When the Post-Primary Teachers' Association marked the roll at its annual conference in Christchurch on Tuesday, there was a notable absentee - Minister of Education Erica Stanford.

More than two years after Cyclone Gabrielle, and a flood that destroyed their Eskdale house and drowned two-year-old Ivy, the Collins family is moving home.

A mother accused of murdering her two children and hiding their bodies in suitcases has been found guilty.

Lawyers have delivered their final arguments in the Loafers Lodge murder trial, and the jury will begin deliberating their verdict on Wednesday morning.

A select committee report has called for minor amendments to the govt's legislation allowing small homes like granny flats to be built without a consent.