A 63-year-old council contractor survived a 40m plunge down a sheer rock face from the peak of Mt Maunganui.

A farmer wants TrustPower to check its lines after eight cows died when a 33kV line dropped on his farm.

Power companies have hit back at claims that dirty tricks are being used stop customers switching suppliers.

Telecom shares sank to new a low on the NZ sharemarket today, while rises in Fletcher Building, Contact Energy and other leaders helped carry the market higher.