Local Council

A "roaring trade" in Gisborne's kerbside rubbish collection stickers online has raised concerns it could be linked to a much larger issue - illegal waste dumping.

Tauranga City Council sold the precinct for $13.987m to a developer who proposed transforming it into a "premier superyacht refit destination".

The former West Coast Regional Council chair has made a point of trying to attend meetings he is banned from, claiming a right to be there as an elected councillor.

Ratepayers who pay for flood protection in the Harihari district are nervously awaiting a consultants' report on revamping the stopbank system.

Deodorisers installed to manage the stench are "the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff," a councillor says. Audio

An Auckland councillor and a Massey University professor say fast-tracking of a major development on a floodplain could put future residents in harm's way. Audio

Signing contracts for major capital works is on hold while the council figures out how to adapt its 10-year budget.

Weston Kirton says costs will go up, regardless of which new service delivery model the council chooses.

One councillor says it's a "significant undermining of local democracy".

A last-minute amendment was a 'specific attack on the Otago Regional Council', who can no longer pass planned freshwater protections.

Council elections are a year away, but wannabe councillors should start preparing - including those with an eye on Māori wards.

Two park benches at the popular sports park in south Auckland will be removed after complaints of anti-social behaviour.