Latest fromAuckland Council

'Targeted rate' to plug $12b fund gap
Aucklanders could pay a new charge on top of rates to fund transport projects - one option being considered to plug a massive hole in transport funding.

Property bosses draw up wishlist
Property and construction bosses want the Government to reform the Resource Management Act, an extension of Special Housing Areas, the creation of more affordable housing in Auckland and Christchurch and perhaps the introduction of some form of capital ga

Akl Council wages blowout
Under-fire Auckland Council has blown its wages and salaries budget by $50 million, figures show.

Reprieve on cards for city landmark
New Zealand's first skyscraper, the Civic Building on Aotea Square, may be saved from demolition to become a heritage feature of the city skyline.

Bob Jones joins fight over iwi approval
Property magnate Sir Bob Jones will be at a public meeting next month seeking abolition of an Auckland Council rule requiring building owners to seek iwi approval for work on their land.

Council's $157m new spend 'madness'
A councillor has called it "pure madness" to spend $157.4 million on the council's new central Auckland premises.

Precious park gifted to Super City
Aucklanders have been gifted a new $5 million-plus conservation reserve the size of Cornwall Park, spanning a 10km beachfront at Te Arai near Mangawhai.

1780 council staff earning over $100k
Nearly 1800 Auckland Council employees earn over $100,000, with the top salary level now hitting $859,999 as the city aims to cut $2.7b off its spending.

When harmless fun turns deadly
Pranks can be fun and cause some great laughs at the time - but they can also go horribly wrong and end in serious or harmul consequences.

Waimahia Inlet spells new homes hope
On September 19, the first buyers of a new mass-scale affordable special housing area at South Auckland's Waimahia Inlet, on the edge of the Manukau Harbour, are due to move in.

New Akl special housing area unveiled
Auckland's newest special housing area has just been announced and it's a huge site at Papakura. So how many new homes could it hold?

Downtown revamp: $500m
Auckland will get something special for the downtown area from the sale of QE Square by Auckland Council, says Precinct Properties chief executive Scott Pritchard.

Megaship cruise boom - video
Take a look at the German launch of a megaship so big that Auckland will expand its wharf for its visit

Auckland's $20m bill for lost carparks
Auckland Council may have to pay Precinct Properties $20 million compensation for the loss of underground carparking in its Downtown Shopping Centre.

Ask Phoebe: Street number owners responsibility
A reader writes: Is there any obligation for property owners to display their street number on their building in commercial or industrial areas?

Teeny homes to fix shortages?
Apartments as small as a double garage are being promoted as the answer to Auckland's housing affordability problems.

Grafton cycleway officially opened
The latest section of Auckland’s expanding cycling and walking network was officially opened today by PM John Key.

House values up - new QV stats out
QV has released latest house value data showing big rises nationally and in Auckland but growth rates are slowing.

Auckland house prices slump
Auckland house sale volumes and average sale prices have slumped in August - so what's behind the slight cooling off of the market?

New bridge: Gone already?
Auckland Council is considering scrapping the $3.7 million three-year-old Te Wero bridge linking the Viaduct Harbour with Wynyard Quarter and building a $25 million replacement.

Mayor's travel plans
Auckland Mayor Len Brown has a globe-trotting agenda for the coming year with planned visits to Taiwan, Japan, China, the United States and Australia.

Big rate rises in store despite cuts
Auckland Mayor Len Brown is talking of selling council carparks and naming rights to swimming pools to help balance the books in his new 10-year budget.

Black budget: Rates rises and cuts
Auckland faces rate hikes of 3.5 per cent for eight years straight and $2.8 billion of cuts to capital projects.

Super blow for Auckland ratepayers
The Super City's been costly for residents of the former Auckland City Council who have been hammered by a new single rating system.

Big cuts to services revealed today
Big cuts to transport, parks and community services will be outlined later this morning when Auckland Mayor Len Brown unveils the first draft of a new 10-year budget.

Subdivision bucks size trend
Auckland's quarter-acre dream is far from over - huge sections of more than half an acre are being sold from $350,000 within the city boundaries.