A former mayor and lawyer is accused of helping a property developer hide his identity so he could borrow millions from a failed finance company.

The boss of the Ruataniwha dam project has defended his $84k pay hike, saying the ensuing criticism is 'just the reality of a high-profile public role.'

'You should be ashamed of yourself,' an ex-cop told a judge who ordered him to pay $98 in reparation to a shopkeeper he assaulted with a Lotto ticket.

A man charged with dangerous driving in relation to the death of a pet dog on Haumoana Beach has pleaded not guilty.

A man who died while hunting in a remote area of Hawke's Bay is believed to have suffered a medical condition, emergency services say.

Police have made three arrests in the last 12 hours relating to two serious crimes in Hawkes Bay.

Hawke's Bay's bike trails are flat and hard-packed, making easy riding for all the family.

Heading to the Hawkes Bay with your family? Here are five places the kids will love.

'It could've been a child.' A man has been arrested and charged over an incident where a quad bike hit and killed a puppy on Haumoana Beach.

A Napier man will serve 300 hours community service, after he indicated he was interested in buying a plane, said he was a pilot, flew the aircraft - all without a licence.

Former Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election candidate Maurice Wairau has been charged with attempted murder.

Emergency department nurse Kay Hamilton watched helplessly as the life drained from her fox terrier puppy after she was hit by a speeding quad bike.

A man killed when his jetboat spun out of control and crashed into a tree west of Hastings at the weekend was an experienced boater who was "so looking forward" to the trip.

The partner of a jetboater killed after hitting a tree is traumatised after a shocking high-speed tragedy marred a summer outing on a Hawke's Bay river yesterday.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) has quashed a rumour circulating in Hawkes Bay promoting an "open fishing day" at Te Angiangi Marine Reserve today.

'It was all a little weird' said the officer of a car that burst into flames after driving past a five-car pile-up caused by a tourist who stopped to take photos.

A 17-year-old boy killed this week on a Hastings orchard was a bright, ambitious kid with it "all in front of him" just days after finishing his final year at high school.

Police and labour inspectors are investigating a workplace accident today where a 17-year-old man died after falling from a motorbike.

A "horrendous" sexual assault on a teenage girl in Hastings has left neighbouring residents asking for increased security and fearing further attacks.

A pregnant woman and her partner were rescued by police in the Hawke's Bay last night after a rising river trapped them in the car they were living in.

A man was taken to hospital with burns to his face and hands when an explosion at a Dannevirke house blew a bedroom apart yesterday.

After a weekend in Hawkes Bay, Penny Lewis wonders why she didn't go earlier.