Some say it is a safety risk for reserve users. - Made with funding from NZ On Air

Devastation wreaked by ex-Cyclone Debbie sends the country into cleanup mode today.

Council is prepared to evacuate residents if need be. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

A school is being evacuated and flooding is hitting lots of areas in in the North Island.

Colombian president declares state of emergency after landslide sweeps through city.

Risk of flooding remains high for Queensland and northern NSW as 20,000 people evacuated.

NZ's economic growth is "approaching its environmental limits", a once-a-decade environmental report card says.

COMMENT: Jamie Whyte feels our legislators have embarrassed themselves.

The consent allows its new owner to extract 4.3 million litres of water a day until 2032.

No major damage from yesterday's storm, but there's more on the way.

Forest and Bird says most rivers and streams are excluded from Government's plan to clean up waterways.

Some say the Government's water-quality proposals are not ambitious enough, but others - including farmers - are cautiously optimistic.

COMMENT: The Environment Minister's promise to make 90 per cent of rivers swimmable by 2040 is a cynical sleight of hand, writes Gen Toop from Greenpeace.

COMMENT: The Government's plan to clean up waterways is an attempt to look as though action's being taken, when in reality nothing's happening, says Mark Dye.

New target would require cleaning up 10,000km of waterways at a cost of $2 billion.

Police are moving in on the Dakota Access pipeline protestors.

Bill English may lift the minimum standard for NZ's rivers and streams.

Preparing New Zealand's water stores for a warmer climate is a major focus of new research projects just awarded more than $2 million.

Drowning a tragedy but dam flood to remain open as an attraction, says Taupo mayor.

A drone has been used to search for a missing 19-year-old who was swept away during a night swim in the Hutt River last night.

These are the high points from Labour and Greens' State of the Nation speeches this afternoon.

Kiwis "must be vigilant" about swimming in our rivers, a freshwater scientist says, with data often showing high levels of E. coli in waterways.

MAIN PIC MC270117NADSUP1.JPGStand up paddle boarder Marcus Hansen will soon be swapping the tranquil waters of Whangarei's Town Basin

Malcolm Lumsden was recently stopped by a lady pronouncing that "I was one of those irresponsible farmers who allowed their cows to 'pee and poo' everywhere resulting in our rivers all being polluted"

Each year, our country is shifting at about the same speed our fingernails grow. Here are four other strange things you probably don't know about New Zealand.

The state of our rivers and lakes has predictably come under intensified focus this summer, as Kiwis head to their favourite watering holes.

Residents in parts of the country have been warned to brace for widespread flooding, slips and fast-rising rivers as the mid-week weather system hits.

The city council is applying to Environment Canterbury to continue discharging untreated wastewater into the waterways and harbours in emergencies.

The tourism industry's biggest challenge is coping with record growth and finding ways to fund infrastructure.

A controversial Greenpeace TV ad has been given the green light after the dairy industry attempted to shut it down.