Staff absences due to Covid-19 or having to isolate have reached 40 percent at times, which has had a "massive impact" on Internal Affairs' ability to process passports.

Hamilton police found four children aged 7, 10, 11 and 12 holding stolen toys at the scene of a break-in at a shopping centre, with one of the children injuring themselves trying to get away.

Christchurch City Council has had a morning of fiery presentations by residents at their wits end with putrid smells from council facilities.

The mayor says the new funding is "fantastic", a property economist says investment allowing future housing is a good thing, and a developer says it's good for people and the environment.

Thirteen more people have died with Covid-19 and there have been 9047 new community cases reported, the Ministry of Health says.

A 63-year-old man is facing several charges including gold bullion fraud, committing burglaries and committing two car arsons, police say.

Former meth addict Holly Beckham - who is from Northland, where use of the drug spiked last year - says she's now "happy", something she never thought possible.

One person has died after a single-car crash in Fielding this morning.

A man has died after he was involved in an incident with a car in central Auckland early Sunday morning.

The High Court has provided the government with "a clear steer" to find a better way to operate MIQ if it's needed in future, Paul Radich QC says.

Interns who left Arise Church were given settlements, with one allegedly close to six figures, on the condition they did not speak ill of the congregation.

A new government plan will help reduce ageism in the workforce and push the value of older workers, Age Concern says.

The Ministry of Health is being urged to step in following high rates of seclusion at two mental health units, particularly for Māori patients.

Police have identified the woman found dead near a walking track on the West Coast last week.

Rebecca Tsukigawa has lived in Bromley for 10 years but has decided to move, partly because of the "sickening" smell from the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant.

More than 1000 New Zealand cancer patients a year are missing out on gold-standard cancer drugs readily available in Australia.

Climate change, inequality and finances have been named the biggest challenges for the next Auckland Council by a pre-election report.

Advocates for New Zealanders who were stuck overseas and unable to come home are welcoming a High Court ruling which found the MIQ lottery system was unfair.