Latest from Tauranga

Promising teen paralysed after tree fall

Promising Tauranga teen Sam Fitness has been left paralysed after falling 6 to 8 metres from a tree.

Battery burns baby's throat

Devon Hacche's mother may never hear her son speak or see him breathe unassisted after the 8-month-old swallowed a button battery, burning the inside of his throat.

Child injured in driveway accident

A young child has been seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in a driveway in Tauranga today.

Large building fire in central Tauranga

Large plumes of black smoke from a commercial building fire in central Tauranga could be seen rising above the city's skyline this morning.

Hit and run: Man charged with murder

A 33-year-old man arrested over an alleged hit and run in Welcome Bay Rd has appeared in court facing one count of murder.

Man killed in Tauranga hit and run

A man died last night after he was struck in an apparent hit-and-run on Welcome Bay Rd near Tauranga at about 11pm.

Small child dies after car hits power pole

Emergency services say a small child who was trapped in a car that had hit a power pole south of Tauranga was taken to hospital, but later died.

Four commissioners appointed for Rena wreck decision

Four commissioners have been appointed to decide whether a resource consent should be granted allowing part of the Rena wreck to remain on Astrolabe Reef.

String of North Island car crashes

A pedestrian has died near Tauranga, one man was found dead in his car near Palmerston North and four people were injured in a head-on collision in south Waikato.

Fatal crash near Tauranga

One person is confirmed dead and six others are injured after two trucks and an SUV towing a trailer collided tonight in Western Bay of Plenty.

Boss's warning after theft of $146,000

An employer says he's embarrassed, but wants other business owners to beware, after one of his workers charged with handling - and monitoring - finances stole $146k.

Alleged gunman appears in court

The court appearance for a man accused of firing shots in residential Papamoa last week has been deferred until next month.

Impaled man walks into store for help

A man with an iron rod poking out of his head drove to the only open shop in a small North Island town and calmly walked up to the counter to raise the alarm.

Iron bar lodged in man's head

A 23-year-old man was left with an iron bar lodged in his head after being viciously attacked in the Bay of Plenty overnight.

Sharks frolic at Papamoa

Two sharks, believed to be bronze whalers, made their presence felt at Papamoa Beach yesterday, causing several swimmers to make a quick dash to shore.

Roof-rider is 'just downright dangerous'

A man caught on camera riding on a car's roof was doing the same "stupid" act that has killed two people in the Bay of Plenty in the past 10 years, police warn.

Movie star-quality mansion yours for $3.9m

NZ's Christmas Bethlehem baby

The first baby born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day was not a boy in a manger but a little girl in the Bay of Plenty.