Laura Mills

Rest-home residents temporarily relocated

Some residents of two Greymouth rest-homes are being temporarily relocated from one facility to the other due to Covid-19, and the effects of border closures on staffing.

Record-breaking big dry comes hard on heels of a very big wet

Record-breaking big dry comes hard on heels of a very big wet

The West Coast has sizzled its way into the record books, Hokitika recording its driest March on record.

Tranz Alpine gets winter boost

In response to demand, KiwiRail will run the Tranz Alpine scenic train four days a week during...

Tranz Alpine gets winter boost

After a rollercoaster few years, the Tranz Alpine train schedule has been boosted for winter, raising hopes the New Zealand border reopening will draw tourists westward.

Pike River fight for justice ongoing

Pike River fight for justice ongoing

Four years and $71 million later, the Pike River Recovery Agency will hand over the keys to the former mine site today.

Virus level in town’s wastewater skyrockets

Virus level in town’s wastewater skyrockets

The amount of Covid-19 detected in Greymouth wastewater last week went up tenfold.

Fears closure of rest-home will become permanent

The West Coast town of Reefton. Photo: File

Fears closure of rest-home will become permanent

Reefton is in shock after it emerged there are plans to close the town’s rest-home at the hospital.

PM surveys flood-hit Fairdown

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made a flying visit to Westport yesterday, calling on flood-damaged farms at Fairdown.

Multiple floods prompt demands for action on floodwalls

Flooding at Buller High School and surrounds in Westport in July. Photo: NZ Defence Force

Multiple floods prompt demands for action on floodwalls

Calls are growing louder on the West Coast for urgent action on Westport’s promised floodwalls following two flooding events.

Mixed responses after shock of flooding

A flooded Westport street this morning. Photo: Anita O'Brien

Mixed responses after shock of flooding

There was relief but also recrimination in Westport yesterday as an exhausted community tried to get back to work after this week’s shock flood.

Wildfoods Festival plans scuppered

Festival-goers at a previous event. Photo: Greymouth Star

Wildfoods Festival plans scuppered

The West Coast’s Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika has been postponed for a year — the first time it has not been run in 34 years.

West Coast getting parched

The Punakaiki cliffs and river mouth. Photo: Getty Images

West Coast getting parched

Grass is yellowing, cicadas chorusing, water tanks emptying, and tans deepening as the West Coast approaches the three-week mark without any significant rain.

Completion of internet back-up in sight

Much of the West Coast is just months away from having a back-up internet cable, hopefully ending blackouts that have hit businesses and even prevented 111 calls.

Petrels still crash-landing

Twenty-one Westland petrels have crash-landed so far this summer, and six have died, despite the street lights being turned off in Punakaiki, near where they nest.

Coasters want train’s return to be sped up

There are fears the TranzAlpine train may not resume service for the start of summer. PHOTO:...

Coasters want train’s return to be sped up

West Coast leaders are united in their calls for KiwiRail to restart the TranzAlpine service, amid fears it may not resume service for at least another month.

Paua fishery closed for two years to allow population recovery

A paua shell harvested by a recreational fisher at Warrington. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE

Paua fishery closed for two years to allow population recovery

West Coast iwi are "very, very" relieved the Government has closed the paua fishery at Jackson Bay for two years to allow it to recover after almost being fished to exhaustion last summer.

Public image campaign for coal launched

Remaining in the deal to combat climate change will give US negotiators a chance to advocate for...

Public image campaign for coal launched

A campaign has been launched with the aim of ensuring New Zealanders understand why coal is important — even if they do not love it.

Covid warning for Reefton area

In Reefton, leaders are wondering how they can get the Covid vaccination rates up and combat the...

Covid warning for Reefton area

The Reefton area is becoming a hotbed of the unvaccinated, prompting warnings that unwilling residents cannot "hide it out" when Covid-19 arrives.

Gloriavale teachers get shots

The Gloriavale compound. Photo: Greymouth Star

Gloriavale teachers get shots

Gloriavale Christian Community school teachers have joined the community’s midwives and accepted their Covid vaccinations.

Get vaccinated, Gloriavale community told

The Christian community's Lake Brunner home has some of the lowest vaccine rates in the country....

Get vaccinated, Gloriavale community told

West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor has delivered a firm and clear message to Gloriavale: all eligible New Zealanders need to get vaccinated to beat Covid-19.

Race to meet 90% target

Race to meet 90% target

The West Coast needs to double its weekly vaccination rate and reach at least 3200 more people in just over three weeks if it is to meet Government targets.

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Laura Mills