Transmission Gully is getting a thumbs up from motorists who put it to the test today, and from people in coastal communities the traffic bypasses.

Known for his work in Ngāi Tahu's Treaty Settlement and dedication to building an inclusive, bicultural nation - Tā Tipene O'Regan has been named the 2022 New Zealander of the Year.

The cancellation of Rhythm & Vines is not just a setback for music fans - it's left a charity out of pocket.

Cannabis seedlings have been found growing in Parliament's rose gardens today, with a groundskeeper confirming the plants had been raked up and destroyed along with the rest of the green waste.

The first guilty plea in relation to the Whakaari White Island case was heard in Auckland District Court today.

A property owner was threatened by four men wanting to steal fuel from his vehicle, Invercargill police say.

The body of a tramper who died hiking the Mildford Sound has been recovered by police.

A man who was arrested during the Parliament occupation last month was handcuffed there again this afternoon, as police call in more staff to deal with possible protest action.

One person is facing charges after a series of ram raid incidents in Auckland overnight.

Emotions were high for those missing medical appointments or emergency trips to family as flights at Wellington Airport remain grounded since Tuesday.

Four people contracted Covid-19 after a person with the virus visited a patient at Dunedin Hospital.

Auckland police are asking for the public's help to identify a man, after shots were fired in a car park earlier this month.

A man whose personal bank account was used to receive donations for the Parliament protest is bankrupt and has been declared insolvent three times.

There have been 15,250 new cases of Covid-19 in the community and 22 more deaths reported in New Zealand today.

One third of all current Covid-19 cases in New Zealand are in children and teenagers, with 14 percent in children under nine, the Director-General of Health revealed at today's update on the Omicron outbreak. Watch it here.

The seaside town of Havelock in the South Island has had a million dollar makeover - with a new park, improved pedestrian access and a number of service upgrades.

Despite fears many or all of Auckland's roads would lose their street parking overnight, only 3.25 percent are proposed to over the next decade.

Just one flight has been able to land this morning at Wellington Airport.