A fee for tapping into the waterworks in parts of Auckland has gone up by 900 per cent in the past two years - from less than $850 to almost $8000.

Damien Grant writes: By law, Watercare has to keep the overall costs of water at minimum levels.

As drought grips the country, the Government is promoting giant dams to irrigate dry farmland. Geoff Cumming investigates whether the biggest of these plans will work for farmers, investors and environmentalists

Although snapper fishing may be patchy, this summer has been all about marlin fishing, with the Sky Tower in the background.

Bored of an evening? You could always create an Algae Biofuel Lab as one 17 year old student in the US did to win a $100,000 science prize.

" With so much of it, why are the sports fields as hard as concrete?" asks Brian Rudman. "Auckland now has a giant faucet connected straight to the mighty Waikato River."

Auckland households received $149,000 of hardship relief on water bills in the first year of a trust set up by Watercare Services.

Liz Light opts for a long walk and a cold swim on a hot day.

Editorial: Two recent events ought to have injected some urgency into the quest for cleaner, fairer and better use of New Zealand's most valuable resource, water.

The drought is a timely reminder of how much the New Zealand economy depends on rainfall, writes Brian Fallow.

The nights are the worst for George Maoate, the 14-year-old who was surfing next to Adam Strange when the popular Muriwai local was fatally attacked by three sharks.

Liz Light visits Ralph Hotere's final Hokianga home.

A climate expert believes summers like this one will become the new norm for New Zealand. Droughts have already been declared across much of the North Island.

A shortage of water across the Wellington region means there is now a ban on garden sprinklers and irrigation systems.

Big dry forces stock selloffs, but Aucklanders can still water gardens, wash cars thanks to Waikato River supplies

The unresolved issue of Maori water rights may yet have an impact on Mighty River's future operating costs.

More than 1000 striking Mangawhai ratepayers say they are prepared to take legal action against Kaipara District Council over rating issues and the handling of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme.

At least three people were rescued from Auckland's Waitemata Harbour this afternoon when their boat capsized near the harbour bridge.

Hawke's Bay's water operators are checking the region's supplies for contamination of Cryptosporidium.

Although it takes some swallowing, the Prime Minister's insistence that there was no plan B had the Supreme Court blocked the part-sale of Mighty River Power has to be taken at face value.

A Green Party conference in Napier has been told plans for the Ruataniwha water storage scheme in Central Hawkes Bay are "subsidised pollution".