NZ at Noon: Public dumping, Paul Holmes and body armour

Caroline McLean who lives on Kensington Ave, amongst the palm trees that people use for a toilet stop. Photo / John Stone.

Stories making headlines across New Zealand at noon include animal control officers in body armour, people who do their business in public parks and people Paul Holmes has inspired.

A Hamilton City Council animal control officer wearing a Kevlar vest has entered a property in Hamilton to investigate a crowing rooster.

Kensington Ave residents are annoyed that people are using some palm trees in a nearby park as a toilet in plain view of everyone.

New Zealand media icon Paul Holmes inspired many people to get into the media, including this person.

A $1000 reward is being offered for information about who shot Senna.

Coming back to his turangawaewae on his farewell tour was fitting for Breakfast weather presenter Tamati Coffey.

A Waipu invention could cure the summer dust nuisance and shuddering corrugations on Northland's 3036km of unsealed roads.

Some Northlanders are due for nasty surprises in the mail.

Port of Tauranga has given Riding for the Disabled the best Christmas present it could hope for.

Apparently there is deep resentment in Tauranga at city councillor Rick Curach's admission that he worked an average of 22 hours a week for a salary of $74,000.

Vehicles will be banned from a popular Hawke's Bay beach this summer.

New Zealand's most famous jar of jam has been sold to an ex-pat Kiwi in Australia.

Dargaville has lost its battle to retain the town's full court services.

Hawke's Bay Racing is gearing up for the silly season.

A stolen boat and trailer has been discovered dumped on the side of the road inside a gated community in Northland.

The annual illegal drugs haul in Northland apparently equated to more than $100 million in social harm last year.

New liquor law reforms will give Rotorua communities a greater say on alcohol licensing.

Meanwhile Rotorua District Council has introduced 12 days of free parking in the central city.

There's hope a new strategy will reduce the victimisation, offending and road fatalities and injuries among Maori in Rotorua.

The Bay of Plenty hospitality industry is looking forward to a boom summer to shake off last year's washout.

"Serious inconsistencies" have apparently been revealed in the KiwiRail report that justified mothballing the Gisborne to Napier railway.

Hawke's Bay principals at their wits' end.

Hawke's Bay District Health Board has failed in efforts to get lobby group Fluoride Free Hawke's Bay kicked out of next year's referendum debate.

Meanwhile in Wanganui, residents in the Kaitoke and Marybank complained of the "horrendous" smell that caused sore throats and tainted clothes.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is looking forward to spending more time with her mokopuna.

A man has been charged with arson in Masterton.

Meanwhile in Christchurch, residents should apparently expect a surge in summer crime.

Taxing fizzy drinks and high-fat foods, while subsidising fruit and vegetables, could apparently make New Zealanders healthier.

Mosgiel man Brent Garry Murray defrauded longtime friends and members of his church of nearly $300,000.

Mystery surrounds the closure of a popular Queenstown nightclub.

Here are some excerpts of Justice Ian Binnie's interview with David Bain in July.

Apparently there is an ''an imbalance in the promotion of popular and classical music'', especially in the media.

A German shepherd dog ran up and bit a Queenstown woman on the thigh.

Coast to Coast organiser Robin Judkins says we'll have to wait and see if Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, does register for the race.

Top trending topics on Twitter in NZ at noon were: Google Maps, #PeoplesChoice, Christmas, #popartist, Demi Lovato, Samoa, Xmas, iPhone, Facebook and The Wanted.