Lois Williams
Calls for tougher penalties for not vaccinating children
High profile GP Lance O'Sullivan has renewed calls for compulsory vaccinations, saying parents who don't comply should pay more tax - or have their benefits docked. Video, Audio
Man arrested over Kaitaia baby's death
A man's been arrested and charged with the murder of Kaitaia four-week-old Maree Takuira Mita Ngahere, who was found dead at her home last month. Northland reporter Lois Williams has been following… Video, Audio
Marae and others object to toilets on Russell wharf
A controversial plan to revamp the historic Russell wharf with a cafe and toilets is set to get final sign-off within a fortnight. The government's offered a million-dollar grant for the job from the… Audio
Can Whangarei cope with the Hundertwasser hordes?
Contractors have completed $3 million worth of foundation work for Whangarei's Hundertwasser building. The $30 million project will open in 2021 - bringing a projected 200,000 visitors a year to the… Audio
Kaitaia police determined to find baby Maree killer
Police in Kaitaia say the homicide inquiry into the death of a young baby is taking an emotional toll on officers, but is making them more determined to find out who killed her. Four week old Maree… Audio
Mānuka planting scheme takes young Northland workers
Twenty young Northland men start work this week in the hills behind Moerewa - replacing what was once pine forest, with manuka. They're the first intake of Nga Mahuri o Ngati Hine - the saplings of… Audio
Māori teacher's husband banned from NZ for multiple sclerosis
A popular Whangarei Māori teacher may have to leave New Zealand with her two children because Immigration NZ won't let her Canadian husband into the country. Jimmy Lambert has multiple sclerosis. And… Audio
Mangawhai mangrove removal behind fairy tern decline
Scientists studying fairy terns at Mangawhai now suspect the bird's decline may be linked to the removal of mangroves in the harbour. The critically endangered birds have had a disastrous breeding… Audio
Mental health groups rally to respond to govt report
People who've suffered mental distress have rallied in large numbers to tell the government what they think of plans to reform mental health services. Mary O'Hagan says people also want access to the… Audio
Northland principals urge crackdown on truants' parents
A Northland principal says some parents are falsely claiming they're home-schooling their children when they're simply allowing them to bunk off. Northland has the highest truancy rates in the… Audio
Call for Far North council to act on bird deaths
Hundreds of birds - including protected species - have died in an outbreak of avian botulism in sewage ponds in Kaitaia. Fish and Game says the disease is triggered by hot weather - and the Far North… Audio
Ahipara scrub fire suspicious - Fire and Emergency
Firefighters suspect a wild fire that threatened houses at Ahipara near Kaitaia this morning was deliberately lit. Far North volunteer fire crews arrived on the scene about 1.30 this morning to find… Audio
Ngāpuhi prepares for Waitangi after gruelling year
Ngāpuhi people are preparing to welcome the Crown to Waitangi this week despite a gruelling year for its hundred-plus hapū. The government's efforts to steer the iwi towards a Treaty settlement failed… Audio
Freshwater streams disappear from 90-mile beach
Conservationists in the Far North are sounding the alarm over the disappearance of freshwater streams from 90-Mile Beach. They say there used to be dozens that ran from the dunes to the sea… Audio
Northland in 2019
We check in with RNZ Northland correspondent Lois Williams about what 2019 may look like north of the Bombay Hills. Audio
Roadworks cause windscreen mayhem in north
If you crack your windscreen in Northland over the holidays - don't expect to get it fixed till well into January. That's the message coming from windscreen repair companies trying to cope with an… Audio
Ngāpuhi hapū regroup after no vote, mana wāhine emerges
Ngāpuhi hapū are calling a hui in the new year to discuss how to advance the Ngāpuhi Treaty settlement. This time, they say, women will be leading the process. Audio
Hundreds vaccinated in Northland meningococcal programme
Hundreds of Northland children and young people have been vaccinated against a new strain of meningococcal disease, after the first day of an emergency immunisation campaign. Northland DHB aims to… Audio
Enough vaccines for targetted population - Northland DHB
Several hundred children and teenagers were vaccinated in Northland today, the first day of it's vaccination programme. Northland DHB spokesperson Roger Tuck, says the DHB has enough vaccines for its… Audio
Pressure intensifies on Ngāpuhi hapu over mandate
It's shaping up to be a big weekend - and a fraught one - as Ngāpuhi people wrestle with a new mandate proposal. There are 22 hui scheduled for hapū to vote on the plan to negotiate their Treaty… Audio
