The sudden death of one of Wairarapa's most colourful characters and community leaders has shocked and saddened the district.

A teenager serving a life sentence for murder is facing a charge of indecently assaulting a female prison officer at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

A Northland fisherman who tipped police off to suspicious boaties on 90 Mile Beach which led to a record seizure of methamphetamine is fearful of gang retribution.

Emergency services are responding to a gas leak in central Tauranga.

The man who punched Stephen Dudley has said he feels responsible for the teenager's death and has labelled himself a "coward".

Hawke's Bay Police are looking for the young man responsible for the sexually motivated incident.

State Highway 2 linking Opotiki and Gisborne was closed this morning due to a large slip in the Waioeka Gorge.

The Bay man accused of attempting to kill two police officers and also allegedly shot at four others is heading to trial.

More methamphetamine has been found by police among sand dunes in Northland, adding to what is already the largest meth seizure in New Zealand history.

A man aged about 80 has been rescued after a night in his car stranded in a Central Hawke's Bay farm paddock.

Safety upgrades designed to reduce the risk of death and serious injury crashes are being installed by the NZ Transport Agency.

A pair of incredibly patient and determined Rotorua teenagers are hoping their "trick shot" videos will prove to be a big hit on the internet.

The winning entry, Bride of the Black Knight, was constructed from Black Knight liquorice and yellow shopping bags

The crash happened this morning at the intersection of Glenfield Rd and Manuka Rd in Glenfield.

Two men have been arrested following an incident where shots were fired and a vehicle rammed in the Coromandel this afternoon.

The distinctive 1965 Chrysler 300C, registration DSA652, was stolen overnight from a Palmerston North property.

Motorists travelling through Horowhenua are facing a slow tip because of surface flooding this afternoon.

Alcohol, speed and an overloaded vehicle contributed to the severity of an accident that killed Brethren members near Dargaville on Monday.

Emergency Services have successfully rescued a horse trapped by dangerously rising floodwaters in the Otaki River.

INTERACTIVE: Explore map of assaults, sexual assaults and robberies to see how your neighbourhood compares with the rest of the country.

Two women have admitted methamphetamine charges after a police raid in which more than $20,000 cash was seized.

Northland's top roading cop is "horrified and astounded" after a driver was stopped allegedly doing 165km/h on a busy stretch of Northland state highway.

Emergency services have been called to the scene after a car crashed down a bank in Henderson.

The road between Raglan and Hamilton is blocked tonight after a fatal road crash.

When Lee Rata was severely beaten last year, Seddon Beazley took the opportunity to further his standing with the Mongrel Mob. However, his mother knew different.

A Whangarei steel company is thrilled at winning a Convention Centre steel contract, which has already started providing new jobs for Northlanders, with more on the way.

Napier MP Stuart Nash says he has lost confidence in the region's police district commander.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has launched an investigation into the deaths of three horses at Auckland's Ellerslie Racecourse on Monday.