Matthew Backhouse

The father of a man killed by a notorious drink-driver says he fears for the safety of the community where the recidivist offender will live once he is released from prison in less than two weeks.

A law change to allow family members to be paid for looking after disabled relatives will leave many carers with little extra in the pocket, the Green Party says.

Family members will be paid to look after their disabled adult relatives after the Government set aside $23 million for carer payments in this year's Budget.

The mother of an Auckland builder who was electrocuted under his house says her son has been vindicated by a finding against the electricians whose faulty wiring turned the property into a death trap.

A "pathetic'' fine for a man who abandoned a toddler in a pram in the middle of the night has renewed calls for judges to impose minimum sentences.

The distraught family of a well-known Wellsford yachtie are waiting in hope for his body to be found.

Wellingtonians who flout the region's outdoor water use ban are being warned for now - but fines of up to $20,000 could follow for repeat offenders.

The Department of Conservation will axe 140 jobs and reduce the number of conservancy regions in a department-wide shake-up.

Divers have joined the search for a 73-year-old yachtie who went missing in mysterious circumstances last night.

A young gay man was beaten so badly in a homophobic attack in central Wellington that his jaw fractured.