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The Legendary Coasters App is an immersive storytelling tool that lets users explore Hokitika's colourful history through significant characters from the past.
The watchdog that settles disputes about essential services like electricity and gas believes it should be mandatory for water suppliers to sign up to the scheme. Utilities Disputes is an independent disputes resolution service; its compulsory for gas and electricity companies and broadband installers to be part of the scheme. But it's voluntary for water suppliers. It comes after Checkpoint revealed 13,000 Watercare smart meters are not working properly, leaving some customers struggling to pay big catch-up bills and frustrated by Watercare's service. Watercare is a voluntary member of Utilities Disputes, which means it has to refer any complaints to the service, customers can't make complaints directly. Utilities Disputes Commissioner Neil Mallon spoke to Lisa Owen.
Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor declared a local state of emergency for parts of the region at 5pm on Thursday night. Taylor spoke to Corin Dann.
The government has instructed Auckland Council to allow apartments of at least 15 storeys around three key train stations, as the City Rail Link nears completion. Auckland Councillor Richard Hills spoke to Corin Dann.
The government has instructed Auckland Council to allow apartments of at least 15 storeys around three key train stations, as the City Rail Link (CRL) nears completion. The Character Coalition spokesperson Sally Hughes spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
It has been one year since the Wairoa River burst its banks, flooding hundreds of properties on the south side of town. Hawke's Bay and Tai Rawhiti reporter Alexa Cook reports.
The bulk of district councillors in New Plymouth have voted to draw a line in the sand and oppose seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight. Amanda Clinton-Gohdes is the councillor who tabled the motion, and she spoke to Corin Dann.
Commuters in our biggest city are staring down another lengthy rail closure. KiwiRail's Dave Gordon spoke to Corin Dann.
"What is the point of regional government?" That's the question the regional development minister posed to a meeting of local government officials last week. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones spoke to Alexa Cook.
Doctors in Northland are blaming a massive increase in wait times for colonoscopies in the last six months on Health NZ's decision to cut pay rates for locums. Ruth Hill reports.
A regional council boss wants any changes to their make-up to be underpinned by good, solid governance. Bay of Plenty Regional Council chair Doug Leeder spoke to Alexa Cook.
After hours of debate the New Plymouth District Councillors voted overwhelmingly to join the Whanganui and South Taranaki district councils in their opposition. New Plymouth District Councillor who voted against that motion to oppose seabed mining, Murray Chong, spoke to Alexa Cook.
In today's episode, the Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again calling for a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict, saying diplomacy must come first, not last, the longest ad ever made in New Zealand will soon be aired, encouraging Maori to join the Maori Electoral Roll. The 30-minute ad features Tame Iti reading some of the names of the 300,00 people who are on the roll, "What is the point of regional government?" That's the question the regional development minister posed to a meeting of local government officials last week, US President Donald Trump has let loose the f-bomb in comments about the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and international carriers are cancelling or rerouting flights to and from the Middle East amid the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon has expressed interest in scrapping regional councils as part of the new RMA reforms - and it's sparked debate among experts. NZ First's Shane Jones has expressed similar sentiments, having recently told a local Government forum he doesn't see a compelling reason for maintaining regional Government. Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Daran Ponter says there's a need to amalgamate local authorities. "Local Government's been up for that issue for quite a while for quite a number of years now - it's nearly 36 years since local Government reform gave us the current structure that we've got." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A rise in the number of pests being caught on Transmission Gully, and the fear of ferrets, is concerning those wanting to make Wellington predator free. Documents released under the official information act show that from January last year until this April seven-hundred-and-one pests were trapped or killed on the major motorway. Wellington Issues Reporter Nick James has more.
This half hour the panel hears from a Wellington bar owner who's refusing to get rid of a parklet, and a new pub crawl on wheels in Hamilton.
Leaders of the Hawke's Bay controversial Ruataniwha Dam project faced tough questions from fired up locals at their first public meeting. Hawke's Bay Tairawhiti reporter Alexa Cook was at the meeting.
Hated by some as a crumbling eyesore on the capital's landscape, and loved by others for its architectural significance - Wellington's Gordon Wilson Flats seem to be on borrowed time. Krystal Gibbens reports.
Jesse rings a random information centre across the motu to find the best things about their region.
Last week, the Grey District Council decided to throw the struggling theatre a lifeline and voted to take over its financial troubles. West Coast Theatre Trust chairman Andy Ross joins Emile Donovan.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You are going to have to pay more to have your garden waste collected in Kent.12 local authorities in the county have decided to increase the charge by an average of £3.99 - hear from reporter Joe Harbert who has been investigating.Also in today's podcast, people living in part of Medway have told us they fear their village won't be able to cope with 350 new homes.A consultation is under way into the idea of building on land at Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula. Hear the thoughts of the local councillor and some people who already live in the area.Eurostar has been accused of shirking its "moral responsibility" to Kent after announcing more investment in other routes.£1.7 billion is going to be spent on new trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, despite the company still not resuming services at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations.Reform UK have suspended one of their Kent County Councillors, sparking calls for a by-election.Daniel Taylor, who represents the Cliftonville ward in Thanet, is now sitting as an independent.And, we're featuring a story by our reporter Alex Langridge who has noticed a trend on socials for local businesses to adopt honesty boxes.The idea certainly isn't new, but seems to have evolved in recent times.
Community leaders in the small Far North town of Moerewa are calling for a long-standing culture of doing burnouts to end before it ends in tragedy. Jessica Hopkins reports.
They may have deregistered from the Electoral Commission in 2015, and their Wikipedia page may be written in the past tense, but Alliance Party president Victor Billot insists the party never fully went away.
In today's episode, the Labour Party's ability to work with Te Pāti Māori in a potential government has come under question following the Treaty Principles haka debate, the Green Party is calling on the government to condemn the capture of a civilian yacht carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, residential property values in Auckland have dropped by nine percent, Canterbury University has seen a large increase in demand for student accommodation, with more than half of the applicants missing out on a place this year, and Jeffing - when you have strategic walk breaks during your run, to reduce fatigue, prevent injuries, and make running more enjoyable.
Even more delays have hit the roll-out of the national ticketing system on public transport. Christchurch councillor Deon Swiggs spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Data released by Auckland Council shows residential values have fallen nine percent on average since they were last published in June 2021. Jessica Hopkins reports.
Residential property values in Auckland have dropped by nine percent. Auckland Council's chief financial officer Ross Tucker spoke to Corin Dann.
Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Mike Williams. This half hour the panel hears about the vandalism inflicted on sports fields and reserves in Rotorua; and they talk to Nainz Tupa'i, the director of a Pacific Secondary school choir, whose rendition of the US anthem went viral.
Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Mike Williams. They discuss the fallout from Te Pāti Māori haka protest; Trump vs Musk: grab the popcorn, and the issues around political party affiliation in local politics.
The race to seats around the council table is heating up as local body elections in October edge closer. In Wellington there was another campaign launch for the top job, this time from current councillor Ray Chung. Chung spoke to Corin Dann.
Auckland's current deputy mayor Desley Simpson put an end to months of speculation, saying she won't run for the top job and is supporting Wayne Brown for another term. Simpson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ed Amon and Madison Burgess-Smith.
It's a worrying time for residents from 70 homes - as the Tauranga-Taupō River is threatening to breach its bank. The swollen river has flooded after a night of heavy rain, thunderstorm warnings and strong winds across much of the country. Taupō District Council's Tūrangi-Tongariro ward Councillor Sandra Greenslade spoke to Corin Dann.
Metservice has issued a heavy rainfall warning for both western Tasman ranges and eastern hills of Richmond and Nelson. Nelson Tasman Civil Defence public information manager Paul Shattock spoke to Corin Dann.
The historic three masted ship, The Tui, has been engulfed in flames in Paihia in the Bay of Islands on Wednesday morning. Big Fish Bay of Islands' Derek Gerritsen spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
In recent years, floodwater and contaminated muck has flowed through homes, businesses and streets in the rural Otago town of Middlemarch. The regional council held a community meeting to update locals on a solution - and Tess Brunton was there.
Motorcyclists in Wellington are staging a sit in in Central Wellington on Tuesday morning to protest against newly imposed parking fees. Protest organiser Lucy Morris spoke to Corin Dann.
Tributes have been paid to a young girl who died in the River Thames near Gravesend.She's been named on social media as Bia and described as a 'beautiful angel'.Emergency crews, including the RNLI, had been called to the river near Royal Terrace Pier just before 2pm on Friday after receiving reports of two children going into the water.Also in today's podcast, Reform UK's first UK DOGE team will visit Kent County Council today.The Elon Musk inspired Department of Government Efficiency taskforce is designed to identify and cut wasteful spending.We're being urged to be aware of the dangers of wildfires in Kent.Kent Fire and Rescue have introduced a new warning system this year. Alan Standing is a group manager at the services and has been explaining how it works.Kent retailers are welcoming a government ban on disposable vapes which has come into force.Under new rules, it's now illegal for businesses to supply any single use devices, including those which are nicotine free. Hear from Mike Cameron who is the co-founder of Smoko in Tunbridge Wells, and Operations manager James Whiddett from Kent Trading Standards.It's been revealed the cost of last year's elections for Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner cost taxpayers £88,000.With voter turnout lower than previous years, it means the cost was £11.62 per vote.And in sport, there's been mixed reaction to Gillingham's decision to scrap their traditional matchday programmes.The club say they've chosen to stop publication because sales have dropped and it no longer makes financial sense.
Timaru has taken out the title of New Zealand's Best Tasting Tap Water. Timaru's Mayor Nigel Bowen spoke to Paddy Gower.
Christchurch City Council is looking to raise city noise limits from 60 to 65 decibels, making their CBD the loudest in the country. Central ward councillor Jake McLellan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
In today's episode, the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, says public servants who leak to the media are undermining the government, and the public's trust in it, a former Kiwis rugby league player who has had his fair share of head knocks says Run It Straight is dangerously "stupid", a provincial rugby union in the lower North Island is threatening to cancel games if abuse towards their referees continues, the breadth and depth of the New Zealand music industry will be on show on Thursday night at the Aotearoa Music Awards, Lorde held a secret pop-up concert in Auckland, and singing to babies has been proven to boost the babies mood.
When Wellington's regional council placed the winning bid on a thousand hectares of farmland and native bush in Eastbourne, it was only possible with the help of a million-dollar donation from the estate of a local conservationist. Reporter Kate Green has more.
In today's episode, the family of a 19-year-old Palmerston North teenager who died after taking part in a Run-It game in with friends are having to come to terms with the young man's death, a crackdown on public servants leaking information has been revealed, in a document leaked to RNZ, Health New Zealand says the situation in Tairawhiti Hospital is challenging, but progress is being made with more permanent staff now signing on, down-on-their-luck Kiwis living on Australia's Gold Coast are being offered one-way tickets back to New Zealand when they find themselves homeless and without government support, and for months the seemingly innocuous activity of stacking stones on the shores of Lake Tekapo had increased so much that residents couldn't keep up with knocking them all down.
We are standing by while Local Councils and Governments slowly encroach on our human rights.Basic Rights Queensland legal practice director Sam Tracy said they would argue that the City of Moreton Bay had violated their clients' human rights."We believe the obligations in regards to people's human rights have not been sufficiently taken into account," Mr Tracy said."We can't simply continue to stand back and watch people's tents, possessions, and stability be thrown away."Intro song is 'Bring Me Down'Buy Me a CoffeeThe Slippery Slope SpotifyJ Fallon SpotifyThe Slippery Slope Apple PodcastsThe Slippery Slope YouTube#jfallonmusic#theslipperyslopepodcast
Some lower North Island councils have written to the Infrastructure Minister with their concerns about cost-cutting on the Ōtaki to north of Levin highway. Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Daran Ponter spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
In today's episode, the Labour Party is critical of the government's plans to redevelop Nelson Hospital, saying it will deliver half the number of new beds as the previous government had planned, documents obtained under the Official Information Act show strict limits on coconut cream and soy sauce in school lunches provided by the cut-price scheme's contract-holder, the School Lunch Collective, the greyhound racing industry is heading to court to challenge the Racing Minister's decision to ban the sport from July next year, and some lower North Island councils have written to the Infrastructure Minister with their concerns about cost-cutting on the Otaki to north of Levin highway.
Live from the Paihia iSite!
Local councils have more effect on our daily lives than policies from the Beehive. But more than half of eligible voters fail to have their say on who represents them.Freed from the shackles of a re-election campaign, Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry talks honestly about rates, funding, and the balance of power between central and local government…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details