Alexa Cook

When Winstone's Karioi Pulp Mill closed down this month , it shut the door on generations of family history for those who have spent their lives working on the site.

The proposed Ruataniwha dam site. Photo: SUPPLIED Plans for the nearly billion-dollar dam were scuppered in 2017 when the Supreme Court deemed a land swap unlawful

Photo: Alexa Cook/RNZ A family cherry orchard in Hawke's Bay is ripping out all of its trees due to damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and successive wet seasons.

The Findlays have been selling their cherries from a shed near Napier for 16 years.

The loss of 600 jobs in Timaru is hitting the local economy hard with retailers seeing a big drop in sales and fearing more shops will close.

Just two families have clocked more than 300 years of work at the Smithfield plant, but they're now among the hundreds figuring out what to do next.

"Consumers should care about what they eat because that impacts upon their health."

A unique food rescue operation is feeding 800 locals a week in an effort to reduce food insecurity in the community.

Flood debris at Fernhill bridge and Ngaruroro Road in Hawkes Bay. Photo: Jonathan Bixley

Ngavii Pekapo's wardrobe is full of what he calls his "korowai", his gang patches. "It's really your passport, that's basically what this is - it connects your whole family.