Top spots turmoil

ASB Bank has denied repackaging a report on the happiest place to live in New Zealand to appease Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, whose city was ranked last.

The full Top Spots report provided to the Herald on Sunday ranked 12 population centres according to happiness. After the ASB learned of Harvey's chagrin, it revised the report to list only the top five places.

The report is based on data from the Quality of Life Report commissioned by 11 cities and one district council (Rodney).

Author Stephen Hart analysed the 200-page report and scored the cities according to 11 categories.

Rodney topped the list. Waitakere scored 70 out of a possible 1100 points, while Rodney scored 885.

But Harvey rejected Waitakere's ranking and called the source material "a crock".

ASB said it aimed to profile New Zealand's top spots. "Our request for the draft report to be amended simply reflects that ASB was always supporting a Top Spots report, rather than an All Spots report."