Two Westport men will appear in court next month on charges of possession and use of methamphetamine and cannabis following a police raid yesterday.

Coalminer Bathurst Resources is being sued for US$40 million by L&M Coal Holdings.

After extensive fire damage the Greymouth fishing boat Te Aroha has risen from the ashes and is back trawling off the West Coast.

Ross pensioner Sam Viney already has the NZCC Rescue Helicopter to thank for saving his life - more than once - and now he has 10,000 more reasons to thank the rescue service.

Two men have been arrested in relation to alleged methamphetamine and cannabis offences following a raid at a Westport house this morning.

There was a record downpour in Auckland, a tornado in Taranaki and "quake lights" above Wellington. Oh, and 2016 was likely also New Zealand's hottest year on record.

The Pike River Mine controversy took yet another turn today with Parliament's Commerce Committee agreeing to hear submissions on the sealing of the mine.

The receivers for Westport heavy machinery repair company are still looking for some of the company's plant 18 months after it went bust.

If variety is the spice of life, this week is set to be a lively one.

After six years of uncertainty, the Westland District Council yesterday dropped the controversial "fault rupture avoidance zone" that divided Franz Josef Glacier township.

Runanga School has canned school camps and all outings for pupils in 2017 while it reviews education outside the classroom (EOTC) activities.

It's going to be a sunny one this weekend for most of the country.

Two Westport-based companies are targeting the Garden City's potholes and traffic cones through a fun public art installation.

The ground has been broken for the new Taramakau road bridge, with construction to begin early in the new year.

A 17-year-old unlicensed driver led police on a 2.5km car chase through Westport streets at speeds of up to 80km/h yesterday.

The price for hard coking coal has plummeted US$45/tonne since peaking at US$310/tonne last month.

Tai Poutini Polytechnic says it will be business as usual for students after a Crown manager is put in charge due to a "significant" financial deficit.

Hokitika woman Lisa Tumahai yesterday stepped into the top role of the billion-dollar Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu.

The very health and safety changes which the Pike River disaster prompted make re-entering the mine difficult, Prime Minister Bill English says.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has offered himself to be the first to re-enter the Pike River mine where 29 miners perished in 2010.

Prime Minister Bill English has agreed to meet with the Pike River families to discuss a new plan to re-enter the coal mine.

COMMENT: As the owner of Pike River the Govt have the ultimate responsibility, and safety comes first. As much as you want it to be different, blocking roads doesn't change that.

Families of the 29 men killed in the Pike River mining tragedy are standing their ground as they protest against a bid to seal off the mine permanently.

Solid Energy's attempts to seal Pike River mine will be met with a road block after the owners of the access road gave the victim's families legal control of the road.

After Jake Millar's dad died in the Fox Glacier plane crash, the 15-year-old wrote to Prime Minister John Key asking for his advice.

New Zealand whitebait are one of the few dining pleasures to escape the culinary assault of reality chefs.

The Buller District Council's new senior manager and his family have had an "adventurous" time in their introduction to the community.

The Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board supports the proposed extension to the mountain bike season on the Heaphy Track.

Heritage New Zealand is working to have a decaying tree felled from the historic site of the Seddon family home, in Kumara.

A decision on whether the Department of Conservation will allow the Waitaha River power scheme will be made by mid-2017.