australia's notoriously expensive housing market is now more affordable than New Zealand's. The annual Demographia… Audio

None of New Zealand's main housing markets are considered affordable any longer. The annual Demographia International Housing Affordability report released today shows New Zealand continues to be one… Audio

Nearly 50 people in the past three years have contracted a severe and potentially deadly syndrome linked to a bacteria detected in Canterbury rivers. Fish and Game commissioned independent testing of… Audio

Towns around New Zealand are struggling to cope with growing drug problems, a lack of mental health services and a severe housing shortage. That's the message six communities want to give the the… Audio

A visiting water scientist from the United States Department of Agriculture has been surprised by the poor quality of New Zealand's fresh water. Mark Borchardt is a research microbiologist whose work… Audio

The government acknowledges the severity of damage from climate change on property and infrastructure is increasing but says it needs time to get the solution right. The Reserve Bank is warning about… Audio

A health and safety lawyer is accusing the Transport Agency of being too cosy with the rail operators it's required to police and wants urgent change. Since an inquiry into the deaths of rail workers… Audio

A senior banker says the public would hide their money under mattresses if they knew how banks really behaved. A Reserve Bank and Financial Markets Authority review of New Zealand's 11 largest lenders… Audio

The chief executive of the country's largest bank, ANZ, thinks regulation overseeing banks' behaviour is needed. A Reserve Bank and Financial Markets Authority review of the country's 11 largest… Audio

Exporters say it is impossible to tell how much money the revamped Trans Pacific trade deal will save them, but it will make business easier. The controversial agreement has been ratified by enough… Audio

An energy professor says Kiwirail needs to electrify the whole of the North Island's main trunkline and expand into the South Island as well. The government has announced it plans to spend $35 million… Audio

People who have found themselves at the mercy of predatory lenders say these companies are peddling misery and the government should be getting rid of loan sharks and truck shops altogether. The… Audio