Stories by Libby Kirkby-McLeod
News
'Graveyard robbery': Region's burial costs could increase up to 354%
The cost of having a weekend burial in South Waikato could be about to skyrocket. Audio
Te Huia on track to miss targets for passenger numbers
But Waikato Regional Council, which is in charge of it, says that doesn't tell the whole story.
Tauranga's speed limit proposal met with warning from minister
The council is currently consulting on a proposed blanket speed reduction to 30 km/h in the city centre and a mix of variable and permanent speed limit reductions around schools and marae.
Close encounters of a rare kind: Kids help check on kiwis
It is believed to be the country's biggest ever kiwi relocation project.
Ockham Book Awards: Literary life outside the main centres
All of this year's 16 Ockham Book Awards finalists are based in the main centres and overseas, even though almost half of the country's registered authors live in the regions.
How better urban planning can avoid environmental risks
Developers, planners, and landowners need to interact with each other with regard to zoning and climate change, urban planning experts say.
How does Te Huia's subsidy compare to roads?
There is no doubt the train service between Auckland and Hamilton is highly subsidised - but roads are too, a researcher says.
To mow or let it grow - council considers repeating trial
A wildflower and no-mow trial in Hamilton parks and reserves has shown good results, but whether it will be repeated is still to be decided.
Why rates nationwide are going up so much
The problem "may only get worse" as construction costs soar, an expert says.
Big questions over council books after Three Waters
The demise of Three Waters has left councils facing a dilemma.
Abandoned pet turtles 'far more widespread than initially thought'
Visitors to Hamilton gardens can go reptile spotting at Turtle Lake, but the red-eared slider turtles the lake is named after are a global pest that do not belong in New Zealand's waterways.
'There's nowhere for the kids to play' - unstable housing's impact on education
More than 500 children are still living in emergency housing in Hamilton city and the effect of unstable housing on their education can be profound - but some groups are working hard to limit the…
Hamiltonians stuck as to which council services to cut
Hamilton City Council is to ask residents which services they are willing to go without, as a huge rates hike looms.
New trail features outdoor sculptures
A new sculpture trail has popped up in Hamilton this month and organisers hope it will be part of elevating the city and attracting visitors.
Concern over Cathedral Cove visitor numbers if DOC opts for different track
Coromandel residents are worried the Department of Conservation is planning to reroute access to Cathedral Cove through private land.
Eighteen month diploma provides alternative pathway into nursing profession
Wintec in Hamilton had a 100 percent pass rate in Enrolled Nursing last year, and advocates say these courses are helping with the country's acute nursing shortage.
It's an earthquake, it's a tsunami ... it's only a simulation
Bay of Plenty residents have been experiencing virtual earthquakes and tsunamis this summer as a way for the Tauranga City Council to engage residents about the coastal risks the area faces. Video
New piano festival brings major musical stars to Hamilton
A new piano festival in Hamilton, which brings Chinese and New Zealand students together with famous pianists, has attracted major international stars to the city.
Hamilton parks allowed to 'rewild' set to be mowed
A trial in Hamilton to allow some park space to rewild will end later this month when the grass is finally mowed.
Hamilton Gardens to charge for 'themed' areas in wake of rates crisis
The famous themed gardens in Hamilton are preparing to introduce an out-of- town visitor charge in 2024.
Gamble to publish two books in 12 months pays off with two best sellers
Catherine Chidgey wasn't sure about having two books published in a year - but she's ended up with two best-sellers.
'We're bitterly disappointed' - Two Hamilton schools to be replaced by one
A Hamilton community feels bitterly betrayed about two schools being closed, only to be reopened on the same site, with the same facilities - but with a new name.
Hamilton beachgoers split on council's $1.7m makeover plans
Wellington Street Beach might not be Piha or Anchorage Bay but in the landlocked city of Hamilton, it is an iconic destination.
What to do with our doo-doo? Raglan ponders next steps for sewage
A new treatment plant is in the pipeline, but the beach-side community doesn't know what to do with the end product.
Hamilton's new riverside shopping precinct opens
There is plenty of Waikato to be discovered at Made.