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Local Democracy Reporting
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Local Democracy Reporting - Latest News [Page 1]
Hurunui Resident Survey Backs North Canterbury Council
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 6:17 pm | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said councillors will have had their own conversations with constituents, to give them a flavour of community sentiment. More >>
Kaikōura Swapping Pines For Natives At Coastal Reserve
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 6:11 pm | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
The Kaikōura District Council is organising a community planting day for its coastal reserve, Pōhowera Park, following the adoption of a master plan for the park last year. More >>
Leaks Waste More Than 15 Million Litres Of Water A Day In Hawke's Bay
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 6:07 pm | Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter
Hawke's Bay regional councillor Neil Kirton said he was concerned by both the data in the report, and what it lacked. More >>
Gisborne Pilots To Get Better Visibility Of Emergency Landing Zones With New Markers
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 5:57 pm | Imogen Brophy - Local Democracy Reporter
Orange and white landing zone marker panels are to be laid across the district as one of the final instalments of the resource resilience Better Off Funding. More >>
Coast Head Start Report Emphasises 'Local Voices'
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 5:54 pm | Vihan Dalal - Local Democracy Reporter
Buller, Grey and Westland district councils were all meeting today to consider their commitment to the Head Start process. More >>
Lakeside Locals Threaten Legal Action Over 28-Unit Development Approval
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 5:46 pm | Mathew Nash - Local Democracy Reporter
They want a say on the consent application, but the council disagrees. More >>
Crash Takes Out Family's Fence For The Fourth Time
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 5:23 pm | Ayla Yeoman - Local Democracy Reporter
The most recent incident on Tuesday last week involved two vehicles, one of which ended up on a transformer box, causing a power outage. More >>
Waikato, Waipā & South Waikato Councils Eye Merger, Await Two More
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 3:06 pm | Jordan Smith - Local Democracy Reporter
Hamilton City Council and Taupō will cement their final responses on Thursday. More >>
Northland’s Council Merger Plan Highlights Gains, Hurdles Ahead
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 2:56 pm | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
Northland's final proposal for heading towards an eventual single council for the region is almost ready to head to Wellington. It heralds a new dawn along the lines of those who greeted the morning light at Waitangi celebrations this year. More >>
Kaikōura And Marlborough 'A Natural Partnership' - Mayor
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 10:38 am | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
The Marlborough District Council has voted to prepare a draft amalgamation proposal with Kaikōura. More >>
Hastings Mourns Respected Council Leader Nigel Bickle
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 10:32 am | Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter
Quoting former prime minister Norman Kirk, Bickle said people wanted “someone to love, somewhere to live, somewhere to work and something to hope for” in his first media interview. More >>
‘Bursting At The Seams’: Mackenzie Council Looks To Tackle Growing Pains, Emergency Response Concerns
Tuesday, 4 August 2026, 10:27 am | Claire Taylor - Local Democracy Reporter
In her regular report to councillors, Mackenzie District Council chief executive Angela Oosthuizen outlined the issues that arose when heavy snowfall blanketed Tekapo last month at last week’s council meeting. More >>
Kaikōura And Marlborough 'A Natural Partnership' - Mayor
Monday, 3 August 2026, 6:02 pm | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
The Marlborough District Council has voted to prepare a draft amalgamation proposal with Kaikōura. More >>
Nelson Wildlife Groups Brace For Deadly Bird Flu
Monday, 3 August 2026, 4:30 pm | Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter
Conservation organisations in Nelson are well-prepared should bird flu hop the Cook Strait. More >>
Divided, United Or Undecided? The Push To Create Super Councils
Monday, 3 August 2026, 4:24 pm | Marika Hill - Local Democracy Reporting
In May, the Government gave councils three months to come up with a “voluntary“ Head Start proposal for merging into larger unitary councils. More >>
‘Dumping Ground For Auckland’s Wastewater?’ Alarm Over Plan To Truck Waste North
Monday, 3 August 2026, 4:17 pm | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
The 1217-home Delmore development on farmland near Auckland's Ōrewa gained draft fast-track expert panel approval on July 14. More >>
'Mixed Feelings': South Wairarapa Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Secures New Site
Monday, 3 August 2026, 4:09 pm | Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter
South Wairarapa District Council endorsed plans to lodge resource consents for the upgrade on an almost 74-hectare block of farmland at a meeting on Thursday. More >>
Mackenzie Backs Five-Council Model, Leaves Door Open For Ashburton
Monday, 3 August 2026, 4:01 pm | Claire Taylor - Local Democracy Reporter
Submitters raised concerns about losing local identity and voice, with one submitter saying he did not want Mackenzie to become a small part of a large district. More >>
Funding For Whanganui's Balgownie Landfill Investigation
Monday, 3 August 2026, 3:56 pm | Moana Ellis - Local Democracy Reporter
Whanganui District Council has secured the funding from the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) to investigate the former landfill, which operated from the 1950s until its closure in 2000. More >>
Smooth Subdivision Roads Face A Cheaper Makeover
Monday, 3 August 2026, 3:52 pm | Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter
Many of Tasman's new subdivisions' roads were asphalted, but large future bills meant that the district council was working on a policy that would eventually see them chipsealed. More >>
