On average, other ethnicities are given antidepressants at eight times the rate of Māori, 34 times the rate of Pasifika and 16 times the rate of Asians.

People returning to New Zealand at about the same time will now be taken to the same managed isolation hotels.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has announced a three-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions starting midnight tonight (local time). Masks have been made mandatory from 6pm (local time).

Auckland Council is giving thousands of kauri trees in the Waitākere Ranges a full health check, in the latest bid to tackle kauri dieback disease.

Police have named the man they are seeking over the luxury Auckland hotel shooting - but say he should be considered dangerous and not approached.

A Whangārei mother has been sentenced to home detention for failing to protect her baby, who later died.

A Canterbury company has been fined $120,000 for contaminating a Mt Somers waterway, killing hundreds of fish.

Wellington bus drivers began a 24-hour strike this morning - affecting 26 routes in the capital.

An aquifer in coastal Taranaki cannot be used to boost water supplies at Okato because it has been contaminated with an agricultural chemical and could be considered a risk to human health.

The chief ombudsman has told Immigration to apologise for an unofficial strategy of cherry-picking highly-paid residence applications amid growing delays in visa processing.

An independent review of local government will explore how councils can maintain and improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders in the communities they serve, long into the future.

There have been no new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today.

The Housing Minister has opened 250 new homes in Auckland, including public housing and KiwiBuild homes.

The Pullman Hotel managed isolation facility is reopening after a report found airborne transmission was the most likely way returnees were infected with Covid-19.

The New Zealand Defence Force is threatening to sack service members who do not get a Covid-19 vaccination.

The Ministry of Health allowed a family to remain in the community for more than two days after escaping managed isolation during last year's first level 3 lockdown.

Weather forecasters are warning the public to take special care on or near beaches in western parts of the country over the long weekend.

The man convicted of the Christchurch mosque shootings has withdrawn his bid for court action against the Department of Corrections and his designation as a terrorist.