Auckland housing affordability has deteriorated dramatically, with first-home buyers facing higher costs and fewer affordable properties in nearly every suburb.

Watercare has had to come clean after a whistleblower detailed the closure of two dams supplying Auckland's water for four months due to traces of herbicide.

One of the country's oldest private schools has for the first time chosen a headmaster from the state schooling sector.

Mark Ford, who has quietly and efficiently been responsible for ensuring Aucklanders have high-quality water and wastewater disposal, has lost a long battle with illness.

Waterfront Auckland CEO John Dalzell had the biggest pay boost among council chief executives for the past two years, taking his salary to more than $500,000.

A $25 million upgrade of Mt Smart Stadium for the Warriors was considered in 2012, but was never actively pursued.

Watercare Services has hit back at a developer who accused it of charging too much for Auckland residential subdivisions.

The Herald asked Auckland's city councillors if they support the plan to ask the Warriors NRL club to relocate to Albany after 2018. Here's where they stand.

Len Brown has had a change of heart about giving the public a say on a new stadium strategy that has seen the Warriors being told to go to Albany.

Auckland Council wants to talk to the new Govt about special taxes, including road charges and vehicle congestion charges, to fund its transport programme.

New Zealand's first skyscraper, the Civic Building on Aotea Square, may be saved from demolition to become a heritage feature of the city skyline.

Property magnate Sir Bob Jones will be at a public meeting next month seeking abolition of an Auckland Council rule requiring building owners to seek iwi approval for work on their land.

Political parties are tailoring all manner of policies for Auckland, or more precisely at 1,030,125 enrolled Jafas, to win their vote.

Watercare chief executive Mark Ford - who is known as "The Fixer" - is expected to step down shortly for health reasons.

Aucklanders have been gifted a new $5 million-plus conservation reserve the size of Cornwall Park, spanning a 10km beachfront at Te Arai near Mangawhai.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown was advised by his former mistress Bevan Chuang to speak English and not to try speaking Mandarin on an official trip to Hong Kong, papers show.

Auckland Council may have to pay Precinct Properties $20 million compensation for the loss of underground carparking in its Downtown Shopping Centre.

Auckland's mega motorway tunnelling machine is powering its way below Waterview with only about 300 metres to go before reaching daylight early next month.

The first images of a major facelift for Auckland's downtown waterfront have been released by the council.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has opted for a less fuel efficient official car, just weeks after launching a new strategy to cut the city's greenhouse gas emissions.

Len Brown's draft budget is all about the good news while hiding the bad.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is talking of selling council carparks and naming rights to swimming pools to help balance the books in his new 10-year budget.

Auckland faces rate hikes of 3.5 per cent for eight years straight and $2.8 billion of cuts to capital projects.

Big cuts to transport, parks and community services will be outlined later this morning when Auckland Mayor Len Brown unveils the first draft of a new 10-year budget.

Auckland's quarter-acre dream is far from over - huge sections of more than half an acre are being sold from $350,000 within the city boundaries.

Hundreds of capital projects totalling about $300 million are being deferred by Auckland Council this year to address pressures in next year's black budget.

Lydia Sosene writes: A full-strength alcohol outlet would be a recipe for disaster and the social cost on our struggling community will continue to triple.

The liquor industry and health authorities will have a say on a controversial draft alcohol policy in Auckland from today.