A battered bronze seat made of the letters "REO" has been removed from near the middle of an Auckland street for repairs.

Embattled mayor Len Brown tomorrow faces an angry council seeking to blunt his powers in the wake of the mayoral sex scandal.

A decision to ban alcohol from this year's Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park has been applauded by alcohol watchdogs and received strong public support.

Len Brown says he is no lame-duck mayor after a damning report found he failed to declare more than $39k in free hotel rooms and upgrades.

The report into Auckland Mayor Len Brown's use of council resources was finally issued yesterday after legal wrangling delayed its release.

Len Brown used his council phone to make nearly 1400 personal calls and texts to Bevan Chuang and failed to declare more than $39,000 in free hotel rooms and upgrades.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown will not say if he has received free hotel rooms as pressure mounts on him to come clean on overnight stays in the city.

Ensuring Auckland copes with growth and has enough offices, apartments and shops is one of the biggest challenges the city faces.

The Auckland Council reckons Auckland is 20,000 to 30,000 dwellings short of what it needs, writes Brian Fallow.The NZ Institute of Economic Research begs to differ, putting the shortfall at just 5000.

Drunk patrons will not be allowed in bars from next week, and if they are caught, the bar-owner will face a fine of up to $5000.

Two Auckland Council officials flew business class to a boat show in Monaco on a trip that cost ratepayers $57,000.

Auckland ratepayers paid some of the costs for 3 News presenter Hilary Barry to attend the America's Cup as part of a $220,114 spend-up in San Francisco by the council's tourism and economic arm.

Auckland councillors have passed the first stage of a new bylaw to make the wearing of lifejackets compulsory in small boats.

A push to make the wearing of lifejackets compulsory on small boats is another case of "Nanny State" and won't reduce drownings, a boating club says.

The basic problem Mayor Brown needs to confront is not how his extra roads and railways and tunnels are to be built, writes Brian Rudman. It's how best to prune his $12 billion shopping list.

No one south of the Bombay Hills likes to admit the Auckland Council is having an impact on the whole of NZ, but there is now evidence that is hard to refute, says Mai Chen.

Len Brown has written to the seven council-controlled organisations that together run the business side of the Super City, reminding them they are members of Team Auckland, not macho, self-governing, fiefdoms.

Auckland Council is in line for a $100m windfall, after Auckland International Airport this morning announced it would be paying out $454m to its shareholders.

Parents with inflatable paddling pools could face $500 fines if they ignore council orders to fence them off or empty them after use under proposed rules to be unveiled today.

Powerful position allows too many personal policy platforms without them being appropriately put to the test.

A successful building plan will result in a 10,000-home oversupply in Auckland, says NZIER.

Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer wants a council review into Len Brown's affair with Bevan Chuang widened to investigate a trip the mayor made to Hong Kong.

Researchers from Australia have come up with a way of putting a dollar value to the "feel-good" factor of a major culture event, writes Brian Rudman.

Angela and Peter Signal have received an apology from Auckland Council after being told they had to trim a hedge planted on council land, but want an explanation.

A controversial new Bunnings store on Great North Rd in Grey Lynn, Auckland, has been approved.

An airport worker fired for watching sport on television instead of working has lost his unfair dismissal claim.

Shopowner wants to provide a place to rest and hopefully lure customers, but council insists it has to charge.