Thick, black oil washed up on properties as far as Mangatapu last night after a spill in Tauranga Port yesterday - with fears for surrounding wildlife.

A male pedestrian is in serious condition after he was hit by a car as he crossed the road in Tauranga tonight.

The publicity surrounding the AC/DC drummer's arrest and charges drew more attention to the band than the death of former lead singer Bon Scott, Rudd's lawyer says.

Embattled AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd will face a difficult battle to escape conviction on charges he yesterday pleaded guilty to, legal experts say.

AC/DC rocker Phil Rudd told an associate he wanted a former employee "taken out", a court has heard today.

A man killed when he was trapped under a heavy vehicle at a Bay of Plenty quarry today was a 24-year-old from Tauranga, police say.

A person has died after fleeing police who were attending to reports about an out-of-control party 22km south of Tauranga last night.

Two high school students from Tauranga and their robot will be heading to the United States this weekend hoping to become world champions.

Tauranga police are seeking help from members of the public to identify a group of men involved in an alleged sexual assault of a teenager.

On March 26, the last of the southern coastwatchers, John Stuart Jones, was to have voyaged to the Auckland Islands with an expedition to restore his old home in Ranui Cove.

A Frenchman who moved to NZ to "make his dream come true" swerved to avoid hitting a portable toilet that had fallen from a truck before colliding head-on with another truck.

What do you do when two mums give birth to their babies at the exactly the same time? A Tauranga midwife found out while delivering the 'almost twins'.

A student who decided to take his friend’s new car for a spin during a break from class ended up crashing it into a power box - and watching it burn.

A boy who suffered serious injuries after falling from a horse has been flown to Tauranga Hospital.

Promising Tauranga teen Sam Fitness has been left paralysed after falling 6 to 8 metres from a tree.

Large plumes of black smoke from a commercial building fire in central Tauranga could be seen rising above the city's skyline this morning.

A 33-year-old man arrested over an alleged hit and run in Welcome Bay Rd has appeared in court facing one count of murder.

A man died last night after he was struck in an apparent hit-and-run on Welcome Bay Rd near Tauranga at about 11pm.

Emergency services say a small child who was trapped in a car that had hit a power pole south of Tauranga was taken to hospital, but later died.

Four commissioners have been appointed to decide whether a resource consent should be granted allowing part of the Rena wreck to remain on Astrolabe Reef.

A pedestrian has died near Tauranga, one man was found dead in his car near Palmerston North and four people were injured in a head-on collision in south Waikato.

Tauranga police are investigating a suspicious fire which occurred in Tareha Lane in Te Maunga last night.

A suspicious item evacuated Tauranga Port this morning and sparked a call-out for police and the Defence Force.

A father and his young son remain in Tauranga Hospital after falling 100m down a cliff on Saturday.

The distraught boss of a 27-year-old man killed in a head-on collision says his employee volunteered to take his place on a business trip.

A father and son are recovering in hospital after falling some 100m down a cliff near Tauranga yesterday.