A council bylaw making the wearing of lifejackets compulsory on small boats is about the changing face of Auckland, says Watersafe Auckland chief executive Sandra Harrop.

Auckland councillors have passed the first stage of a new bylaw to make the wearing of lifejackets compulsory in small boats.

A push to make the wearing of lifejackets compulsory on small boats is another case of "Nanny State" and won't reduce drownings, a boating club says.

The father and daughter who died in a tragic kayaking accident on Lake Tarawera yesterday have been named by police.

More details are emerging of a father's desperate attempts to save his young daughter before both died in a Rotorua lake yesterday.

Thousands of Auckland children are becoming more confident in the water, thanks to a city-wide project teaching them how to swim.

A grieving mother is pleading with parents never to leave their young children alone in water after her infant son drowned in a bath.

This summer, water safety messages will be seen on 600,000 tray mats in KFC restaurants around the country.

A Bluff woman has been named New Zealand's champion of water safety.

A push to make wearing lifejackets compulsory on the Waitemata Harbour to save lives is expected to be strongly opposed by boaties.

United Future and the Maori Party have teamed up to block the Government’s major reforms of the Resource Management Act.

A multi-language campaign to get West Auckland rock fishers to wear lifejackets is struggling to make headway against an undercurrent of risky behaviour.

A former surf lifeguard who stripped down to his boxers to rescue a drowning man is among a handful of Wellingtonians whose bravery was recognised tonight.

The risk of emergency overflows of sewage into the Manukau Harbour for a further 50 years is being highlighted by community groups.

A law change to limit how long companies can discharge pollution into New Zealand's waterways has been shot down by a parliamentary select committee.

A Papakaio family on board a boat that sank on Lake Benmore on Sunday, have been praised for their safety precautions and keeping calm during the ordeal.

Concerns about the safety of the high-tech America's Cup catamarans have increased after a training accident yesterday involving Swedish team Artemis that killed British sailor Andrew Simpson.

Three separate rescues around the country have kept emergency services busy today and prompted a warning for people to be more prepared.

An Auckland man who gave CPR to a toddler found face down in a hot pool has played down his actions.

The three young men caught in a "strong unforgiving rip" on Auckland's notorious Piha Beach were wearing jeans and totally unaware of the danger they were in.