Government plans to fill vacant Crown land with houses are being lambasted by Labour as a fiasco after one of four would-be Auckland sites turned out to be largely council-owned.

Auckland Council has upset the city's Hindu community by trying to hold the Auckland Diwali celebrations a month before the actual religious festival.

Auckland Council should follow the lead of Fonterra, which is laying off hundreds of staff in response to low dairy prices, says Orakei councillor Cameron Brewer.

A small crowd of about 50 people have turned out at a public meeting in Auckland tonight to discuss looming rates increases.

There is no sign of a new public space to replace the privatised Queen Elizabeth Square, says the Waitemata Local Board.

Auckland councillors have agreed to lessons to improve their governance skills - a more urgent need is for them to learn how to be better politicians, writes Brian Rudman.

Shoddy buildings are going up in Auckland with workers encountering serious problems and inspection fails at some sites.

Aucklanders should learn the outcome of a legal challenge to the controversial wharf extensions at Ports of Auckland in the next two weeks.

An urgent warning has been sounded for the trees remaining in Auckland's concrete jungle after researchers found there's scant protection left to save them from development.

The Auckland Council deserves kudos for starting to publish details about the spending of ratepayer money.

Aucklanders could soon be able to enjoy a beer or a wine legally while picnicking at Takapuna Beach.

More than $100m worth of surplus city-owned land has already been sold and the council says another $250m worth has been cleared for sale.

Auckland ratepayers are coughing up $23.8 million in the region's biggest leaky building case.

A possible ban on alcohol advertising on Auckland Council buildings and land will proceed as part of an alcohol harm reduction policy.

Auckland Transport believes parking fines are no longer effective and calls for an increase to deter offenders.

Auckland Council may follow the example of its transport arm and ban the advertising of alcohol on its land and buildings.

Film-makers face an average 20 per cent hike in Auckland Council fees if they want thundering surf scenes like those in The Piano.

Auckland Council is entering a new era of openness by publishing details about the spending of ratepayer money, says chief executive Stephen Town.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is adding two lanes, plus a cycleway to a 9.5km stretch of the Southern Motorway between Manukau and Papakura.

Kim Dotcom has challenged John Banks to a sit-down on the record interview to determine who is telling the truth in the row over filing a false electoral return.

Fletcher's application to have Auckland's Three Kings Quarry rezoned as residential begins this week.

The civil case against disgraced Auckland businessman Alex Swney was called for the first time at the High Court this morning.

There needs to be a shake-up in the charity sector to ensure greater transparency and remove the tax advantages given to big charity groups, a NZ think-tank says.

A 9.9 per cent average rates rise for Auckland households from July is going down badly with residents and ratepayer groups.

Any agreement leading to funding would ask that local roading projects in outer suburbs and bus infrastructure be focus.

Chief economist says Hosking has it wrong when he heaps all the blame for soaring house prices on the Auckland Council.

Six councillors yesterday wrote to Len Brown concerned about the impact the household rates rise will have on ratepayers.

Letters sent to west Auckland iwi and local board members about a proposal to fell two large kauri trees in Titirangi did not mention the protected trees would be included in “vegetation” to be removed from the site.

Len Brown’s office will offer more than $1m to fund a port future study that will take at least a year — not enough time to meet Ports of Auckland’s deadline.

New lending rules targeting Auckland residential property investors will cool the market - but the city's "gravitational pull" will counter any impact, John Key says.