Whanganui
Whanganui council to buy CBD properties for hotel plans
The three properties, worth about $4 million, will facilitate the development of a four-star hotel and carpark in the city.
'Speaking up has moral, political weight': Council calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire
All but one councillor - who abstained - voted in favour of the motion on behalf of the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
Whanganui eyes $16m in asset sales to offset rates
Whanganui council is seeking ratepayer support to sell $16 million of assets in the next year to keep its rates increase to 10.6 percent, but is not yet sure which ones.
Drought declaration unlocks support for some North Island farmers, growers
Extremely dry conditions affecting North Island farms are not expected to improve in the short-term, the Minister of Agriculture says.
Grand Chateau Tongariro bidders need more certainty from government - mayor
The historic hotel at the base of Mount Ruapehu has been closed since last February and is costing taxpayers more than $2 million a year while it sits empty and in disrepair. Audio
SH4 to close for five days for roadworks
Drainage work needs to be carried out at Te Oreore between Whanganui and Raetihi.
'You have to take scale into account': Concern for smaller councils within new water bodies
Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson is keeping a close eye on the issue of scale in new entities that could be set up to run water services.
Mass fish deaths spark call for help to solve mystery
DOC has received reports of dead fish, including tuna and endangered species, in the Whanganui River catchment.
Iwi bid to rename National Park village splits community
A close-knit community in the central North Island is divided over an iwi bid to change its name.
Highest fire risk for Manawatū-Whanganui region this summer
The fire danger will be very high for the Manawatū-Whanganui region this weekend, Fire and Emergency says.
'Rhetorical hyperbole': Shane Jones on Treaty debate
Voters shouldn't fear debate when it comes to the Treaty Principles Bill, the NZ First minister says. Audio
Man charged with murder over fatal shooting in Rangitikei
A 37-year-old is due to appear in Whanganui District Court today.
Mass protests 'just the beginning' as iwi prepare
Iwi leader Ken Mair says the turnout in Whanganui of hundreds of people in December is just the start.
'Deliberate strategy to erase us': Iwi prepare for national hui
Whanganui and neighbouring iwi will travel to Ngāruawāhia to meet with the Kiingitanga over concerns about the new government.
'Fanaticism and barbarism': 'Offensive' Whanganui war memorial to be removed
The country's oldest war memorial will be removed from an historic Whanganui reserve following objections to an inscription condemning upriver Māori for "fanaticism and barbarism".
'Welcome to the top of the world' at Blue Duck Station
Country Life goes on the trail of the elusive whio at Blue Duck Station while learning about the efforts to conserve the history and preserve biodiversity. Audio
Man in serious condition after being shot by police in Whanganui
A man is in a serious condition after he was shot by police in Whanganui after attacking officers and a police dog.
Regional Wrap: Marton building turns into an ‘unsettling immersive’ sculpture
In 2021 artist Isabella Loudon returned to her family home in the town of Marton Tutaenui in the lower North Island to recover from glandular fever. Loudon has since stayed on, making the most of a… Audio
Four arrested as police bust illegal drug operation in Whanganui
Thousands in cash and a kilo of meth have been seized, and four people have been arrested in Whanganui as part of Operation Arch.
'Forty drives a week’: Chemo unit will save cancer patients hundreds of trips
Hundreds of cancer patients each year will be saved the stress of travelling to Palmerston North for treatment with the opening of Whanganui Hospital's new chemotherapy unit.