Vandalism has led to the premature end of a trial project aimed at slowing traffic and increasing safety for cyclists and pedestrians in an Auckland suburb.

This year's Budget has delivered benefit rises, money for Māori housing and an increase in Pharmac's budget. Here are the key announcements.

Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson has resigned.

A person has died after a crash involving a truck and a cyclist in the Auckland suburb of Parnell.

Wellington bus drivers have voted to resume strike action if NZ Bus does not return to the table with a "fair" offer by next week.

Canterbury District Health Board says it will not start vaccinating most people in group three until more supplies arrive in a couple of months.

Police have arrested another person - a 22-year-old Head Hunters gang member - in relation to a firearms incident at the Sofitel Hotel in central Auckland last month.

There is one new case of Covid-19 in managed isolation today and no new cases in the community.

There was confusion at the Canterbury Regional Council meeting this morning, as it met to deliberate on its long-term plan.

An expert panel has warned that compulsory New Zealand history lessons next year could upset some children and lead to difficult classroom discussions.

Children at a rural Te Tai Tokerau school are learning in the corridor, in the staffroom and sometimes even outside because of a lack of classrooms.

A family member affected by the stealing of dozens of memorial plaques at a central Auckland cemetery urges the pieces to be returned.

An inquiry into the Southern District Health Board's admission to the national bowel screening programme will be a distraction, the Ministry of Health says.

Families who had their life savings stolen by Dunedin financial adviser Barry Kloogh plan to appeal to the government to pay back the millions of dollars taken from them.

The embattled Waikato District Health Board is entering its third day today with its IT systems down because of a crippling cyberattack.

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout has hit a major hurdle in Canterbury - there is not enough vaccine to start injecting the over 65s until July - months behind schedule.

Some people queued for over an hour in the mid-Canterbury town of Leeston to have their water tested, while others had to be turned away.

The current truancy model is failing students who come from families with complex problems, such as food shortages or domestic violence, a principal says.