Proposed national water quality standards are weak and will allow for further degradation of New Zealand's rivers and streams even to levels seen downstream of raw sewage outlets.

The drowning of a PhD student who was washed off rocks while collecting water samples has prompted Auckland University to break with decades of research tradition.

Mystery continues to surround the death of a young man whose body was found on Ninety Mile Beach in 2011, an inquest heard today.

Family of seven missing crew members on board the Nina are convinced they're alive and want the search to begin again, despite no sign of them since June 4.

Al Gillespie asks whether the same approaches of decision makers would have been made with our best ski fields, white water rapids or premier bush walks in national parks.

An Austrian couple have been rescued from their yacht near American Samoa after getting into trouble for the second time in a week.

The body of a local politician has been found in Lake Wanaka, after his family raised the alarm when he failed to return from a fly-fishing trip at the Makarora River mouth.

The body of a man found in the Hokianga Harbour will be released to his family for burial as soon as his identity is confirmed.

Rodney Hide looks at the big changes planned for the delivery of water across Auckland.

Thousands of tenants are picking up the tab for water bills that should be paid by their landlords.

New landlord Vicky Crawford has been inadvertently passing on the full Watercare Services bill to her tenants - unaware a portion of it was hers to pay.

Watercare Services has hit back at critics of the $800 million central interceptor plan.

Only minutes away in the Hauraki Gulf are plenty of sanctuaries for animals - and humans.

Auckland councillor Noelene Raffills has become the latest politician to announce she is abandoning the Communities and Residents ticket.