Kate Green

Little is known about the plight of Wairoa and its residents as the town has been cut off, with only very intermittent communications to the outside world.

Our reporter, Kate Green, has just been in… Video, Audio

The death toll in Cyclone Gabrielle has risen to five, with a body being found in Gisborne flood waters.

There are concerns the death toll could rise further, with about 1400 people being reported… Audio

Tairāwhiti's connections to the outside world are severed - power is patchy, a fibre optic cable is down - affecting Internet and phone services; while many roads and bridges are damaged and unusable.

The Gisborne Mayor says newspapers will be delivered to all residents in Gisborne today with an urgent conserve water notice. 

Internet is down in Tairāwhiti. 

Mayor Rehette Stoltz says the region… Audio

Reporter Kate Green says the East Coast is scrambling to respond to Cyclone Gabrielle after power and communications were taken out.

Civil Defence is using satelite phones to communicate.

All eftpos… Audio

Flooding, slips, downed trees and powerlines are causing major problems from Northland to Hawke's Bay with roads closed in all affected regions.

Ten regions are now under a state of emergency - the… Audio

Residents in low lying areas of Tairawhiti have been urged to evacuate as the rain intensifies.

People in Hikuwai Tolaga Bay and Te Arai Manutuke as well as Onepoto residents at Wharekahika or Hicks… Video, Audio

Tairāwhiti declared a local state of emergency this morning, ahead of being hit by Cyclone Gabrielle's worst impacts.

Officials are concerned about the effects of damaging storm swells and heavy rain… Audio

Tairāwhiti authorities have been resting up overnight in preparation for the brunt of the storm sweeping the region later today.

The cyclone's expected to dump up to 227.6mm of rain on Monday.

… Audio

A New Zealand pilot has been taken hostage by separatist fighters in Indonesia's Papua region.

Reuters has named him as Phillip Mehrtens.

The  West Papua National Liberation Army has claimed… Audio

Wellington is set to get a new landfill on top of an old one.

The city council has approved plans to extend the Southern Landfill at a cost of $36 million.

The piggyback option will see a new… Audio

Brewers who run bars are being bitten twice by a shortage of carbon dioxide. The gas is integral to beer production, used in tap rooms to push it through the pipes, and in breweries to carbonate it to… Video, Audio

Tourism operators are frustrated to see cruise ships failing to meet the standard of cleanliness required to enter their ports.

Four cruise ships have been found in breach of standards since… Audio

Campaigners for public transport are furious the government's ditching half price bus and train fares, calling it a mistake which has got to be fixed. 

Commuters have been enjoying the cheaper fares… Audio

Black Friday sales are underway, but the Reserve Bank wants New Zealanders to rein in their spending. Will people cut their spending on the central bank's instruction, or simply because they have to… Audio

A group of lawyers is considering an appeal after the High Court dismissed their case claiming advice given to government is too weak to effectively tackle climate change.

The 350-strong Lawyers for… Audio