Latest from Local Government

Gareth Morgan: Cats - the number one threat to native wildlife

All the money spent and work being done by the council and groups to restore native wildlife is a complete waste of time if we don't manage the number one problem - cats, writes Gareth Morgan.

Editorial: Goff favourite but needs to exert control

Phil Goff is the instant front-runner, if not a near certainty, to be the next mayor of Auckland.

From leafy suburb to apartment zone

Auckland councillors are going behind closed doors to propose rezoning thousands more houses in the city's suburbs for multiple townhouses and apartments.

Secret housing plans for Auckland

Tens of thousands of homes in Auckland's leafy residential suburbs are being rezoned and Auckland Council says homeowners will not be notified about the changes.

Your Views: Who should be mayor of Auckland?

Phil Goff on being mayor of Auckland

After announcing he will stand for Auckland mayor, Phil Goff shares his thoughts on how he would run NZ's largest city.

Dismay over pool fence rule change

Allowing the side of an infinity pool to count as a fence is among a raft of safety changes that opponents fear could lead to more children drowning.

Who will be the next Auckland mayor?

Incumbent Len Brown's announcement that he will not stand again has left the field wide open for next year's local body election.

'Toot - Len Brown Sux' sign sold

A vociferous Auckland protester's soon-to-be redundant anti-Len Brown sign has sold in an online auction this morning.

Editorial: Why Len Brown's Paris trip is out of order

COMMENT: Announcement that Len Brown is going to the world climate change conference in Paris will anger many.

Sue Bradford: Hikoi for Homes - time for action on housing

Tough allocation criteria make it near-impossible for most people to even get on the state house waiting lists. The private rental market is a tough place to enter when you're down and out, writes Sue Bradford.

Memorial service in Wellington November 17

Attendees will be asked to light candles to commemorate the victims in Paris, and there will be a condolences book for people to leave a message of support.

How many contracts to wash a window?

The cost of cleaning the windows at Great Barrier Island airport is surprising.

Brian Rudman: History is being rewritten at every turn

Len Brown would have us believe that nothing happened pre-Super City and that advances since then were all his doing.

Mike Hosking: Len Brown was a fantasist and wasn't up to the job

COMMENT: The writing was on the wall for outgoing mayor Len Brown and his fanciful schemes, he just needed Phil Goff to show him the door, writes Mike Hosking.

Ree Anderson: What's needed to build homes for Auckland

The Council does not build the homes. That is the role of the private development and community housing sectors, writes Ree Anderson.

Water giant celebrates pipe dream

When the Auckland Council was formed in November 2010, Watercare went from being a wholesaler to seven councils to a retailer for 450,000 customers.

Editorial: Feeble end to mayoralty of much promise

Seldom has New Zealand seen, at any level of politics, a rise and fall as rapid as that of Len Brown.