Latest fromAuckland Council
Put squeeze on to keep rate rises low
Editorial: If Mayor Len Brown can keep the Auckland Council's rates to a rise not much above 2 per cent next year he will be doing well.
Brown strives for 2% rates increase
Auckland Mayor Len Brown is proposing a rates rise of between 1.9 per cent and 2.9 per cent in next year's election-year budget.
20 council staff to go in revamp
Twenty Auckland Council staff are set to lose their jobs when five visitor information centres are closed as the result of a cost-cutting directive from Mayor Len Brown.
Unitary plan the one we must get right
Editorial: Having produced the big 30-year Auckland Plan, the council is now obliged to produce a more detailed 10-year plan to be called the "unitary plan".
What council staff put on plastic
A Hawaiian fire dancer performance at the Rugby World Cup and a leather iPad case are among the items slapped on rate-payer funded credit cards.
Bob Harvey: Auckland's best warm welcome
With changing land uses at the eastern end of the waterfront comes the opportunity to re-think Quay St to serve today's public needs, writes Bob Harvey.
Council weighs merging CCOs
Auckland Council is considering cutting the number of unelected council-controlled organisations from seven to four.
CCOs' seeds of potential budding into progress
Special report: In the final of a two-part report, Bernard Orsman looks at how the seven Auckland Council-controlled Organisations are shaping up in their duties for the Super City's 1.3 million residents.
$13m for Super City CCOs
Auckland ratepayers are spending $13.1 million a year to pay for seven boards of directors, seven chief executives and seven executive teams who run much of the Super City.
Unelected rulers keep doors shut
Mayor's efforts to increase public scrutiny of bodies that run three-quarters of Auckland only a partial success.
Drinking ban extends to all of CBD
Proposal to outlaw liquor 24/7 in parks, cars, streets and cemetery to plug existing gaps.
Piha's $12,000 money tree
Auckland Council has spent $12,300 on preparations to chop a limb off a pohutukawa tree that is obstructing a West Auckland footpath. But that money's now been wasted.
Bob Harvey on Auckland's waterfront
"There is real excitement about the waterfront and Aucklanders are asking us: 'What's next?' Bob Harvey explains.
Brian Rudman: Mayoralty race a rich man's sport
Brian Rudman a campaign budget of $580,000 means chasing the Auckland mayoralty is a rich man's sport. Either you have to be rich yourself, or be the handmaiden of rich backers.
Joel Cayford: We're on the road to nowhere
Joel Cayford asks if building more roads - and even taking out loans in desperation - is the best infrastructure answer to questions confronting NZ's economic planners?