Local Council
Wellington's low-mow trial now pemanent
Wellington City Council "low mow" trial is now permanent, after less frequent trimming was found to have huge benefits. Reporter Lauren Crimp reports. Audio
Residents fume after beloved Wellington beach 'basically lost'
The regional council says it's investigating whether the city council breached resource management rules. Audio
Some West Auckland Trusts candidates keen for shake-up
West Aucklanders get to vote for the Waitakere and Portage Licensing Trusts, which have exclusive rights to the alcohol licenses in their area. First Up producer Matthew Hutching has the story. Audio
Only one in five Aucklanders have voted in local elections
With two days remaining until polls close, only 21.9 percent of eligible voters had returned their papers.
Compliance issues surface at Southland water facilities
An annual report prepared for a district council meeting showed some drinking water plants had missed the mark.
Meet New Zealand's longest-serving councillor
Trevor Maxwell has been a Rotorua councillor for 48 years and joins Emile Donovan. Audio
Council votes to restrict freedom campers' carparks
The new Queenstown Lakes bylaw follows a busy summer when freedom campers arrived in Queenstown in force in the absence of any restrictions.
Error leads to $7000 official portrait of Tory Whanau
A mistake by council staff led to a portrait of Wellington's outgoing Mayor being painted, rather than photographed.
'Like a cheap ID card': A designer ranks election hoardings
Residents across Nelson Tasman have been bombarded by local election candidates' campaign signage, but whose were the best?
Mayor vows cheaper redo after $105m pool project halted
Mahé Drysdale is "disappointed" $4.7m was spent on "ridiculous" plans to overhaul the Memorial Park aquatic centre, which his council has abandoned.
Mayoral shakeup in line for New Plymouth in elections
New Plymouth's mayoral race is wide open - RNZ's Robin Martin tells us who's up for the job Audio
Reflecting on the term of Tory Whanau
The Wellington mayor gave her valedictory address earlier today. The Spinoff's Wellington editor Joel Macmanus looks back at an evenful term. Audio
Whanau lays into councillors over 'defamatory' rumours
"Politics at the moment has become quite an ugly place," Wellington's mayor says in her valedictory speech. Audio
Queenstown council spent over $2m on wastewater plant repairs and legal bills
The council racked up almost $600,000 in legal bills over compliance failures.
Waitaki District Council's standalone water services plan rejected by DIA
Department of Internal Affairs officials have ordered the council to carry out a full review of the district's water assets or face ministerial intervention.
Work to restore Wellington's Begonia House to start next month
The popular 1960s glasshouse won a reprieve from the wrecking ball when the council voted to save it.
Motueka still without local pool despite decades of fundraising
Some Motueka residents are wondering if they'll ever get to take a dip in the pool they've been raising money for since the 1990s. Samantha Gee has more. Audio
Motueka set big target to get swimming pool finally built
There have been feasibility studies, a referendum and decades of fundraising for an indoor heated pool in the town.
'Now that's an idea' podcast on Tai Rawhiti local politics
Podcaster Jack Marshall has been talking politics with candidates around Tai Rawhiti Audio
What's missing from new earthquake plans
One expert says the government's changes on earthquake-prone buildings are more about saving money than lives - but there's some sensible stuff in there Audio
