A man has been arrested after crashing into a police car near Whakatane this morning.

An officer activated their patrol car's flashing lights and siren, but the motorcyclist did not stop and sped away.

Whakatane police pull over driver who was more than eight times the legal limit.

A fire at Whakatane Intermediate School last night caused serious damage to one classroom.

Find out which New Zealand towns have grown the fastest over the past 80 years.

Tauranga and Whakatane have been New Zealand's fastest growing towns over the past 80 years.

It is "highly unlikely" anyone would have felt a strong quake that rattled an offshore area east of the country this morning.

The school attended by a teenage boy who shot himself in a tragic hunting accident will close on Thursday as a mark of respect.

The father of a 15-year-old Whakatane boy who was killed while out duck shooting says his son accidentally shot himself.

A 25-year-old man is being worked on by paramedics after he was hit by a car in Whakatane this evening.

Justine McLeary and her young family enjoy an adventurous weekend in Whakatane.

A former Mr New Zealand and Whakatane gym owner jailed for sex offences is a threat to "little innocent souls", according to one of his eight victims.

A 12-seater pane with three people on board has made an emergency landing at Whakatane Airport after reports of smoke on board.

Three officers were attacked in two incidents over the weekend - one in Whakatane only ended because a member of the public came to his aid.

It seems the sun always shines on the East Coast, writes Elisabeth Easther.

Which town looks set to keep its crown as New Zealand's sunshine capital? A new climate report shows one place well out in front.

Wild winds brought down a large palm tree at a Whakatane property early this morning, narrowly missing the house.

Whakatane residents do not need to be concerned for their safety, police say, as roads near the airport are closed for a manhunt.

Four of the five people charged with aggravated robbery for a Boxing Day attack on two German tourists in Whakatane have been sent to jail.

Burglars who stole guns from a Whakatane property last night repeatedly rammed police cars and even threw a chainsaw at pursuing officers as they made their getaway.

Visiting Whakatane, Elisabeth Easther discovered two isles literally fizzing with fabulousness.

A Kaitaia family were on their way to Gisborne to see if they could start a new life there when the car crashed into an oncoming truck, fatally injuring a 5-month-old baby.

A father frantically smashed car windows to get to his young children after the vehicle, which he had been following, crashed head-on with a truck.

Whakatane police on district court duty abandoned their posts inside the Whakatane District Court after a brawl erupted on the street outside this morning.

A person is dead after the car they were driving collided with a tree before bursting into flames in Bay of Plenty this morning.