Latest from Local Government

Rates: Hot property drives higher costs

Auckland house values have risen up to 51.9 per cent in the past three years, which will impact on rates bills next year.

Len Brown: Trains have arrived but the money needs to roll in

Auckland's Mayor explains: Even with the improvements in speed, capacity and service that electric trains will bring, Auckland faces the threat of crippling traffic congestion.

Editorial: Civic Building prime target for demolition

Editorial: Inevitably, there will be opposition to the demolition of Auckland's Civic Building. Some see the Aotea Square structure as one of the country's finest modernist buildings.

New broom for city hall

Stephen Town, the new chief executive of Auckland Council, says the Len Brown sex scandal is not an appropriate subject for him to discuss with a newspaper.

Mai Chen: City's tale best told by its creators

Artificial fields big boost for sports teams

Sports clubs are counting down the days to the opening of new artificial fields on the North Shore.

Electoral boundary changes announced

A new Upper Harbour electorate has been confirmed for Auckland, as well as other major boundary changes in both Auckland and Christchurch.

City rail link: Rates relief idea for affected firms

Rates relief has been suggested as one way of compensating central Auckland businesses for disruption from construction of a $2.86 billion underground railway.

Deal not good look, city boss admits

An Auckland Council contractor has been earning tens of thousands of dollars a year from a fitness programme installed at 10 council leisure services.

Ask Phoebe: Ocean discharge rules are clear

Recently I got into an argument - well, let's call it a free and frank exchange of views - about sewage holding tanks on boats.

Brown's gym in spotlight

Auckland ratepayers have paid $5200 to provide a personal gym for Mayor Len Brown in the Auckland Town Hall.

Government sets best-practice fracking guidelines

The Government has just set best-practice guidelines for fracking in various parts of the country.

Mai Chen: Only new legislation can fix rescue chopper money row

Hamilton votes to restart fluoridation

The Hamilton City Council has voted overwhelmingly in favour of restarting fluoridating its water supply.

Urban renewal vision has growing pains

Four projects launched last decade to create or revitalise Auckland communities have endured hard times to reach milestones in their development.

Brown facing $16m budget hole

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has six weeks to plug a $16 million hole in this year's budget and achieve the goal of holding household rate increases at 3.6 per cent.