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Danica MacLean
Multimedia Journalist, Newstalk ZB

Danica MacLean is a reporter for Newstalk ZB

We are your advocate, Aotearoa. Uncovering stories that matter, asking hard-hitting questions of those in power, live-blogging sport events, monitoring the highs and lows of the NZX and providing Premium expert opinion and analysis. Bringing you distinctive, quality journalism and breaking news from across New Zealand and around the world. With specialists working together to create indepth reads, engaging video, and unmissable podcasts.

Check out Danica’s latest content
Premium
Best of 2019: Reducing dump fees not answer to fly-tipping
The Country

Best of 2019: Reducing dump fees not answer to fly-tipping

01 Jan 03:00 AM
Help needed to complete Kuparu's restoration
The Country

Help needed to complete Kuparu's restoration

28 Apr 06:00 PM

The HDML Kuparu is docked in the Town Basin Marina.

Former students among visiting Sea Cleaners group
The Country

Former students among visiting Sea Cleaners group

07 Mar 07:00 PM

Sea Cleaners visited Whangārei Boys High to spread the message about cleaning the ocean.

Owha returns to Northland
The Country

Owha returns to Northland

05 Mar 08:00 PM

Keep an eye out for Owha in Northland.

Men's Shed celebrates its oldest members
The Country

Men's Shed celebrates its oldest members

26 Feb 11:00 PM

The celebration acknowledged their contribution to the Men's Shed.

Rubbish compactor installed at Parua Bay
The Country

Rubbish compactor installed at Parua Bay

20 Feb 10:00 PM

The compactor was installed to help service freedom campers in the area.

Whangārei tracks to get kauri dieback protection
The Country

Whangārei tracks to get kauri dieback protection

17 Feb 05:30 PM

Work on the two walking tracks is expected to be completed by the end of May.

Hot dry weather good for grape growers
The Country

Hot dry weather good for grape growers

14 Feb 05:15 PM

Grape growers in Northland are expecting a bumper crop due to the hot, dry weather.

Robot helping $1.8m sewer renewals in Hikurangi
The Country

Robot helping $1.8m sewer renewals in Hikurangi

13 Feb 11:00 PM

Upgrades to network set to solve decades of weather-related problems.

Moa bones discovered near Abbey Caves
The Country

Moa bones discovered near Abbey Caves

05 Feb 06:00 PM

Moa bones found near Abbey Caves.

Lost legs: The funny side of a serious problem
The Country

Lost legs: The funny side of a serious problem

03 Feb 10:00 PM

Abandoned mannequin legs a comical symbol of a much more serious problem.

Dog park to close for more drainage work
The Country

Dog park to close for more drainage work

03 Feb 10:00 PM

The Whangārei dog park will be closed from early February until early May.

Wasp attack: Northland woman lucky to be alive
The Country

Wasp attack: Northland woman lucky to be alive

29 Jan 07:00 PM

Vivienne Hollis was swollen, struggling to breathe and slipping out of consciousness.

Northland firefighters to tackle wildfires in Tasmania
The Country

Northland firefighters to tackle wildfires in Tasmania

22 Jan 08:00 PM

Six Northland firefighters are part of team heading to Tasmania.

Dumped roadside rubbish costing thousands to clean up
The Country

Dumped roadside rubbish costing thousands to clean up

15 Jan 05:00 PM

NZTA are dealing with a growing roadside rubbish problem in Northland.

Ruakaka fisherman Northland's fourth suspected drowning
The Country

Ruakaka fisherman Northland's fourth suspected drowning

13 Jan 04:00 PM

Local man wading out to retrieve his fishing nets when it appears he got into difficulty.

Swimming spots safe for summer dip
The Country

Swimming spots safe for summer dip

09 Jan 09:12 PM

Northlanders and visitors can have a dip in almost any popular swimming spot in region.

Family gift land to become scenic reserve
The Country

Family gift land to become scenic reserve

29 Nov 07:00 PM

Forested property and includes stonewalls and a small island in the Hatea River.

Kids get a go at A & P Show digger challenge
The Country

Kids get a go at A & P Show digger challenge

20 Nov 11:02 AM

Chance for next generation of digger drivers at Whangārei's A & P Show.

Support sought for plastic-free foodstore in Whangārei
The Country

Support sought for plastic-free foodstore in Whangārei

13 Nov 11:00 PM

The campaign aims to raise $30,000 to get the shop up and running in Whangarei.

Illegal dump site on Puhipuhi Rd cleaned up
The Country

Illegal dump site on Puhipuhi Rd cleaned up

17 Oct 05:00 PM

Puhipuhi Rd was the site of the latest clean-up.

Demolition underway of Waipu shops destroyed by fire
The Country

Demolition underway of Waipu shops destroyed by fire

12 Oct 04:00 PM

Demolition on a site destroyed by fire at Waipu has started.

Lion's mane jellyfish delights at Whangārei Heads
The Country

Lion's mane jellyfish delights at Whangārei Heads

02 Oct 07:00 PM

The jellyfish was found on the beach at Urquharts Bay on Saturday.

Boat cat Mini laps up Whangārei attention
The Country

Boat cat Mini laps up Whangārei attention

17 Sep 07:00 PM

Mini lives on a boat in the Town Basin and loves cuddles.

Bill Edmonds' messages to reduce rubbish
The Country

Bill Edmonds' messages to reduce rubbish

13 Sep 10:00 PM

Bill Edmonds has some ideas to reduce the rubbish on the sides of the road.

Youngsters star in environmental video clip
The Country

Youngsters star in environmental video clip

06 Sep 07:00 PM

The kindergarten put their best feet forward as they hope to win a 'beautiful award'.

MSC makes port call at Northport permanent
The Country

MSC makes port call at Northport permanent

24 Jul 07:00 PM

Mediterranean Shipping Company confirms permanent call at Northport.

Rubbish clean up: 700kg in two hours
The Country

Rubbish clean up: 700kg in two hours

23 Jul 06:00 PM

Volunteers in Whangārei pick up 700kg of rubbish in two hours.

Jed's life on wheels
The Country

Jed's life on wheels

10 Jul 07:00 PM

Crippled by arthritis and a ligament tear, Jed still gets out for a walk.

Residents have interest in long term solution
The Country

Residents have interest in long term solution

09 Jul 08:00 PM

Around 60 people attended a community meeting.

Whangārei man in BBQ team heading to US competition
The Country

Whangārei man in BBQ team heading to US competition

06 Jun 01:00 AM

Jon James is fundraising to get his team's BBQ tank to Kansas.

Councillor Gavin Benney gets hands dirty with roadside rubbish
The Country

Councillor Gavin Benney gets hands dirty with roadside rubbish

29 May 11:00 PM

Gavin Benney wants people to take responsibility for rubbish in their neighbourhoods.

Whangārei's AH Reed Memorial Park gets new high-tech boot cleaning station
The Country

Whangārei's AH Reed Memorial Park gets new high-tech boot cleaning station

27 May 10:00 PM

Whangārei's AH Reed Park has a brand new kauri dieback prevention station.

Rescue teams help trampers out of bush
The Country

Rescue teams help trampers out of bush

13 May 07:00 PM

Trampers caught out by track, weather and darkness.

Chemicals blamed for treatment plant smell
The Country

Chemicals blamed for treatment plant smell

08 May 07:00 PM

Bad smells at Whangarei's main wastewater treatment plant blamed on a sore gut.

Living the dream in Whangarei Harbour
The Country

Living the dream in Whangarei Harbour

20 Apr 11:00 PM

Home to the Carpenters is Matakohe-Limestone Island - a predator-free kiwi creche.

Access to Whau Valley Dam closed while trees harvested
The Country

Access to Whau Valley Dam closed while trees harvested

08 Mar 11:00 PM

Whau Valley Dam is closed to the public for the next six weeks.

Whananaki North residents sick of freedom campers
The Country

Whananaki North residents sick of freedom campers

08 Mar 06:00 PM

Whananaki residents irked by freedom campers' behaviour.

Northland kiwifruit set sail from Northport
The Country

Northland kiwifruit set sail from Northport

02 Mar 05:00 PM

New service will ship Northland's kiwifruit from Northport to Singapore.

Man swims through raging flood to rescue pigs
The Country

Man swims through raging flood to rescue pigs

13 Feb 05:00 PM

The pigs were struggling to keep their snouts above water after flood rose 3m in 30 min.

Northland gets first visit from a British minister
The Country

Northland gets first visit from a British minister

12 Feb 08:00 PM

Mark Field is the first British minister to visit Northland.

Flying jackshaft brings truck to halt
The Country

Flying jackshaft brings truck to halt

24 Jan 05:42 PM

Mechanical fault causes disruption to morning traffic.

Mayor says highway is a neglected regional road
The Country

Mayor says highway is a neglected regional road

17 Jan 10:00 PM

Mayor looking forward to highway discussion with Government.

'Something's biting me': Eel attacks boy, 5
The Country

'Something's biting me': Eel attacks boy, 5

17 Jan 06:00 PM

Young Northland boy recounts moment eel latches onto his leg.

Probe into water treatment plant starts
The Country

Probe into water treatment plant starts

14 Jan 05:30 PM

Investigation into water cloudiness at the plant could take three weeks.

Two Kiwi students take on Aussies at rodeo
The Country

Two Kiwi students take on Aussies at rodeo

11 Jan 08:00 PM

Organisers are expecting a good crowd for the annual Mid Northern Rodeo this weekend.

Sealing work begins on busy logging route
The Country

Sealing work begins on busy logging route

11 Jan 04:00 AM

More sealing under way on Wright Rd.

What infiltrated treatment plant  may never be known
The Country

What infiltrated treatment plant may never be known

09 Jan 07:00 PM

Bream Bay residents asked to conserve water.

Logging truck rolls on Wright Rd
The Country

Logging truck rolls on Wright Rd

04 Dec 05:00 PM

Road needs sealing and speed restrictions, says resident.

Conservationist encouraging children to say no to single use plastic
The Country

Conservationist encouraging children to say no to single use plastic

27 Nov 08:00 PM

Libby Bowles is encouraging children to say no to plastic.

Northland truckie best in the country
The Country

Northland truckie best in the country

17 Nov 04:16 AM

Simon Reid won the competition for the third time.

Illegal waste dump in bush dismays official
The Country

Illegal waste dump in bush dismays official

05 Nov 07:00 PM

Council official disheartened to see native bush being polluted by illegal dumps.

Dog park to close for drainage
The Country

Dog park to close for drainage

02 Nov 10:00 PM

The work shouldn't take more than two weeks to complete

Leopard seal snacks on town centre ducks
The Country

Leopard seal snacks on town centre ducks

24 Oct 06:00 PM

The male leopard seal, now nicknamed Hatea, becoming a Town Basin regular.

Fly tipping report sparks flurry of suggestions
The Country

Fly tipping report sparks flurry of suggestions

23 Oct 07:00 PM

Fly tip costs ratepayers $200,000 a year in Whangarei.

Leopard seal escapes shark attack
The Country

Leopard seal escapes shark attack

23 Oct 04:00 PM

Leopard seal excites people in Whangarei's Town Basin.

Wastewater tank being built at Tarewa Park
The Country

Wastewater tank being built at Tarewa Park

18 Oct 06:30 PM

A wastewater storage tank is being installed under Tarewa Park.

Police investigating cow thefts
The Country

Police investigating cow thefts

17 Sep 06:00 PM

The body of a cow with its legs hacked off was left in a paddock.

Water extraction protested
The Country

Water extraction protested

04 Sep 06:00 PM

The hikoi leader was pleased with the protest through central Whangarei.

Shark gives canoe paddler a bite fright
The Country

Shark gives canoe paddler a bite fright

27 Aug 07:00 AM

A Whangarei paddler has an up close encounter with a shark near Tutukaka.

Residents say no to both Brynderwyn bypass options
The Country

Residents say no to both Brynderwyn bypass options

22 Aug 06:30 PM

A group of Waipu residents says Brynderwyn bypass would kill their community.

Ngunguru students to get safer seawall
The Country

Ngunguru students to get safer seawall

21 Aug 12:07 AM

School principal thrilled to have seawall upgraded.

Pupils lead campaign to protect Punaruku River
The Country

Pupils lead campaign to protect Punaruku River

16 Aug 05:32 AM

School students hope signs will stop illegal dumping at their local river.

Resident raises concerns over state of coast roads
The Country

Resident raises concerns over state of coast roads

09 Aug 11:00 PM

Robert Feigel said the slumping road is a serious concern.

Northland road among country's most dangerous
The Country

Northland road among country's most dangerous

07 Aug 07:00 PM

A stretch of State Highway 1 in Northland has been named one of the deadliest.

Freedom camping bylaw 'a good fist'
The Country

Freedom camping bylaw 'a good fist'

14 Jul 01:09 AM

Bruce Lochore backs Whangarei District Council's proposal to regulate freedom camping.

Food forest tension eased with  agreements
The Country

Food forest tension eased with agreements

13 Jul 08:00 PM

A community meeting over the Onerahi food forest reaches some middle ground.

Whangarei waste plan under the spotlight
The Country

Whangarei waste plan under the spotlight

05 Jul 05:00 PM

Council wants to reduce the volume of waste generated, says field officer Grant Alsop.

Watchdog runs eye over newly adopted annual plan
The Country

Watchdog runs eye over newly adopted annual plan

03 Jul 07:00 PM

The 2017/2018 annual plan was adopted at a council meeting on Thursday.

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