The home detention sentence imposed on a young father after he broke his baby daughter's legs does not reflect a sterner approach to child abuse, a court has heard.

A family of two adults and five children escaped their burning house with just the clothes they were wearing.

A live-in caregiver who stole $35,510 from her widowed Napier employer accepted a $2500 severance payment and dinner with her victim's family when she resigned in April

Plans to transform Napier's Marine Parade have not dampened the resolve of Marineland supporters who want marine animals to feature in the site's redevelopment.

Eruption activity has subsided but another eruption could occur at any time with little or no warning, according to Civil Defence. Read the latest.