The best thing that may be said about a 36-storey glass tower to rise on the site of Auckland's Downtown shopping centre is that it will provide tunnels for trains out of Britomart.

Drains and water mains are the ultimate out of sight, out of mind assets.

Ports of Auckland will start work in April on the first step to reclaim more of the Waitemata Harbour.

A debate on the future of the Waitemata Harbour and whether more of the seabed will be reclaimed for port use has started got off to an acrimonious start.

The Auckland Council seems to be constantly surprised by decisions of its subordinate bodies.

Auckland Council and commercial landlord Precinct Properties have struck a deal to allow the City Rail Link tunnels to run beneath a $550 million, 36-level downtown office and shopping tower.

Wellington's barefooted Anglican Bishop Justin Duckworth has thrown his weight behind a campaign for a 'living wage' - recalibrated at $19.25 an hour.

Hastings District Council finally pleads guilty over the death of a four-year-old boy who was run over by a tractor mower.

Auckland councillor and National Party member Linda Cooper has apologised after she called a man a "judgmental little c**k" on the Pride parade Facebook page.

Auckland's local politicians have labelled the Council's overseas postings to London and San Francisco an "outrage", while the mayor defends the decision.

Most libraries will have reduced opening hours, while some others will be extended, in a bid to save $1.1 million in Auckland Council's proposed budget.

Motorway tolls are gaining far more support from Aucklanders than lifting rates and fuel taxes to fill a $12 billion transport funding gap over 30 years.

St Patrick's Square, a pride and joy of central Auckland's streetscape upgrade programme, is looking unloved only five years after a $9.2 million makeover.

Sunset-chasers and their cars have been locked in Auckland's Mt Eden Domain again - despite a council apology last month to people stranded there by an earlier closing time.

'Economists make forecasts," said the late, great, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, "not because they know, but because they are asked."

Auckland boaties are rallying against council plans to weaken controls over further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour for port use.

Rentals for the top 10 most popular "Bach Escapes" in Auckland regional parks are going up by 15 per cent, though summer holiday peak rates of $168 to $222 a night are still modest compared with those expected by private owners.

Auckland Council has voted to delay a decision on a central wharf strategy that involves further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour.

Capacity constraints at the Port of Auckland feature high on the list of those eager to justify its expansion through further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour.

New Zealand territorial authorities have assets of $117.4 billion yet extremely low debt levels of only $10.8 billion, says a financial chief.

Auckland councillors will make a huge call behind closed doors on Thursday on whether to stand firm against further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour for port use.

Parks and beaches are great places for dogs to romp around, but they are not a free-for-all, says Cathy Casey.

A landmark 1905 villa sitting on a $3.5 million piece of land in Herne Bay, the country's most expensive suburb, is for sale for removal.