Mayor Len Brown sounds keener than ever, for obvious reasons, to see work start on the Auckland central rail link. He needs to be seen to be effective again.

Concerned parents are asking councils to take action over playground equipment that gets so hot in summer it is burning children when they touch it.

Auckland councillors are being kept in the dark about the cost blowout of a review into Mayor Len Brown's affair with Bevan Chuang.

PM John Key has rebuffed a $250m offer from Auckland Mayor Len Brown to kick-start the $2.86b City Rail Link, saying it's on track for 2020.

The political right is now fighting back strongly on inequality and related issues, writes Bryce Edwards in his regular political round-up.

Quay St on Auckland's waterfront became a cycling mecca at the weekend, offering a taste of its future as a restricted-traffic boulevard.

Bevan Chuang, the former mistress of Auckland mayor Len Brown, is keen to reapply for a position on the Auckland Council's ethnic advisory panel but is fearful of a mayoral snub.

Two Auckland Council politicians are flouting council rules by planting flower beds on their berms.

'We have to get police to take their buckets.' Auckland Council wants more power to ban and penalise windscreen washers at intersections.

Auckland's 13 Maori tribes say they want to "change the face of Auckland" through infrastructure and housing developments.

Ellerslie resident Chris Mills says Auckland Transport is not being honest by claiming to mow the berms of residents who refuse to do so.

Auckland's rates will rise 8.5 per cent in eight years and debt will jump by $480 million.

Auckland Transport has quietly backed down on mowing berms, but is skimping on the quality of grass-cutting.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown got agitated when he was tackled on family values at his first Mayor in the Chair outing in Pukekohe since being embroiled in a sex scandal last October.

The choice facing the elite Act Party Board members, who meet tomorrow to start deciding on its new leader, is one of focusing on either survival or revival, writes Bryce Edwards.

Auckland's economic prospects look the best in seven years, based on labour, housing construction and manufacturing activity.

Aucklanders have until the end of next month to lodge submissions on the city's new planning rulebook, or Unitary Plan, says Environment Court judge David Kirkpatrick.

Mayor Brown has had another vision and is claiming public-private partnerships (PPPs) can relieve the burden on ratepayers.

David Cunliffe has sparked some big questions with his election year opening speech and 'Best Start' policy announcement, writes Bryce Edwards.

'Come to our bake sale,' said a member of a group trying to raise $140k for a court appeal against a $950k sewer tunnel project.

How do we know it's election year? Bryce Edwards teases out the tell-tale signs that politicians are keen for your vote - and it stars with kissing babies.

Expectations are rising for a settlement by Auckland Mayor Len Brown towards the $100,000-plus cost of a review into his extramarital affair to be made public.

As part of his platform for last year's local body elections, Mayor Len Brown said he would push for a 2016 start to Auckland's $2.86b city rail link. However, his ability to gain an early start to the rail link has been much reduced.

John Key has once again shown himself to be the master pragmatist with an eye for winning votes, writes Bryce Edwards.

Hundreds of thousands of Auckland households face rates rises bigger than the 2.4 per cent average hike being proposed by Mayor Len Brown.