Council
Damage still being assessed in Rotorua - Civil Defence
Civil defence in Rotorua says council staff are still working at getting a complete picture of the damage caused by Sunday's extreme wet weather. At the peak of the storm more than 50mm of rain fell… Audio
Upper Hutt parking warden dishes out $400K per year in fines
A single parking warden for Upper Hutt is keeping the small city's residents on their toes. Audio
Colac bay's foreshore road closed but not forgotten
Residents of the Southland town of Colac Bay want their council to save their foreshore road from falling into the sea. District councillors are meeting on Wednesday morning to decide the road's… Audio
Council leaves protester without running water
The man at the centre of a long-running dispute over a central North Island lake has been left with no running water, but health officials say the move is illegal. Phil Taueki has been occupying a… Audio
Mayor's Taskforce highlights barriers to building more homes
Auckland's mayor Phill Goff says his council needs more funding options to help pay for infrastructure associated with new housing developments. Audio
Council and Maori to inspect illegal farm dam and lake
The Maori guardians of Poroti springs near Whangarei have been invited to inspect an illegal dam and lake created by a neighbouring farmer. Local hapu are worried the dam will reduce the flow of water… Audio
Auckland's mayor points to government to solve city's woes
Auckland's mayor Phil Goff is sworn in and immediately calls on central government to do more to solve the city's major problems. Audio
Goff ruffles feathers with transport board selection
Auckland's new mayor Phil Goff has made a controversial decision over the governance of Auckland Transport Audio
How are the local body election losers holding up?
The runners up in the big city mayoral elections look to the future. Audio
Elections a turning point for Nelson roading
A clean out of Green councillors in Nelson clears the way for the city's controversial southern highway plan. Audio
Call for more action on meth contaminated houses
The lobby group for homeowners and buyers says local councils and police need a much more coordinated approach to tackle the problem of methamphetamine contaminated houses. Kathryn Ryan speaks to John… Audio
Twenty five dollars and a dream - the story of Tapu te Ranga Marae
An urban marae built from scavenged materials by homeless youth, ex-cons, and gang members in the 1970s in Wellington is struggling to keep its whare open after the council deemed several of its… Video, Audio, Gallery
Review finds local authorities lacking on building checks
A review of local councils finds nearly half are ignoring their legal requirement to check that buildings are safe and to issue infringement notices. The Ministry of Building, Innovation and… Audio
Gang leader has council contract reinstated
The Dunedin City Council has reinstated a maintenance contract with Black Power leader Albert Epere after he was charged with illegal street racing. Audio
Fence battle reaches new heights
A couple in a court battle over a 4m-high fence in front of their Wellington home tries to have their neighbour's appeal struck out.
Buller keen on clean energy plant
A West Coast local authority is looking at an environmentally-friendly energy plant that could create much-needed jobs for the Westport area.
Could savings in energy efficient lighting be clawed back?
Paul Glennie, Wellington City Council Team Leader of Strategic Planning; and Greg Skelton Chief Executive, Wellington Electricity. The latest LED lighting technology could save local authorities… Audio
High profile Aucklanders try to stop port expansion
There's a bid by dozens of prominent Aucklanders to try to stop an expansion of the city's port but it looks to be in vain. Audio
Martin Visser
Martin Visser is a Whanganui City Councillor. He is developing a social progress and life-quality survey of New Zealand towns and cities, based on the Harvard work of Michael Porter, and is… Audio
