Latest from Local Government

Brian Rudman: Mayor should be wary of partnerships

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.

Greens challenger calls for 'strike'

Would-be Green Party leadership challenger David Hay - whose application to stand as a candidate for the party has been rejected - says he's not finished yet.

Bryce Edwards: Political roundup: Must-reads from the last week

Mai Chen: Super-Auckland showing the way

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.

Bryce Edwards: Challenges for Greens and Labour

Council's airport windfall

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.

Mayor courts private cash

Len Brown wants his council to look more to public private partnership models to create new infrastructure, saying it could relieve the financial burden on ratepayers and taxpayers.

Bryce Edwards: Political roundup: Winning at the 2014 general election

There's about one year to go until the general election, and there are some very important debates and decisions in play at the moment, writes Bryce Edwards.

Politicians converge on Christchurch East ahead of byelection

Politicians of all persuasions are heading to Christchurch East this week ahead of Saturday's byelection to replace former Labour MP Lianne Dalziel.

Political roundup: Challenges for the National Government

The National Government continues to have plenty of opportunities, successes, failures, and on-going difficulties to deal with, writes Bryce Edwards.

Jenny Dixon: We must open our hearts and jobs to overseas students

The amalgamation of Auckland and the introduction of the Auckland Plan have focused attention on Auckland's diversity, structure and economy.

16 story tower - profit over community?

A plan to build apartment towers up to 16 levels high around Milford Mall aims to make profit at the suburb's expense, says a lawyer acting for Auckland Council.

Homestead moving off site - for now

A Victorian homestead in Pt Chevalier is being temporarily removed from its site while its church owner seeks a resource consent to permanently remove it and construct a replica building.

Ads another waste of ratepayers' money

To the extent the public took any interest in the recent local government elections, council debt levels were a common debating point, writes Bob Jones.

Give us a city to be be proud of Len

A former mayor of Auckland writes an open letter to the leader of the Super City as he starts his second term.

Political roundup: 20 questions

Bryce Edwards rounds up the must-read political items from the media and blogosphere over the last three days.

Craig: No mandate for Govt to sell more state-owned assets

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig says there is not a mandate for the Government to sell further state-owned assets.

Bryce Edwards: Political roundup: What to read - 30 recommendations

Bryce Edwards rounds up the must-read political items from the media and blogosphere over the last week.