A mentally unwell prisoner was restrained with his hands behind his back for 21 hours a day for 10 weeks, a report has revealed.

Three place names in North Canterbury will no longer contain the N-word.

A Greymouth man wanted by police for breach of bail lost control of his vehicle at Taylorville late last night while trying to evade police.

Water supply levels in both Franz Josef and Fox Glacier are being monitored as the tourist season ramps up again.

West Coast Fish and Game have come to the aid of the Paringa Salmon Farm and cafe, which lost as many as 13,000 salmon after intruders tampered with the water supply.

A licence to fish for whitebait, much like the Fish and Game sports fishing licence, has been suggested as one way of managing the fishery.

A new report has found it would cost more than $250million to repair Christchurch's earthquake-battered Lancaster Park.

Job losses have been blamed for falling property values in this area.

A virtual shopping service to help Kaikoura's quake-hit retailers is flourishing.

In the aftermath of the crash that killed a young farmer, the sentencing judge said ''this is not a North Otago issue in isolation'' but rather an issue for all of NZ.

A badly quake-damaged stretch of State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura could be reopened by mid-December, says Simon Bridges.

A Dutch rock climber was injured after falling 14m at a popular climbing spot in the South Island this afternoon.

A group of TPP protesters and vocal opponents of outgoing PM John Key are holding a celebratory leaving party in Christchurch tonight.

South Island police are investigating the incident that occurred at the Paringa Salmon Farm Café, South Westland.

The size of Westport's proposed integrated family health centre (IFHC) has been cut by 300sq m compared to previous plans - which were already carved to the bone.

An out-of-town beekeeper who parked up in Westport to eat his lunch yesterday afternoon left a trail of angry bees behind him.

Two landowners and Heritage New Zealand are opposing a water export facility being proposed for remote South Westland.

The Ministry of Social Development is awaiting sentencing on breach of health and safety legislation after the 2014 Ashburton Work and Income office killings.

Summer will be well and truly here this week with temperatures expected to soar to 29C in some parts.

People across New Zealand have been basking in today's sunshine as the first weekend of summer did not disappoint.

The former astronaut, who became ill while visiting Antarctica, has been told to rest up in Christchurch while congestion in his lungs clears.

Clinton Highway in the Clutha District is closed as a result of the crash.

The driver of a McLaren F1 car worth an estimated $20 million could be charged after a crash at Closeburn near Queenstown, police say.

A man who put a 3-year-old into a scalding bath, causing the boy's skin to "flake off", has been jailed for nearly four years.

Some of New Zealand's favourite beaches will be graced with gorgeous weather for the first weekend of summer.

The Pike River Mine blockade grew to 40 protesters this morning, joined by New Zealand author Dame Fiona Kidman yesterday.

Numerous offers have been received for a slice of Kiwi paradise that attracted local buyers as well as interest from Switzerland, North America and the UK.

Submissions from all over New Zealand have poured in opposing Westpower's Waitaha River power scheme, forcing a four-day hearing in Hokitika next week.

One tramper died near Arthur's Pass and another was airlifted out to Franz Josef Glacier this morning after spending a night seriously injured in a separate backcountry accident.

Responsible visitors such as those travelling in certified self-contained motorhomes should "not have the door slammed in their face", says the NZ Motorcaravan Association.