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Local Democracy Reporting
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Local Democracy Reporting - Latest News [Page 1]
Time Running Out To Enrol To Vote In Election
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 9:03 am | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
Nominations are in for general election candidates in North Canterbury's three electorates, but time is running out to enrol to vote. More >>
Coromandel Tree Thieves Stoop To Cemetery Raid
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 8:59 am | Jordan Smith - Local Democracy Reporter
Mayor Peter Revell has slammed the perpetrators, saying plant thefts from a cemetery were “particularly low” and there was also a case where donated replacement trees were stolen too. More >>
Joint Iwi Fund Helps Build Homes With Cultural Views
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 8:56 am | Craig Ashworth - Local Democracy Reporting
The first two of 22 homes being built by Taranaki iwi were opened on Saturday at Ōkato, thirty kilometres from New Plymouth. More >>
Costs To Shift In Masterton Rates Pie
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 8:52 am | Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter
From July next year the council would no longer collect rates to pay for water supply, wastewater treatment, or stormwater, as these services would be managed by Waitī Waters. More >>
Rubber Ducks And Racehorses Bring The Crowds Out In Hawke's Bay
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 8:49 am | Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter
The Waipawa River was awash with bobbing rubber ducks for the annual Duck Day on Saturday, part of the CHB Spring Fling run by the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council. More >>
'Some People Thought We Would Fail': Selwyn Mayor Reflects On First Year In Office
Thursday, 15 October 2026, 8:45 am | Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter
Lydia Gliddon won the Selwyn Mayoralty by a landslide victory one year ago, an outcome she described as a “clear mandate from the community for change” at the time. More >>
Master Creatives Take Centre Stage At NZ's First Design Festival
Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 1:32 pm | Moana Ellis - Local Democracy Reporter
The Festival of Design Aotearoa is New Zealand’s first national design festival. He Puna Tohunga – 'The Well of Master Creatives' features centrally as part of the festival. More >>
Canterbury's Regional Council Continuing To Support Chathams, For Now
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 3:59 pm | David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter
Environment Canterbury is continuing to provide regional council functions for the Chatham Islands Council, but the arrangement is not impacted by local government reform. More >>
Council Eyes $1.5m Footpath For Ashburton Road
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 9:47 am | Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter
A 500-metre stretch of Allens Road lacks a footpath on either side of the road, raising safety concerns for locals - including residents of the nearby lifestyle retirement village. More >>
Historic Ngāruawāhia Site Needs A New Owner With Bright Ideas
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 9:40 am | Jordan Smith - Local Democracy Reporter
Built as a Centennial Memorial in 1940 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi signing, the land was originally gifted to the then borough of Ngāruawāhia by a local resident, deputy mayor Eugene Patterson said. More >>
Rotorua Airport Forces Delay Of Māori Immersion School Plans On Safety Grounds
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 9:36 am | Mathew Nash - Local Democracy Reporter
School property group seeks aviation advice after airport raises safety concerns. More >>
Dog Walkers Frequently Flout Ōmanu Beach Ban, Says Local
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 9:32 am | Ayla Yeoman - Local Democracy Reporter
There is a “no dogs” sign at the beach entrance, and a Ōmanu Beach carpark sign specifies “strictly no dogs” within 200 metres of the surf club. More >>
National Party's Promise To Fully Fund Christchurch Road Project Under Fire
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:34 pm | Ayla Yeoman - Local Democracy Reporter
Tauranga has two of the country's three toll roads - Takitimu Drive and the Eastern Link. The TNL is also set to be tolled once it opens in 2028. More >>
Lytton Rd Ruled Out For Gisborne Waste Centre After Seeka Takes Tenancy
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:30 pm | Imogen Brophy - Local Democracy Reporter
Māori ward councillor Nick Tupara said the council had not been “the best neighbour” to the Rongowhakaata iwi and the hapū Ngāi Tāwhiri and Te Whānau a Iwi, to whom the marae belongs, for some time. More >>
Blenheim’s Hope Walk Focuses On Connection Before Crisis
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:25 pm | Kira Carrington - Local Democracy Reporter
Every life matters. That was the message Louise Rudolph and Logan Papier had for Marlborough district councillors as they prepared to host Blenheim’s annual suicide awareness Hope Walk. More >>
Popular Seaside Campground At Risk Of Staying Closed For Summer
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:19 pm | Matthew Rosenberg - Local Democracy Reporter
Southland District Council is racing to find a solution for Curio Bay campground – a council-owned site situated in an area home to Hector’s Dolphins and a petrified forest. More >>
Council Eyes $1.5m Footpath For Ashburton Road
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:15 pm | Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter
Lochlea Lifestyle Resort manager Tony Sands and other concerned residents have been calling for the council to fix Allens Road due to fears someone could die. More >>
Hundreds Of Builders Call For Slashing Of Red-Tape, Quicker Consents
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:10 pm | Claire Taylor - Local Democracy Reporter
Several respondents called for simpler consenting and regulatory processes at the local council level, with one saying council involvement was driving up costs and fuelling consent delays. More >>
'Treasured Memory': Hollywood Cast And Crew Praise Waitaki’s Heritage And Culture
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6:05 pm | Claire Taylor - Local Democracy Reporter
The seven-part Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, East of Eden, was filmed early last year in Ōamaru’s Historic Precinct, starring Florence Pugh and Christopher Abbott. More >>
Hawke’s Bay Roading Contractor Layoffs As Cyclone Work Ends
Monday, 12 October 2026, 3:56 pm | Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter
It’s understood Tūpore Infrastructure has made significant cuts in one of its divisions, while Wairoa-based Quality Roading Services has cut roles in its maintenance team. More >>
