Local Government News

Media releases should be sent to news@localgovt.co.nz

Waimea Inlet Strategy approved Nelson City Council has joined with Tasman District Council, Department of Conservation and Nelson-Marlborough Fish and Game Council in approving the Waimea Inlet Strategy and becoming a signatory to the Waimea Inlet Charter. (Nelson City Council, 02 September 2010)

Council's pokie vote a close one The Nelson City Council almost voted down the change to its gambling policy that has allowed the application for poker machines in the Brewers Bar at Victory Square to be approved. (The Nelson Mail, 02 September 2010)

Shared service approach delivers another win for local council Participation in BOPLASS Ltd (Bay of Plenty Local Authority Shared Services) is delivering another win for Rotorua District Council with the completion of a 1Gbps fibre network linking it to the major councils in the region. (Rotorua District Council, 02 September 2010)

DCC Executive Management Team Sprucing Up the City This Friday, 3 September, the Dunedin City Council's Executive Management team will be taking the lead in a 'City Spruce Up' challenge. (Dunedin City Council, 02 September 2010)

New Medical Centre a step closer A new medical centre for the people of Amuri is about to move a step closer. The Council this month let a million dollar tender for the construction of a new Community Health Centre to Kaikoura based builder, Bruce Ensor. (PDF, Hurunui District Council, 02 September 2010)

Mix of experience and youth on destination marketing board A mix of young and experienced, local and independent board members have been appointed to the new organisation that will look after destination marketing for the Taupo district. (Taupo District Council, 02 September 2010)

Changes to bus lane enforcement to help keep Auckland moving Auckland City Council today announced a number of initiatives to ensure a fair and reasonable approach is taken with bus lane enforcement. (Auckland City Council, 02 September 2010)

Mayoral profile: Bruce Cawley Mayoral elections in Otago's "heartland" this year have attracted 14 candidates. The Otago Daily Times today continues its series profiling those candidates, with Oamaru reporter David Bruce putting the questions to Bruce Cawley ... (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

Pay cuts for DCC staff Some Dunedin City Council staff are facing $1500 pay cuts from October, after a review of an "attraction and retention" payment they receive on top of their salary. (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

Issues raised over projected debt The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) has raised issues over the size of the Queenstown Lakes District Council's projected debt in its 2009-19 long-term plan - estimated to reach about $400 million. (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

Franklin reluctant bride in forced marriage Franklin has been dragged kicking and screaming into the Super City, with many residents doubtful whether their voice will make it up the Southern Motorway and into council chambers. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 September 2010)

Waterview motorway on fast track Environment Minister Nick Smith will announce tomorrow that he is putting Auckland's $1.4 billion Waterview motorway project on a fast track for resource consent hearings. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 September 2010)

Beach houses draw record protests Plans to build houses on an unspoilt Coromandel beach have drawn more than 1000 submissions in protest. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 September 2010)

Nelson water rates dispute goes to arbitration Tasman District Mayor Richard Kempthorne says he's happy for a water rates conflict to be resolved by an arbitrator. (Radio New Zealand, 02 September 2010)

Councillor says decision on rubbish needed before election The Invercargill City Council must make a decision on its rubbish collection service at this month's council meeting or it will have failed the city's residents, a councillor says. (The Southland Times, 02 September 2010)

Alcohol bans on the way It's hoped new overnight liquor bans for Torbay and Mairangi Bay will curb youth drinking in public. (North Shore Times, 02 September 2010)

Candidates tackle issues Pauline Lockett is proving a breath of fresh air in the early stages of the New Plymouth District Council mayoralty campaign. (Taranaki Daily News, 02 September 2010)

Farm gets consent for effluent discharge to land An application by Far South Farms Ltd to take groundwater and to discharge dairy shed effluent to land has been approved by Environment Southland. (The Southland Times, 02 September 2010)

Water storage lake cheaper option than new dam A new storage lake to more than double Wellington's back-up water supply could replace plans to build a new dam – and save $60 million. (The Dominion Post, 02 September 2010)

Minds and election campaign open More than 100 people attended last night's Queenstown Lakes District Council mayoral and council election debate in the Queenstown Memorial Hall. (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

Power cut affects libraries' computer system A power outage has affected library services throughout Otago during the past two days. (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

Aggressive flood bylaw called for If a proposal to change the Otago Regional Council's flood protection bylaw to restrict development on the lower Taieri is to be effective, it will need to be aggressive and get in at the planning stage, Cr Stephen Woodhead says. (Otago Daily Times, 02 September 2010)

'John Key is my mate - vote for me' Auckland Super City mayoral candidates John Banks and Len Brown argued last night over who had a better relationship with the Prime Minister. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 September 2010)

Contender goes straight to the top for mayoral advice Auckland Super City mayoral candidate Simon Prast is seeking advice and support from some of the world's top leaders - from the mayors of London and New York to the Kennedy family. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 September 2010)

Serepisos on payment plan for rates The Auditor-General has closed down suggestions the Hutt City Council has gone easy on Wellington property developer Terry Serepisos's rate and development levy payments (TVNZ, 02 September 2010)

Hutt Valley to be recognised as a ‘safe community’ Hutt City and Upper Hutt City will receive official accreditation as an ‘International Safe Community’ at a designation ceremony this Thursday 2 September at 2pm, at the Te Maori meeting house, Guthrie Street, Waiwhetu. (Hutt City Council, 01 September 2010)

Keep Stratford beautiful! It’s that time of the year again to be tidy kiwis and roll up our sleeves to Keep New Zealand Beautiful! (PDF, Stratford District Council, 01 September 2010)

New arts centre celebrates Mangere and Manukau Mangere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku is celebrating its local community with visual and performing arts events that will inaugurate its gallery and theatre. (Manukau City Council, 01 Spetember 2010)

Cycle, run or walk along the ETA The countdown is on to the East Taupo Arterial Public Open day where families will get the opportunity to cycle, run or walk a section of the East Taupo Arterial before it is opened to vehicles the following month. (Taupo District Council, 01 September 2010)

Sustainability the priority, dairy farmers told Leading dairy scientists from New Zealand and Australia have been told that finding sustainable environmental solutions is a priority for the dairy industry. (Radio New Zealand, 01 September 2010)

New waterfront playground for Onehunga A $28 million funding agreement signed today by Auckland City Council and the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will help enable the transformation of the tidal Onehunga foreshore into beach and parkland for the community to enjoy. (New Zealand Transport Agency, 01 September 2010)

Scientists shocked by native fish find A rare native fish known as the koaro has been discovered in a stream that leads into Rotorua's Lake Okareka. (The Daily Post, 01 September 2010)

Former NZ First MP gets CCO position Former NZ First MP Tukoroirangi Morgan has been appointed to the new Auckland property council controlled organisation (CCO). (The New Zealand Herald, 01 September 2010)

Candidates open up debate on workshops Marlborough District councillor Gerald Hope wants council workshops open to the public so ratepayers get a better idea of how decisions are made. (The Marlborough Express, 01 September 2010)

MDC hopefuls get tourism push Tourism is a major earner for Marlborough but that can be difficult to see in the community, Destination Marlborough says. (The Marlborough Express, 01 September 2010)

Rail heats up as election issue An Auckland commuter rail service is on track to become one of the more feisty political platforms for Hamilton City Council elections. (Waikato Times, 01 September 2010)

Call For Regional Sinking Lid On Pokies A regional sinking lid policy on gambling machines (pokies) across Auckland would steadily reduce their numbers and therefore their harmful effects say Auckland City Councillors Cathy Casey and Denise Roche on today, Gamble Free Day. (Voxy, 01 September 2010)

QLDC undertakings regarding legal proceedings The Queenstown Lakes District Council has lodged an undertaking in the High Court regarding legal action in connection with issuing shares in Queenstown Airport. (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 01 September 2010)

Mayor Ogden welcomes Auditor-General’s findings Mayor David Ogden has welcomed the Auditor-General’s findings in relation to a complaint about Hutt City Council's practices for recovering money owed by commercial ratepayers. (Hutt City Council, 01 September 2010)

DoC granted Tui Mine clean up consents The Department of Conservation (DoC) has been granted a range of consents as part of plans to clean up the contaminated Tui Mine site on the slopes of Mt Te Aroha. (Environment Waikato, 01 September 2010)

Public Places Recycling Starts Here The Otago Farmers' Market is to host the Dunedin City Council's first Public Places Recycling Stations. (Dunedin City Council, 01 September 2010)

Streamed meeting a hit Live streaming of last night's New Plymouth District Council proved a popular move, it would seem. (Taranaki Daily News, 01 September 2010)

ORC forming urban water strategy The onus will fall on city and district councils to control what is going into their stormwater systems, under the Otago Regional Council's proposed urban water quality strategy, ORC environmental information and science director John Threlfall says. (Otago Daily Times, 01 September 2010)

Local Government Forum Newsletter September 2010 This newsletter offers commentary on a range of issues affecting local governance, and is written and produced by Forum members. (Local Government Forum, 01 September 2010)

Legal flood controls suggested A bylaw might be used by the Otago Regional Council to prevent further development which could impede flood flows on the lower Taieri. (Otago Daily Times, 01 September 2010)

Mayoral profile: Gary Kircher Mayoral elections in Otago's "heartland" this year have attracted 14 candidates. (Otago Daily Times, 01 September 2010)

DCC targeting Town Belt parking The Dunedin City Council is planning a crackdown on commuters, swimmers and high school pupils clogging parts of Queens Dr, in the city's Town Belt, with parked cars. (Otago Daily Times, 01 September 2010)

Tunnels waste to be tested for beach Earth and rock to be excavated for the $1.4 billion Waterview motorway tunnels project is being considered for use in a coastal land reclamation proposed for Onehunga. (The New Zealand Herald, 01 September 2010)

Motorhome owners force council rethink Tauranga motorhome owners outraged at proposals that could force many into building costly garages have won the first round of their battle against the city council. (Bay of Plenty Times, 01 September 2010)

Raffills name could be ward's winning factor Despite not having any concrete plans for Whau, Citizens & Ratepayers candidate Noelene Raffills is expected to take the ward's only council seat. (The New Zealand Herald, 01 September 2010)

Fight goes on for super city Maori seats Super city lobby group IHI says the appointment of co-founder Ngarimu Blair to the board of one of Auckland's council-owned organisations won't stop it fighting for Maori seats on the council itself. (Radio New Zealand, 01 September 2010)

Brown, Banks both promise free pool entry The two leading candidates for the new Auckland super city mayoralty are trying to attract Pacific Island voters by promising free entry to public swimming pools in South Auckland. (Radio New Zealand, 01 September 2010)

SCF vital to South Canterbury - mayor Timaru Mayor Janie Annear says the viability of South Canterbury Finance is crucial to both the region and the country. (Radio New Zealand, 01 September 2010)

Federated Farmers won't sign river accord after all Federated Farmers has stunned local authorities by announcing it will not sign an accord on cleaning up the polluted Manawatu River. (Radio New Zealand, 01 September 2010)

City council given advice on Marineland In what is likely to become an election issue, Marineland is still at the front of Napier residents' minds with two ideas for its refurbishment pitched to the city council on Thursday. (Hawke's Bay Today, 31 August 2010)

Main Street goes blue in time for September On 1 September, the Council will flick the switch on new lights installed in Upper Hutt’s Main Street which will see the street go blue in support of Blue September; a nationwide prostate awareness campaign encouraging men to ‘get blue’ and face up to a disease. (Upper Hutt City Council, 31 August 2010)

Strong interest in Manukau City Council bond offer Manukau City Council’s bond offer has already met with a positive response before its opening date, with bids in the bookbuild process used to set the minimum interest rate and issue margin substantially exceeding the offer size. (Manukau City Council, 31 August 2010)

Ohau Channel Diversion Wall proving a big success The Ohau Channel Diversion Wall in Lake Rotoiti is proving a major success diverting nutrients from Lake Rotorua and improving the water quality, Environment Minister Nick Smith says. (Beehive, 31 August 2010)

$1 million grant for waste reduction research Another innovative New Zealand technology will move closer to production thanks to support provided by the Government through the Waste Minimisation Fund, Environment Minister Nick Smith announced in Rotorua today. (Beehive, 31 August 2010)

Twyford water take consents hearing this week A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council resource consent hearing began on Monday for 151 water take applications in the Twyford area near Hastings. (Hawke's Bay Regional Council, 31 August 2010)

Contracts worth $4.6 million awarded for city infrastructure developments Rotorua District Council (RDC) has approved a total of more than $4.6m of contracts for highway re-sealing, upgrading water services, and sewage waste treatment. (Rotorua District Council, 31 August 2010)

Ideas Splash in Water-savings Discussion Pool A free, Council-backed plumbing service, installation of grey water and rainwater collection systems, grants or subsidies to help pay for low-flow toilets or shower heads - and encouraging drought-resistant plants. (Wellington City Council, 31 August 2010)

Historic day for Wanganui Harbour & Port: Council signs $2.75m deal to take back $14m asset Mayor Michael Laws and council port spokesperson Cr Rana Waitai today announced that Wanganui District Council “has reached a groundbreaking agreement with River City Port Limited that will see the Wanganui district council, and by de facto the Wanganui community, take full control of the port”. (Wanganui District Council, 31 August 2010)

Virtual eruption to touch hundreds The action starts in mid-September as part of Taranaki Blowout (www.taranakiblowout.org), an internet-based community exercise based on an eruption scenario and aimed at increasing people's understanding and preparedness. (Taranaki Regional Council, 31 August 2010)

Kerbside recycling a step closer as bins delivered Collection crates for kerbside recycling will be delivered to households in Blenheim and Picton in about 10 days, a Marlborough District Council spokesman says. (The Marlborough Express, 31 August 2010)

4000 young people answer the call to tell us “how it is” Hutt City and Upper Hutt City councils have got a big job ahead of them as they set out to collate the more than 4000 responses to the Hutt Valley youth survey of 12-24 year olds received over the past month. (Hutt City Council, 31 August 2010)

Council adopts ground breaking policy on antisocial neighbours Wanganui District Council yesterday unanimously adopted a ground breaking policy on antisocial neighbours, which Mayor Michael Laws is hailing as “a seminal piece of policy”. (Wanganui District Council, 31 August 2010)

Queenstown road improvements to start in September The scheduled major ‘street-scape’ upgrade of Lake Esplanade will be timed with final infrastructure and lighting improvements, Queenstown Lakes District Council project manager Steve Hewland said. (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 31 August 2010)

WDC needs to commit to sewerage upgrade - Commissioners Whangarei District Council has effectively been given until early February to adopt a comprehensive upgrade programme for its Whangarei Wastewater Treatment Plant - or risk the rejection of a crucial consent change it wants. (Northland Regional Council, 31 August 2010)

ARC surveys land for new business Kumeu and Silverdale are among business developement areas considered by the Auckland Regional Council. (Rodney Times, 31 August 2010)

Parker plans to open workshops Previously secret Christchurch City Council workshops would be open to the public if Bob Parker wins a second term as mayor. (The Press, 31 August 2010)

Blow the whistle on graffiti The Whangarei District Council has noticed a spike in graffiti, especially in the Tikipunga area, says councillor Sheryl Mai. But it is not receiving many calls or reports about the tagging, she says. (Whangarei Leader, 31 August 2010)

Dogs keep menacing classification The Queenstown Lakes District Council has rejected an appeal to have a menacing dog classification lifted from two Wanaka farm dogs. (The Southland Times, 31 August 2010)

New Group formed to protect regional parks Last Thursday (26 August 2010) a group, named Friends of Regional Parks, was formed to advocate, protect and ensure the regional parks of greater Auckland are given priority within the new Auckland Council. (Friends of Regional Parks, 31 August 2010)

Watercare challenged to look after rural customers Rodney Mayor Penny Webster has welcomed today’s announcement by Watercare that the introduction of a standardised metropolitan water tariff, from 1 July 2011, will see reductions in costs for consumers in metro areas such as Auckland city and the Hibiscus Coast. (Rodney District Council, 31 August 2010)

Ward hearings begin Hearings on the proposal to transfer the Waihi Beach ward from Western Bay of Plenty District to Hauraki District are open to the public and start on Wednesday, September 1, from 3pm to 6pm at the Bowentown Boating and Fishing Club. (Bay of Plenty Times, 31 August 2010)

Short term solution for pool Hauraki District Council is taking over the management and running of the Waihi Community Pool which sits on Ministry of Education land, at least for the next season. (Bay of Plenty Times, 31 August 2010)

War on weeds gets boost The Waihi Beach Environment Society were taught the latest spraying techniques to be used as a weed control measure as part of their dune enhancement programme at Brighton Park last week. (Bay of Plenty Times, 31 August 2010)

Familton old-fashioned campaigner, people person Mayoral elections in Otago's "heartland" this year have attracted 14 candidates. (Otago Daily Times, 31 August 2010)

Groundwater nutrient focus Limiting the loading of nutrients is just as important as putting limits on water takes from aquifers, Environmental Science and Research principal scientist Murray Close says. (Otago Daily Times, 31 August 2010)

Opponents scrap over stadium vote Dunedin's election campaign ignited yesterday, with mayoral candidate Cr Dave Cull fending off accusations he and fellow Greater Dunedin candidate Kate Wilson voted for the Forsyth Barr Stadium in 2008. (Otago Daily Times, 31 August 2010)

Bid to ease peak school traffic flows A council request for Wanaka parents to reconsider travel plans for school children coincides with a move to install new speed limit signs around Mount Aspiring College to slow traffic during peak times. (Otago Daily Times, 31 August 2010)

Gross public intoxication should be banned: Cull Becoming "grossly intoxicated" in public should be an offence in Dunedin, even if it means clogging the city's police cells, a Dunedin mayoral candidate believes. (Otago Daily Times, 31 August 2010)

Water cost coming down, but waste fee will decide total bill Most Aucklanders will pay less for water under the Super City, but will have to wait for a wastewater charging system to learn their cost for the combined charges. (The New Zealand Herald, 31 August 2010)

Mayors differ on race issue Manukau Mayor Len Brown wants to split up Auckland on race by supporting separate Maori seats on the Auckland Council, says his main rival for the Super City mayoralty, John Banks. (The New Zealand Herald, 31 August 2010)

SCF vital to South Canterbury - mayor Timaru Mayor Janie Annear says the viability of South Canterbury Finance is crucial to both the region and the country. (Radio New Zealand, 31 August 2010)

$500,000 from pub charity for Far North archives Supporters of a new museum in the Far North say a major charitable grant to preserve the region's archives is a godsend. (Radio New Zealand, 31 August 2010)

Further Tweaks to Parking Regime The Dunedin City Council's Parking Review Working Party has tweaked the parking regime in the centre of Dunedin following further consultation. (Dunedin City Council, 30 August 2010)

Draft Water Policy The end of a long, wet, winter may not sound like the most auspicious time to discuss drought and water conservation - however Wellingtonians face a number of big issues about water usage. (Wellington City Council, 30 August 2010)

By-election to be held next year in Akaroa for third Community Board member A by-election will be held in Akaroa early next year because only two candidates have put their names forward for election for three positions on the Akaroa-Wairewa Community Board. (Christchurch City Council, 30 August 2010)

If Banks is serious about heritage site, now is time to lead On his campaign website, mayoral candidate John Banks pledges that he "will continue to defend heritage and character areas through the city", working "to ensure that sound heritage and character outcomes for Auckland are reached". (Brain Rudman, The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

Alternative uses for algae, Science and Technology Fair Pond algae could create biofuel for heating, a Lincoln High School student found out as part of his science project for this year’s Canterbury-Westland Schools’ Science and Technology Fair. (Environment Canterbury, 30 August 2010)

Barker has opposing view Nelson city councillor Ian Barker has made a personal submission to the select committee's Local Government Act Amendment Bill, in his efforts to introduce greater transparency in council operations. (The Nelson Mail, 30 August 2010)

Clash seen as problem The large number of Hamilton City Council hopefuls also sticking their hands up for a seat on the Waikato District Health Board could get in the way of getting work done, says the mayor. (Waikato Times, 30 August 2010)

Dunedin City Council Gets Social Marketing and Communications Agency Manager Debra Simes says the DCC has an official Facebook page – ‘Dunedin City Council’ - for releasing information on consultations, media announcements, upcoming events and other important public information. (Dunedin City Council, 30 August 2010)

New discount cuts school bus fares New Plymouth school-bus users and their families will enjoy significant savings with the introduction of a new electronic fare discount scheme next week. (Taranaki Regional Council, 30 August 2010)

Watch Your Council Live Online Live video of tomorrow’s New Plymouth District Council meeting will be streamed via the internet in an initiative to open up Council meetings to the wider public. (New Plymouth District Council, 30 August 2010)

Local issues paramount in high growth ward "Meet the Albany Candidates" evenings will be lively in halls from Browns Bay to Orewa as old foes Cameron Slater and mayoral candidate Andrew Williams trade verbal blows. (The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

New burial areas in Manukau Residents of Manukau and the wider Auckland region will have access to more burial areas with the opening of a new $3 million bridge and supporting roads project at Manukau Memorial Gardens on Tuesday, 7 September. (Manukau City Council, 30 August 2010)

Maori candidates generally put off general seats - Cr A Maori member of Bay of Plenty Regional Council says Maori are put off standing for general council seats because of their low chance of success. (Radio New Zealand, 30 August 2010)

Rodney Hide: Our objective is to make Auckland a greater place Everything we are setting out to achieve is geared to a single objective - to make Auckland greater. (The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

Council uplifts dog responsible for two attacks over the weekend Animal Control officers spent the weekend tracking down a pitbull responsible for two separate attacks on people, before successfully uplifting the dog on Sunday evening. (Wanganui District Council, 30 August 2010)

'Kids Voting' Forerunner To Real Thing Three Tararua schools have enrolled in the Kids Voting exercise aimed at giving participating students an authentic voting experience. (Tararua District Council, 30 August 2010)

Local tourism funds in jeopardy Local tourism bodies are crying foul over plans that could see their funding dramatically slashed. (TVNZ, 30 August 2010)

Permanent speed limits proposed The Selwyn District Council last week approved plans to reduce limits on seven school roads to 50kmh, instead of opting for variable speed zones during school hours. (The Press, 30 August 2010)

Commissioners shun Key's letter The Government-appointed Environment Canterbury (ECan) council is distancing itself from last week's controversial letter from Prime Minister John Key. (The Press, 30 August 2010)

Lignite fast track proposed Multibillion-dollar plans for a lignite-to-diesel conversion plant and urea plant in Southland are so significant the Government could fast-track their resource consents, Gore District Council mayor Tracy Hicks says. (Otago Daily Times, 30 August 2010)

Workshop on climate change The need to adapt Dunedin's coastline to climate change will be discussed at a workshop in Dunedin next month. (Otago Daily Times, 30 August 2010)

Auckland water price announcement due Local Government Minister Rodney Hide says there will be an announcement on Monday afternoon on region-wide pricing of water in Auckland. (Radio New Zealand, 30 August 2010)

Hide: Appointments To Boards Of Auckland Council Ccos The list of directors and chairs for the Auckland Council's new council controlled organisations was agreed to by Cabinet last week, Minister for Local Government Rodney Hide said. (Voxy, 30 August 2010)

Super City directors' fees $2.3m Aucklanders will pay about $2.3 million a year for unelected directors to run most of the Super City services. (The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

Banks switches from user pays to dual charge Super City mayoral contender John Banks says his policy of having two charging systems for water is not a political cop-out to avoid upsetting voters. (The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

Candidates split on wisdom of merging health boards Some candidates for the Auckland District Health Board election want a super health board created to mirror the Super City. (The New Zealand Herald, 30 August 2010)

Mayor's handling of Serepisos debt examined The auditor-general has begun an inquiry into a complaint about Lower Hutt Mayor David Ogden's handling of large sums that were owed to the city by property tycoon Terry Serepisos. (The Dominion Post, 29 August 2010)

EDS Welcomes Decision In "Blank Pages" Case The Environmental Defence Defence Society (EDS) has scored a significant judgement against a council that failed to protect the outstanding landscapes in its district. (Environmental Defense Society, 29 August 2010)

Chief executive's limit altered Whangarei District Council chief executive Mark Simpson's delegated authority to approve contracts has been temporarily raised from $2 million to $3 million. (The Northern Advocate, 29 August 2010)

Bridge designer gets to build it, too The Whangarei District Council is next month expected to seek tenders for a $30 million bridge across the city's harbour. (The Northern Advocate, 29 August 2010)

Mayoral contender wants GDP boost A contender for the Auckland mayoralty has set an ambitious target for boosting the region's economy. (Radio New Zealand, 29 August 2010)

Guilt free e-waste disposal Every purchase of a fridge, television or cellphone comes with a potential problem - where do you get rid of the old one? (The New Zealand Herald, 29 August 2010)

Bay of Plenty council to act on urban flooding Whakatane District Council says it is working to monitor and manage streams and catchments areas that are known to cause flooding in urban areas. (Radio New Zealand, 29 August 2010)

Mayoral contender wants GDP boost A contender for the Auckland mayoralty has set an ambitious target for boosting the region's economy. (Radio New Zealand, 29 August 2010)

Aucklanders' call for action Auckland is waiting. On the gridlocked roads, on the railway platforms, at the bus stops, the residents of the new Supercity are waiting. (The New Zealand Herald, 29 August 2010)

Backstabbing and betrayal in local politics If you thought the Auckland mayoral election race has been a non-event, it may be about to get even worse. (The New Zealand Herald, 29 August 2010)

Remuera carpark vote brings cries of anguish A fight over where $3 million of public money should be spent has led to claims of favouritism in one of Auckland's richest suburbs. (The New Zealand Herald, 29 August 2010)

Mairangi Bay parkland purchase completed by North Shore City Council The final piece in the jigsaw of Mairangi Bay coastal real estate necessary to complete a new public reserve on the beachfront has been purchased, North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said today. (North Shore City Mayor Andrew Williams, 28 August 2010)

Pipers hit right note in awards Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin looked as if he was wrestling an unco-operative octopus when he tried his hand at playing the bagpipes yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 28 August 2010)

Leakage exceeds national averages Wanaka's water network is leaking at a rate of nearly twice the national average and running up a yearly bill estimated at more than $60,000 for the Queenstown Lakes District Council. (Otago Daily Times, 28 August 2010)

Election issues to be discussed Hampden has organised its own meeting for candidates standing for the Waitaki District Council in the Waihemo area. (Otago Daily Times, 28 August 2010)

Privacy an issue in plan Proposed new rules to make Nelson streets safer and more inviting will create far greater hurdles for homeowners seeking privacy. (The Nelson Mail, 28 August 2010)

GG opens new Christchurch Civic Building The new Christchurch Civic Building – home for the Christchurch City Council and named Te Hononga – was opened today (Saturday 28 August) by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand (Christchurch City Council, 28 August 2010)

Kapiti council lowers fluoride level at its Waikanae water treatment plant Fluoride dosing at the Waikanae Water Treatment Plant is to be reduced to 0.7 mg/L following a Council resolution yesterday. The current dosing target is 1.0 mg/L. (Scoop, 27 August 2010)

Civil Defence Welfare and Recovery Forum outstanding success The organisations responsible for providing welfare and recovery services in the event of a civil defence emergency got together at Ruapehu District Council’s (RDC) Taumarunui office on Tuesday (24 August) to take part in a ‘Welfare and Recovery Network Forum’ at the invitation of RDC Emergency Management Coordinator, Annie Petersen. (PDF, Ruapehu District Council, 27 August 2010)

Councils launch flood defence project Whakatane District Council will be working closely with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to monitor and manage streams and river catchments that are known to cause flooding in urban areas in the District (Whakatane District Council, 27 August 2010)

Great idea, pity it's not working When Local Government New Zealand launched its one-stop election site a month ago, it sounded like a brilliant idea. (The New Zealand Herald, 27 August 2010)

Keen to care for dunes Lots of people are keen to care for sand dunes in this district if the turn-out at a meeting last Friday (20 August 2010) night is anything to go by (Gisborne District Council, 27 August 2010)

Mayor says successor “must articulate policies and how to achieve them" Mayor Michael Laws presented a challenge to aspirant mayoral candidates hoping to succeed him – to present clearly defined policies but also how they would make those policies happen. (Wanganui District Council, 27 August 2010)

Treasure Rotorua encourages safe homes during national safety week Treasure Rotorua is encouraging locals to find out how they can make their home a safer place during Safety New Zealand Week [30 August – 5 September]. (Rotorua District Council, 27 August 2010)

Council overachieves on its service targets The Christchurch City Council has exceeded its targets for levels of service, while achieving an operating surplus of $4.6 million. (Christchurch City Council, 27 August 2010)

Swabbing about to Begin Each year the City Council needs to swab the city’s water mains to reduce the likelihood of discoloured water making its way in to residents’ homes. (Palmerston North City Council, 27 August 2010)

Victory pokie decision rests with DIA Nelson City Council today responded to concerns raised by residents of Victory about the possibility of gambling machines returning to their neighbourhood. (Nelson City Council, 27 August 2010)

Sewerage talks bogged down The stoush between Masterton District Council and critics of its $23 million sewerage upgrade spilled on to the council table in a public forum. (Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 2010)

Museum plan closer as trustees decision nears The new torchbearers for Tauranga's long quest to get its own museum are expected to be named next month. (Bay of Plenty Times, 27 August 2010)

Ministers renege on vow to consult mayors on Super City boards Government ministers Rodney Hide and Steven Joyce are in the gun for failing to consult Auckland mayors on unelected directors to run most of the Super City services. (The New Zealand Herald, 27 August 2010)

First rural broadband deal expected by year's end The Government expects to sign the first deal to roll out fast broadband infrastructure to rural areas by the end of the year. (Radio New Zealand, 27 August 2010)

New Appointment For Regional Governance Group Lockwood Chief Executive Bryce Heard has been appointed to the economic development Bay of Connections group following the passing of Rick Vallance last year. (Voxy, 27 August 2010)

Banks Introduces Consumer Choice Into Water Debate Auckland Mayor John Banks says the new Auckland Council represents an excellent opportunity for a fresh start on water and wastewater pricing. (John Banks, 27 August 2010)

Busy Bodies: Local Elections Roundup (Hawke's Bay Today, 27 August 2010)

The state of our city A new report released this week shows the strengths and weaknesses of Auckland city, and its position on the regional and national stage. (Auckland City Council, 27 August 2010)

Court case highlights need for vigilance and responsibility A recent court case in Invercargill has highlighted the importance of being vigilant and responsible when lighting fires, Southern Rural Fire Authority principal rural fire officer Mike Grant said. (Southland District Council, 27 August 2010)

CEO's contract renewed Southland District Council chief executive David Adamson has kept his job for another five years. (Southland District Council, 27 August 2010)

Forest Hill Foundation backed The Forest Hill Foundation is taking concerns over its investigations into making the Forest Hill reserve a fenced predator-free zone seriously and is keen to work with all parties to resolve them. (Southland District Council, 27 August 2010)

Easy answers for hard questions Little was revealed at the first official candidates forum of the New Plymouth District Council election campaign hosted by Grey Power yesterday. (Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 2010)

Rubbish decision may be revoked The Invercargill City Council's decision last week to adopt a two-bin rubbish collection system for the city's residents will have to be re-examined for legal reasons, The Southland Times understands. (The Southland Times, 27 August 2010)

High Court for marina levy row Pine Harbour Marina is taking action against Manukau City Council as part of a wide-ranging dispute. (Eastern Courier, 27 August 2010)

Roaming dogs may get shot Southland people are being warned their dogs could get shot if allowed to run free during lambing and calving season. (The Southland Times, 27 August 2010)

Candidates want more information on fluoride issue Like a rotten tooth, the issue of fluoridating New Plymouth's water supply has flared again. (Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 2010)

New era begins for council and staff The inaugural meeting in Christchurch's new civic building attracted a small but curious crowd. (The Press, 27 August 2010)

Sacking survey's Christchurch-only delivery slated A Government survey on the decision to sack Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillors is under fire for seeking only Christchurch views. (The Press, 27 August 2010)

Eleven SDC councillors elected unopposed Eleven of the 12 Southland District Council seats for this year's elections have already been filled because of a lack of competition. (The Southland Times, 27 August 2010)

WWF survey poll finds support for energy rethink Seven out of 10 people want the Government to invest in public transport and alternative fuels as easy-to-reach oil supplies run out, a poll by environmental organisation WWF has found. (Otago Daily Times, 27 August 2010)

Hard call on road's use The Dunedin City Council's hearings committee faces a difficult decision, after passionate arguments on both sides about the future use of John Wilson Ocean Dr, committee chairman Cr Colin Weatherall says. (Otago Daily Times, 27 August 2010)

Concern over heritage-rule ignorance Clyde residents were becoming increasingly concerned over a lack of knowledge among builders and property owners about building and signage requirements in the town's heritage precinct, a Central Otago District Council hearings panel was told yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 27 August 2010)

5000 strong petition spurs Banks' rethink Auckland City leaders, including Mayor John Banks, are backing away from radical changes to Dominion Rd which have had the local community in an uproar. (The New Zealand Herald, 27 August 2010)

Auckland slowly getting greener Auckland is gradually weaning itself off car dependency, with a slight increase in commuters opting for buses, trains and alternative transport. (The New Zealand Herald, 27 August 2010)

Editorial: Port planning a priority for Super City If the Super City's soon-to-be-seated governors were not fully aware of the challenge facing them, it has been made plain by the New Zealand Shippers' Council. (The New Zealand Herald, 27 August 2010)

Clean heat still available for Taupo Environment Waikato is looking for low income homeowners in Taupo to receive new clean heating appliances as part of its Waikato Clean Heat Programme. (Environment Waikato, 26 August 2010)

New framework expected to help secure funds for key infrastructure development The adoption of a new policy framework for managing the region’s natural and physical resources is a key step toward securing government funding for the Waikato Expressway and other infrastructure development, says chief executive Bob Laing. (Environment Waikato, 26 August 2010)

Fan Zones span Auckland for RWC 2011 Auckland will have four official Fan Zones screening live Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) action around the region during next year’s Tournament. (Auckland City, 26 August 2010)

Regions Look To Boost Partnership With Local Government Launched today to inform candidates in the upcoming Local Body elections of the value that tourism brings to local economies, Local Government and the Visitor Industry: A Powerful Partnership tells how visitors contribute to the development of strong grassroots economies and sustaining communities throughout New Zealand. (Voxy, 26 August 2010)

Māori place names formal endorsement Environment Canterbury Commissioners formally endorsed the dual use of Māori place names with their European equivalent by the regional council at their public meeting today. (Environment Canterbury, 26 August 2010)

Local and central government to work together on infrastructure Stronger partnerships between local and central government on infrastructure issues will benefit communities and regions, says Local Government New Zealand. (Local Government New Zealand, 26 August 2010)

Possible extension to alcohol ban The Christchurch City Council will consider extending the existing city alcohol ban to take in Ilam and Riccarton. (Christchurch City Council, 26 August 2010)

Hutt City landmark turns blue Hutt City’s clock tower is set to turn blue as part of the nationwide Blue September campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer. (Hutt City Council, 26 August 2010)

Ta-ta TV-SN, gidday GeoNet The seismic monitoring network that Taranaki established around its mountain 16 years ago has "come of age" and taken on national responsibilities. (Taranaki Regional Council, 26 August 2010)

New Selwyn Star Metro service, fares for south-western Metro zone. A significant boost to public transport in the south-west of Greater Christchurch was agreed at today’s Environment Canterbury meeting. (Environment Canterbury, 26 August 2010)

Hurunui River Water Conservation Order revised submission At today’s 9th Environment Canterbury Commissioners' meeting, Commissioners agreed to lodge a submission on the revised Hurunui Water Conservation Order (WCO) application. (Environment Canterbury, 26 August 2010)

Government calls for national proposal on rural broadband ICT Minister Steven Joyce has rejected a regional approach to the $300 million Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) and is seeking a national proposal instead. (Computerworld, 26 August 2010)

Urban expansion plan clears up murky issues With the population in Hawke's Bay estimated to grow by 4000 households over the next 40 years, three councils have formally adopted a plan to manage that growth. (Hawke's Bay Today, 26 August 2010)

Ministers and mayors talk infrastructure Government ministers and mayors met last night and agreed to work together on infrastructure investment and planning, Infrastructure Minister Bill English said today. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Laws claims he has been subject to smear campaign Outgoing Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws claims he has been subjected to a "dirty and probably illegal smear campaign" and has laid complaints with police against a mayoral candidate who alleges Mr Laws assaulted him. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Police should focus on dangerous roads: AA Police should focus road safety efforts on dangerous stretches of road rather than speed, the Automobile Association (AA) says. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Old-fashioned campaigning the key to winning ward City Vision is hoping that good old-fashioned campaigning will win them the two Albert-Eden-Roskill Council seats on the new Auckland Council. (City Vision, 26 August 2010)

Council decides not to appeal Bay of Plenty Regional Council has today decided not to seek leave to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision on the relocation of the Council’s head office. (Bay of Plenty Regional Council, 26 August 2010)

Human Rights Commission's Submission On Local Government Act Amendment Bill The Human Rights Commission strongly supports increased transparency in local government decision-making but opposes a proposed reduction in community consultation. (Voxy, 26 August 2010)

Free recycling drop-off services extended Clutha District Council is pleased to advise that free recycling drop-off services have been extended to the townships of Lawrence, Milton and Tapanui. (Clutha District Council, 26 August 2010)

Joyce backs shipping report Transport minister Steven Joyce has praised a major new report on the need for New Zealand ports to gear up to handle much bigger container ships but believes the risk it highlights of competition from Australian ports is overblown. (Business Day, 26 August 2010)

Youth Committee endorse Youth Access to Alcohol message Wanganui District Council’s Youth Committee is endorsing the messages of the Whanganui Youth Access to Alcohol (YATA) project group, as a way of raising awareness of the range of issues related to alcohol and youth. (Wanganui District Council, 26 August 2010)

Manukau to celebrate opening of new arts centre Manukau’s much-anticipated new arts facility, Mangere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, will be officially opened on Friday 3 September. (Manukau City Council, 26 August 2010)

TCDC working hard to overcome Whitianga WWTP odour issues Thames-Coromandel District Council has been actively trying to overcome odour issues that have been an intermittent problem at the new Whitianga Waste Water Treatment Plant and hope that recent initiatives will bring them to an end. (Thames-Coromandel District Council, 26 August 2010)

Thames-Coromandel Mayoral race now down to five With Murray McLean's withdrawal from the Mayoral race this week, five Mayoral candidates remain in the upcoming local government elections to be held on Saturday 9 October 2010. (Thames-Coromandel District Council, 26 August 2010)

Roading budget offset An overall under-spend on roads in the Queenstown Lakes District for the 2009/10 year has helped offset unbudgeted expenditure, due in the main to weather events, Queenstown Lakes District Council transport manager Denis Mander said. (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 26 August 2010)

Cyclists encouraged to ‘stand out’ Police and Hutt City Council are running a week long campaign to ensure cyclists stand out and stay safe at night. The campaign is supported by Lower Hutt retailer Avanti Plus Cycles and cycle-friendly Celsius Café on Hutt Road, Petone. (Hutt City Council, 26 August 2010)

$5m sport centre for Hutt A new $5 million indoor sports centre with up to eight multi-purpose courts looks set to go ahead in Lower Hutt. (The Dominion Post, 26 August 2010)

Battle to protect landscape persists A battle to protect the Mackenzie Basin's iconic landscapes has reached the Environment Court. (The Press, 26 August 2010)

Mayoral hope has colourful back-story Southland District Council mayoral contender Roderick Young is an enigma with a controversial back-story. (The Southland Times, 26 August 2010)

District plan gets green light The Wellington City Council has given the green light to a new District Plan in an overwhelming majority vote last night. (Newstalk ZB, 26 August 2010)

Fears housing plans will create ghettos in suburbs Johnsonville residents plan to take Wellington City Council to the Environment Court over plans they say will gut property values and create a ghetto in the suburb. (The Dominion Post, 26 August 2010)

First water report in 10 years available now Environment Southland and Te Ao Marama Inc have launched ‘Our Health’, the first of four reports which make up Southland Water 2010: Report on the State of Southland’s Freshwater Environment. (Environment Southland, 26 August 2010)

Shippers' Council backs Tauranga and Lyttelton as big ports The debate about which ports should handle bigger container ships shifted up a gear today with the New Zealand Shippers' Council anointing Tauranga and Lyttelton. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Meeting on airport closed The Queenstown Lakes District Council will hold an extraordinary meeting next Monday to discuss the Queenstown Airport shares sale, but it will not be open to the public. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Cycle tunnel report flags cheap option Consultants have stopped short of discouraging the Dunedin City Council from opening the Caversham tunnel to cyclists - in a report a tunnel proponent calls short-sighted and clouded with "Rolls-Royce" price tags. (Otago Daily Times, 26 August 2010)

Ethnic and economic opposites in merged ward The battle for two councillor spots in Eden-Albert-Roskill will be close, fierce ... and at least two experienced politicians will miss out on Super City seats. (The New Zealand Herald, 26 August 2010)

Driver falls fowl of council A truck driver is facing paying clean-up costs after a large quantity of chicken manure was spilt on a public road in Whangarei. (The New Zealand Herald, 26 August 2010)

Scion seeks big field test of GE pine trees An environmental watchdog is calling for public submissions on a plan to field test genetically-engineered pine trees ``in containment'' at Rotorua. (Hawke's Bay Today, 26 August 2010)

High Electoral Enrolments In Hawke’s Bay Almost three million voters have enrolled for this year's local elections, with high percentages of voters enrolled in Hawke’s Bay. (Hawke's Bay Today, 26 August 2010)

Shore Voice applauds pool vote The North Shore City Council's decision last night [August 25] to base its long-awaited northern aquatic centre at North Harbour Stadium has been welcomed by Shore Voice. (Shore Voice, 26 August 2010)

Mayoral Bid Based On 'Your Wellington' Platform Speaking at a campaign launch function in Cuba Street last night Jack Yan, Wellington Mayoral candidate and businessman, promised to "give Wellington back to the people". (Jack Yan, 26 August 2010)

New geothermal plan for Rotorua Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua District Council are working together to formulate how to allocate Rotorua's geothermal resources following a workshop on Friday. (Rotorua District Council, 26 August 2010)

Marton Community Development Projecting hosting ministerial visit from Tariana Turia on 1 September 2010 Hon Tariana Turia, in her role as Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, has selected the Marton Community Development Project as one of the projects to visit during a day tour of the region. (PDF, Rangitikei District Council, 26 August 2010)

Regional council's One Plan to be launched The final version of Horizons' One Plan launched this week will be less draconian than many farmers expect, regional council chairman Garrick Murfitt says. (Wanganui Chronicle, 25 August 2010)

Over 91pc of voters enrol for elections Latest details from the Electoral Commission show over 91 per cent of eligible voters in New Zealand are enrolled for upcoming local body elections. (The New Zealand Herald, 25 August 2010)

Stratford Youth Groove to Nesian Mystik A great crowd turned out for the Nesian Mystik concert hosted by Stratford District Youth Council last Friday night. (Stratford District Council, 25 August 2010)

One Plan process lessons Labour’s Agriculture spokesperson Damien O’Connor has welcomed the announcement this week on the Horizons Regional Council One Plan. (New Zealand Labour Party, 25 August 2010)

Councillor achieves target for footpath Tauranga City Councillor Murray Guy has achieved his target of building a footpath up to the historic Mission Cemetery for $17,000. (Bay of Plenty Times, 25 August 2010)

Bell-Booth cries foul over sign fee rules Palmerston North mayoral candidate Mark Bell-Booth has hit out at the Palmerston North City Council over a $150 charge for the right to put up election billboards on publicly owned land. (Manawatu Standard, 25 August 2010)

Water Quality Research Wins Student NRC Award A study into how well an urban carpark ‘rain garden’ cleans stormwater has earned a Whangarei student a $1000 Northland Regional Council award at the Central Northland Science and Technology Fair. (Northland Regional Council, 25 August 2010)

Banks Forced into a Change of Heart on Grog City Vision and Labour Auckland City Councillors are astounded at John Banks telling an election meeting that he is now keen to bring in controls for off-licence liquor outlets. (City Vision, 25 August 2010)

Liquor ban widened to public places From 1 September, the consumption of alcohol will be banned in all of Hamilton’s public places between the hours of 10pm and 6am. (Hamilton City Council, 25 August 2010)

Spate of catchpit grate thefts causes concern Thieves have stolen over 100 catchpit grates costing the city’s ratepayers thousands of dollars and endangering many people’s safety. (Hamilton City Council, 25 August 2010)

Class of 2010: Emergency Volunteers Graduate The first class from Wellington's new civil defence volunteer training course is scheduled to graduate in a ceremony tomorrow night (Thursday 26 August, 7.00pm). (Wellington City Council, 25 August 2010)

Penguin Protectors Win Community Award A project to protect Wellington's little blue penguins is the Supreme Winner of the 2010 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards. (Wellington City Council, 25 August 2010)

Consent requirements for water measuring obligations explained for farmers The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is updating rural water users in the region on local and central government rules covering water measurement devices. (Otago Regional Council, 25 August 2010)

Tribunal Forbids Dams On Nevis River A special tribunal has forbidden the building of any dam on the Nevis River in Central Otago. (Voxy, 25 August 2010)

New tools to fight tagging The victims of graffiti in Dunedin now have two new tools in the fight against tagging. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Sacking 'motivation to stand' Deposed Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillors say the manner of their dismissal has motivated them to contest October's local body elections. (The Press, 25 August 2010)

More chase seats in Upper Hutt A three-way choice for the Upper Hutt mayoralty and a potentially high profile battle for the city's sole representation on the Greater Wellington Regional Council are the stand-out features of the upcoming local government elections. (Upper Hutt Leader, 25 August 2010)

Ceramic trout brightens up council offices A stunning pair of ceramic trout have been produced by Active Arts Taupo (AAT). One will be mounted on the Active Arts building and the other just outside the Council Chamber. (Taupo District Council, 25 August 2010)

Strong interest in local elections Twenty-three nominations were received for the positions of District Mayor and 10 councillors, compared to 20 in 2007, 19 in 2004 and 22 in 2001. (Manawatu District Council, 25 August 2010)

Waste plan sparks interest Manawatu District residents are deep into waste and letting their views be known on future services. (Manawatu District Council, 25 August 2010)

Brown accuses Banks of using bus lane fines to keep rates down Super City mayoral candidate John Banks' financial credibility came under attack last night when rival opponent Len Brown accused him of using bus lanes fines to keep rates artificially low. (The New Zealand Herald, 25 August 2010)

Name game over - now who will lead Howick Some voters in Howick have already had their election victory. It came, they say, on the day they convinced Parliament to ditch the Local Government Commission's choice of Te Irirangi as the name for the new Super City ward for Howick. (The New Zealand Herald, 25 August 2010)

Councils planning better for long-term, says Auditor General The Auditor-General says local bodies are embracing long-term planning. (Radio New Zealand, 25 August 2010)

$250,000 grant for research on toxic sea slugs The Government will pay for research into toxic sea slugs blamed for the deaths of two dogs on North Shore beaches last winter. (The New Zealand Herald, 25 August 2010)

Money held back from contractor A "substantial" amount of money is being withheld from the contractor of Project Pure, as the Queenstown Lakes District Council tries to resolve odour issues at the troublesome Wanaka wastewater and sewage facility. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Museum exhibits for Singapore A new agreement between the Otago Museum and a big science centre in Singapore will pave the way for Otago science exhibits to be exported to Singapore, museum organisers say. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Cycleway bill could reach $7m: report A cycleway linking Dunedin and the Taieri Plain could cost $7 million to complete - about four times more than city councillors originally expected, a report set for release this morning says. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Move to endorse Maori names The use of Maori place names, in conjunction with their English counterparts, may be formally endorsed by Environment Canterbury (ECan) commissioners at their meeting tomorrow. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Fireside chats planned to grill election hopefuls Two Greytown women who want voters in the town to be well informed before casting their votes in October's local body elections plan to borrow from a concept made famous by a wartime American president. (Wairarpa Times-Age, 24 August 2010)

Sediment discharges prompt Council upskilling Northland is getting smaller every year and the Northland Regional Council is saying "enough". (The Northern Advocate, 24 August 2010)

Colourful candidates vying for council jobs in capital A former mayor, a fashionista, senior media figures and a slate of Labour candidates are vying for places around the Wellington City Council table. (Radio New Zealand, 24 August 2010)

PM asks Cantabrians about Ecan sacking Prime Minister John Key has sent a pamphlet to over 100,000 Canterbury homes seeking their views on the Government's decision to sack Environment Canterbury (Ecan) councillors. (Otago Daily Times, 25 August 2010)

Napier Gains ‘International Safe City’ Accreditation In Style Accredited examiners from Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand (SCFNZ) visited Napier last Tuesday (17 August) to judge the city’s community safety efforts against criteria based on the World Health Organisation Safe Community Model. (Napier City Council, 24 August 2010)

Dunedin's Fuel Consumption Under Review Dunedin residents could this week find themselves participating in a research project that could guide planning for the city over the next quarter of a century. (Dunedin City Council, 24 August 2010)

Repairing The Damage Done Far North Mayoral candidate, Laurie Byers, today said that among his first priorities in office would be to repair the damage that the current Mayor has done to Council as an organisation. (Laurie Byers - Far North Mayoral Candidate, 24 August 2010)

Labour calls for GST exemption on this year's rates Labour Party leader Phil Goff is calling on the Government to exempt this year's local government rates from the increase in GST. (Radio New Zealand, 24 August 2010)

ORC Consulting On Ettrick Groundwater Allocation The Otago Regional Council (ORC)'s public consultation on a proposed maximum allocation volume for the Ettrick basin groundwater aquifer is entering a new phase. (Voxy, 24 August 2010)

Dairy farming rules tightened under regional plan The Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council has confirmed that dairy farming will be a controlled activity in the region, but has backed off regulating other types of farming or horticultural land use. (Radio New Zealand, 24 August 2010)

Council proposes job changes Nelson City Council Chief Executive Keith Marshall briefed staff yesterday afternoon (23 August) about proposed changes intended to improve services across Council. (Nelson City Council, 24 August 2010)

New evacuation plan for Kawakawa Bay community Civil Defence and emergency management service personnel will be testing a new evacuation plan developed especially for the Kawakawa Bay community. (Manukau City Council, 24 August 2010)

Kunming Delegation Arriving in New Plymouth The first Mayoral delegation from Kunming in four years will be arriving in New Plymouth this Thursday (26 August). (New Plymouth District Council, 24 August 2010)

Travel choices for Wanaka students Wanaka primary-age students and their families are being invited to take a fresh, new look at school travel choices, Queenstown Lakes District Council transport manager Denis Mander said (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 24 August 2010)

Good Times On The 'Music Bus' Upper Hutt City Mayor Wayne Guppy will cut the ribbon at the launch of Goodtime Music Academy's brand new Music Bus next wednesday (1 September) at Birchville primary school in Upper Hutt. Lower Hutt City mayor David Ogden will launch the Bus at Eastern Hutt school the following day. (Voxy, 24 August 2010)

Legal opinion sought on dispute Dunedin City Council staff are remaining tight-lipped about efforts to resolve a six-year dispute between neighbours at Seaview Tce, Dunedin. (Otago Daily Times, 24 August 2010)

Error rules out QLDC hopeful A candidate yesterday ruled out of standing for the Queenstown Lakes District Council because of a previously undiscovered error on her nomination form - submitted last Monday - says she is "gutted". (Otago Daily Times, 24 August 2010)

Police to call on councils Police will write to newly-elected councillors later this year asking them to support increased alcohol restrictions in an effort to safeguard their communities from violence and disorder. (Otago Daily Times, 24 August 2010)

Rodney Ward: rural battleground awaits clash of the Amazons Two women warriors, bold, wily, experienced and dedicated, competing for the prize - to represent the mainly rural Rodney Ward on the Auckland Council. (The New Zealand Herald, 24 August 2010)

Banks shifts stance to support 4am closing Super City mayoral candidate John Banks has dropped support for 24-hour drinking in central city bars, and now supports 4am closing. (The New Zealand Herald, 24 August 2010)

Bassett gets book task Historian and former Labour Cabinet minister Michael Bassett is expected to write a book chronicling the last 20 years of the Auckland City Council at a cost of $135,000 to ratepayers. (The New Zealand Herald, 24 August 2010)

Super city boss acknowledges morale low during job upheaval Staff turnover is rising at some Auckland local bodies as the date nears for filling thousands of jobs in the super city council. (Radio New Zealand, 24 August 2010)

Encroachment Policy Update Councillors have decided further work needs to be done on the Road Encroachments and Sale Policy review. (Wellington City Council, 23 August 2010)

Expansion of ski area proposed Submissions are being called over a proposed expansion of a ski area on to Department of Conservation land in Canterbury. (Radio New Zealand, 23 August 2010)

Council facing more claims for Maori land A challenge to Masterton District Council to have land returned to Maori may open the door for further claims for up to 360ha (890 acres) from Castlepoint to Mangatainoka. (Wairarpapa Times-Age, 23 August 2010)

Economic sustainability in focus for Blueprint Many of the Coromandel’s industry leaders gathered in Thames this month to share their views on how their particular enterprises might contribute to growing the district’s economy over the next 50 years. (PDF, Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint, 23 August 2010)

EW welcomes new Taupo Hospital heating system Environment Waikato is welcoming a new geothermal system which has replaced the coal-fired boiler at Taupo Hospital, saying it will contribute to improving air quality in the town. (Environment Waikato, 23 August 2010)

Bob Harvey: Auckland a city of shattered dreams As the various wards of Auckland merge to create a supercity, the Herald looks back at how Auckland has changed over the years. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Homebush Wastewater Treatment Plant Iwi, interested parties and neighbours bordering the Homebush wastewater treatment plant have been invited to attend a special Council meeting to share their views about the discharge of treated wastewater as part of the $23 million plant upgrade. (Masterton District Council, 23 August 2010)

Electoral newcomer offers Shore a voice in Queen Street The new face of Auckland politics, Shore Voice, is standing for 21 positions on the new Auckland Council - making it one of the major tickets in the coming elections. (Shore Voice, 23 August 2010)

Council lifts the lid on District Plan review options Hamilton City Council is lifting the lid on potential solutions to the city’s most significant issues this week, distributing a summary flyer to all residents from 28 August. (Hamilton City Council, 23 August 2010)

First of Nelson Park $3m Fund Spent on Warren Street Pocket Park The first of a series of parks planned for Hastings city CDB will be located on Warren Street, providing a place for members of the public to relax and patrons of Café Zigliotto to dine alfresco. (Hastings District Council, 23 August 2010)

Government liquor reforms to empower council Mayor Michael Laws today welcomed the announcement of the government liquor reform package and said that the opportunity for the council, in consultation with the community, to play a wider role with regard to liquor “is long overdue but the right step nonetheless”. (Wanganui City Council, 23 August 2010)

District Plan Rewrite under Scrutiny this Week A major rewrite and expansion of Wellington's town-planning rule book - the District Plan - is to be considered by the City Council at its full meeting this Wednesday 25 August. (Wellington City Council, 23 August 2010)

Water Drilling Begins in Okato Drilling has begun in the search for a new water supply for Okato. (New Plymouth District Council, 23 August 2010)

70 nominees for local elections Nominations are in and all District Council seats are to be contested at the upcoming elections. Whakatane District Council electoral official Janie Storey has confirmed that all council seats will be contested, but there will be no elections for the Murupara and Rangitiaki Community Board. (Whakatane District Council, 23 August 2010)

Honda funds planting of thousands of native trees Honda will on Wednesday 25 August at 3pm hand over a cheque for $12,010 to Environment Waikato CEO Bob Laing in the latest donation made under its ongoing programme to fund native tree planting in the Waikato. (Environment Waikato, 23 August 2010)

Local body candidates meeting shy of questioners The phrase desperate and dateless had a new twist on Saturday when Dunedin City Council candidates narrowly outnumbered "speed dating"-style voters at an event devised to put voters face-to-face with those who seek to represent them. (Otago Daily Times, 23 August 2010)

Super-truck brings a bigger picture to nation's highways One of the first of a new breed of super-sized trucks is about to hit the roads while doubling as a giant moving billboard depicting an idyllic rural scene. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Challenger splits centre-right in Tory heartland The political landscape of the Super City largely rests on two contests: who wins the mayoralty - John Banks or Len Brown - and who wins the Orakei ward - Doug Armstrong or Cameron Brewer. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Sheep farmers flocking to carbon credits New Zealand's sheep farmers are flocking to a Government carbon trading programme that pays more to plant trees than sell wool and mutton. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Fears city water may cost hundreds of dollars more Auckland families should be concerned about big water bill increases under Super City mayoral contender John Banks and Citizens & Ratepayers, says the leader of the rival City Vision ticket, Richard Northey. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Booze law puts local communties in control Local communities will set the trading hours for liquor outlets in their areas under plans expected to be announced today. (The New Zealand Herald, 23 August 2010)

Past comes to life for young helpers In the temperature-controlled bowels of the museum, four young people have been discovering the history of Wanganui while archiving and digitising photographs and negatives. (Wanganui Chronicle, 23 August 2010)

Banks Backs Greater Community Say On Alcohol Auckland Mayor John Banks has welcomed the changes to liquor laws that the Government will announce tomorrow. (John Banks, 22 August 2010)

Mayoral, council hopefuls revealed Nominations have closed and the race is on for district and regional council seats in Northland, with 142 people standing in October's local body elections. (The Northern Advocate, 22 August 2010)

Six to do battle in race to be mayor Wanganui voters will have a choice between six mayoral candidates and 32 potential councillors. (Wanganui Chronicle, 22 August 2010)

Electoral Newcomer Offers Shore A Voice In Queen Street The new face of Auckland politics, Shore Voice, is standing for 21 positions on the new Auckland Council - making it one of the major tickets in the coming elections. (Voxy, 22 August 2010)

Rotorua's new look A long-term vision that will eventually see a new-look central city has been unveiled by Rotorua's council. (The Daily Post, 22 August 2010)

Council Parking Dept Says It Was Unaware Of $3m Fund “Nearly $3 million sits in the Auckland City Council’s Municipal Parking Fund, yet just two months out from amalgamation and its future remains unclear. Council reports the pot of money has been accumulating for over three decades but claims no one knew it was even there,” says Cameron Brewer, council candidate for the Orakei ward. (Cameron Brewer, 22 August 2010)

Councillor Jo Coughlan To Stand Again For Onslow/Western Ward Onslow Western Ward Councillor Jo Coughlan is standing for the 2010 local elections. If successful, this will be her second term representing the Ward. (WCC Candidate Jo Coughlan, 22 August 2010)

Auckland Council nominations More than 500 nominations for the new Auckland Council have been received, more than were expected. (Auckland City Council, 22 August 2010)

Supercity doesn't look gift horses in mouth Supercity ratepayers will not just inherit a bunch of superannuated politicians who fancy a few more years of council meetings. (The New Zealand Herald, 22 August 2010)

Candidates line up for chains Once, local elections in New Zealand were said to be farmer vs farmer. This year, they are former vs former. (The New Zealand Herald, 22 August 2010)

Mayor urges tougher law on seized attack dogs Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says the law needs to be tougher on the question of exterminating dogs involved in attacks. (Radio New Zealand, 21 August 2010)

More time needed for hillside assessment Whakatane District Council says it could be a week before geotechnical experts decide how to deal with an unstable hillside behind several houses. (Radio New Zealand, 21 August 2010)

Sir Barry returns to Auckland politics One of New Zealand's longest serving mayors is coming out of political retirement to stand as a councillor in the super city in Auckland. (Radio New Zealand, 21 August 2010)

Tararaua/Wairarapa local body nominations Nominations for local bodies in the Tararua/Wairarapa regions for the 2010 elections (Wairapa Times-Age, 21 August 2010)

Public Meeting In Kapiti Calls Expressway Into Question In a clear sign of mounting opposition to NZTA's planned motorway through the middle of the Kapiti Coast more than 300 local residents turned up to a three-hour long public meeting held in Waikanae last night. (Voxy, 21 August 2010)

Council to defend charges of damaging 3 sites The Western Bay of Plenty District Council will defend an allegation that it damaged three archaeological sites last year. (Bay of Plenty Times, 21 August 2010)

Familiar, quirky and controversial in race for mayoralty The contest to decide who will lead Tauranga for the next three years has turned into a seven-way clash featuring a mixture of the familiar, the eccentric and a dash of controversial new blood. (Bay of Plenty Times, 21 August 2010)

Six People to Contest Wellington City Mayoralty Eighty-six nominations have been received for the upcoming Wellington City Council, community board and Capital & Coast District Health Board elections to be held on Saturday 9 October. Of these, six people are contesting the mayoralty. (Wellington City Council, 21 August 2010)

Interim Chief Executive for Auckland Transport The Interim Chief Executive of Auckland Transport is to be Dr David Warburton, the Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) announced today. (Auckland Transition Agency, 20 August 2010)

Workplan, timeframes for Environment Canterbury outlined Environment Canterbury’s commissioners have released the letter provided to Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide outlining the work programme for the organisation (Environment Canterbury, 20 August 2010)

Nominations for Christchurch City Council election close A total of 160 people will stand for election in the 2010 Christchurch City Council election on 9 October. (Christchurch City Council, 20 August 2010)

Council contenders throw hats in the ring Sixty two people have thrown their hats in the ring as candidates in the upcoming local government elections to be held on Saturday 9 October 2010. (Thames-Coromandel District Council, 20 August 2010)

Council contenders throw hats in the ring More than 40 candidates will be contending for seats on Hamilton City Council in the upcoming local elections to be held on Saturday, 9 October. (Hamilton City Council, 20 August 2010)

Fight Against Graffiti Gets Helping Hand Two new weapons in the battle against graffiti have been developed by Keep Dunedin Beautiful, the DCC and Dunedin Police. (Dunedin City Council, 20 August 2010)

Water disruptions almost over Three weeks into the Westport Water Treatment Plant upgrade, works are coming to a close. (PDF, Buller District Council, 20 August 2010)

"The Waters of the Waikato" launched at Turangawaewae An important new book on the Waikato River from Taupo to Port Waikato has been launched today at Turangawaewae marae during the fourth anniversary celebrations for the coronation of King Tuheitia. (Environment Waikato, 20 August 2010)

Calls for Public Help to Find Pitbull Stolen from Pound Hastings District Council and Hastings Police are calling for the public to report any information about the whereabouts of an aggressive pitbull which was stolen from the Hastings Pound in an elaborate break-in. (Hastings District Council, 20 August 2010)

Transition process for new council Mayor Michael Laws today explained what will happen following the triennial election on October 9 “so that both the outgoing and incoming councils, plus the community, will understand the process”. (Wanganui District Council, 20 August 2010)

Shot in the Arm for Kilbirnie Gets the Big Tick Wellington City Councillors are likely to give the go-ahead to the first stage of a multimillion dollar revitalisation of Kilbirnie town centre. (Wellington City Council, 20 August 2010)

Bus Tunnel Safety Initiative Gets Green Light Effective enforcement - deterring motorists from taking illegal shortcuts through the Mt Victoria bus tunnel - is a step closer following yesterday's meeting of Wellington City Council's Strategy and Policy Committee. (Wellington City Council, 20 August 2010)

You can Help Keep Taranaki Beautiful! Wanted: A few thousand willing hands to help keep Taranaki beautiful! (New Plymouth District Council, 20 August 2010)

Putting the social in social housing The talents of some of the city’s social housing tenants will be on display at this year’s art exhibition which will combine photography, sculpture, painting and artwork. (Christchurch City Council, 20 August 2010)

Board to have say on upgrade A $1.8 million upgrade of East Otago water supplies is proposed by the Waitaki District Council this financial year, but it wants to hear from the Waihemo Community Board before making any final decisions. (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

Meeting with residents over potential slip Whakatane District Council is to meet the evacuated residents of a slip-prone hillside on Friday. (Radio New Zealand, 20 August 2010)

River management process criticised Otago Fish and Game Council chief executive Niall Watson says a decision to "uplift" jet-boating speed limits on the Hunter River is "seriously underdone". (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

Political agenda behind 'costly vandalism' Security cameras were not enough to prevent vandalism of the new southern entranceway, an incident Mayor Michael Laws believes was politically motivated. (Wanganui Chronicle, 20 August 2010)

City councillors stand by Guest Michael Guest is a tall poppy who has been hung out to dry by some jealous of his achievements as a lawyer and Dunedin city councillor, Cr Bill Acklin says. (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

Ex-All Black, MP standing for Lakes council Former All Black Grahame Thorne has been nominated to stand for the Queenstown Lakes District Council. (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

12 seek positions A dozen people have put their names forward for the Lower Waitaki-South Coastal Canterbury zone committee being set up to manage freshwater resources in the lower Waitaki River and Waimate district by Environment Canterbury. (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

The race is on to get Auckland looking like a real Super City The race to get Auckland City looking like a Super City will see the agency handling the transition rush to change the signs on 4000 vehicle doors and 80 council buildings in the three weeks leading up to November 1. (Auckland City Council, 20 August 2010)

Political personalities support Cameron Brewer Three well-known Auckland political personalities have thrown their weight behind independent council candidate Cameron Brewer’s bid to win the new Orakei ward on the Auckland Council. (Cameron Brewer, 20 August 2010)

Hayes settles on candidacy First he was standing, then he announced his retirement, and then Clutha Mayor Juno Hayes yesterday said he had decided to stand for re-election after all. (Otago Daily Times, 20 August 2010)

Disabled strategy is a world first A world-first disability strategy challenging local bodies to provide fundamental human rights for people with disabilities will soon be launched in Wanganui. (Wanganui Chronicle, 20 August 2010)

Mayoralty candidates multiply to half dozen Wanganui's mayoralty candidate numbers doubled yesterday. Three more people confirmed their candidacy, bringing the total to six with less than a day to go before nominations close. (Wanganui Chronicle, 20 August 2010)

Be one of the first to set foot on the ETA With the East Taupo Arterial weeks away from completion, Taupo District Council, Fulton Hogan and Taupo Moana Rotary Club and Bikefest Manager Keith Crate are planning a public open day to celebrate this significant event in Taupo history. (Taupo District Council, 19 August 2010)

Last chance to win heating and insulation package Time is running out for people to have their chance to win a $3000 heating and insulation package in a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the possible harmful effects of using unflued gas heaters. (Gisborne District Council, 19 August 2010)

Board members appointed for PCC operations and facilities Porirua City Council has appointed external members on two Management Boards to oversee the Council's Cultural and Leisure Facilities and its Works Operations. (Porirua City Council, 19 August 2010)

Kopu to Thames Structure Plan approved Final approval has been given to the Kopu to Thames Structure Plan after a lengthy discussion by the Thames-Coromandel District Council at the Council's full meeting last week. (Thames-Coromandel District Council, 19 August 2010)

Council approves interim solution to Horse Float Car Park at the beach At a meeting of the Waimakariri District Council’s Community and Recreation Committee yesterday afternoon committee members voted to approve an interim horse float car park being established adjacent to the sewage ponds at the southern end of the Pines Avenue Reserve at Waikuku Beach. (PDF, Waimakariri District Council, 19 August 2010)

It’s still NOT ‘Whanganui’! Media keep misnaming our city & district The media are not observing the law with regard to their reporting of events related to Wanganui. (Wanganui District Council, 19 August 2010)

Nelson landmark reopens in style with ‘Bill’ Rugby’s highest prize, the Webb Ellis Cup – also known as ‘Bill’ - will be the key attraction during the Trafalgar Park grand re-opening on Saturday 28 August. (Nelson City Council, 19 August 2010)

Too many roaming dogs in Turangi Due to recent dog attacks on people in the Turangi Township and a number of dogs roaming the streets, Council’s Animal Control team will be increasing patrols in the area. (Taupo District Council, 19 August 2010)

Friday could be a busy day at council Nominations for the 2010 local government elections close this Friday 20 August. (Gisborne District Council, 19 August 2010)

Barriers eyed for cemeteries Council officers are costing out barrier gates for two cemeteries in Masterton after a plague of vandalism attacks on the graveyards. (Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 2010)

Calls for Hastings Business to Go Green for Roys Hill What was a barren, rock capped landfill will soon be a luscious, green park for families to enjoy, tourists to witness stunning views from and a venue to host world-class events – with help from the business community and volunteers. (Hastings District Council, 19 August 2010)

Hawke’s Bay To Get Regional Event Strategy Venture Hawke’s Bay is developing a regional event strategy in partnership with Sport Hawke’s Bay and Hawke’s Bay Wine Country Tourism Association. (Venture Hawke's Bay, 19 August 2010)

Hopes poor voter turnout will be reversed A close race for the mayoralty in Tauranga and the Western Bay could push voter numbers up, an electoral officer says. (Bay of Plenty Times, 19 August 2010)

Politicians' use-by-date proposed A move to limit local politicians to three terms, or nine years, in office will be considered by Hastings district councillors today. (Hawke's Bay Today, 19 August 2010)

Westshore "seawall is the only solution" Napier City Council says its Westshore plan is based on expert advice, but one Westshore resident believes a seawall is inevitable. (Hawke's Bay Today, 19 August 2010)

Seminar 'Law and Family' for New Migrants New settlers to New Zealand will be able to find out about laws that protect their family and assets at a free seminar on Wednesday 25 August from 5.30pm till 7pm at the Whangarei Migrant Centre. (Whangarei District Council, 19 August 2010)

Open day to celebrate Eastbourne bus barn revamp The public are invited to an open day at the newly refurbished historic Korohiwa bus barn in Eastbourne on Saturday 4 September from 11am to 1pm. (Hutt City Council, 19 August 2010)

Council sued for $1m after road contract row The Kaipara District Council is being sued for more than $1 million by a Whangarei firm it has already been ordered to pay $417,068 after a roading contract turned sour. (The Northern Advocate, 19 August 2010)

Councils Release Broadband Guide Bay of Plenty councils have developed a guide for communities, organisations and businesses to get better broadband, to coincide with the release of the government's ultra fast broadband and rural broadband initiatives. (Voxy, 19 August 2010)

Taupo Water From E-Grade To A-Grade One of the most significant projects in the Council ten year plan is set to proceed after TKMP committee agreed that contracts for design and construction of the Taupo Water Treatment Plant should be sought (Voxy, 19 August 2010)

Waikato council says drink driving limit changes urgent Waikato Regional Council says it cannot accept the Government's decision to delay making changes to the drink driving limit for another two years. (Radio New Zealand, 19 August 2010)

New heritage body proposed A new national heritage advocacy network to replace Historic Places Trust (HPT) local branch committees is a necessity, HPT board member Anna Crighton says. (Otago Daily Times, 19 August 2010)

Mayoralty candidate Central Otago has had a farmer as mayor followed by an academic and now it is time for a tradesman, says mayoral hopeful, Alexandra mechanic Jeff Hill (62). (Otago Daily Times, 19 August 2010)

Restaurateur and contractor join race for mayoralty An experienced but as yet unsuccessful Dunedin mayoral candidate will promote a rates freeze for the term in the city's top civic office. (Otago Daily Times, 19 August 2010)

Group rues ruling by commissioner A community group is "very disappointed" Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright will not investigate minimum flows set by the Otago Regional Council for two coastal North Otago waterways. (Otago Daily Times, 19 August 2010)

Scientists tap into sea slug's poison A group of scientists will gather this week in an attempt to unravel the mysteries of the poison found in sea slugs which have reappeared on Auckland's shores this winter. (The New Zealand Herald, 19 August 2010)

Voter enrolment for local body elections slow Election officials say voting apathy for the local body elections is big in Auckland, despite a drive to get people enrolled for the super city election . (Radio New Zealand, 19 August 2010)

Celebrate the Relationships You Treasure The role of older people in our community is being celebrated through the Treasured Relationships competition. (New Plymouth District Council, 19 August 2010)

JF Kennedy Memorial Park steps open returning access to North Shore City beach On Saturday, 14 August the new stairway connecting JF Kennedy Memorial Park in Castor Bay with the beach below was officially opened and this brought out the attendance and memories from seven of the men who renovated the previous staircase in 1968. (North Shore City Council, 18 August 2010)

Regional Council Looks For Future Scientists Hawke's Bay Regional Council will be presenting prizes for environmental projects at the Hawke's Bay Science and Technology Fair next week. (Voxy, 18 August 2010)

People power creates local haven at Pine Ridge In January 2008, members of the community joined forces with the North Shore City Council to work on a neglected area of common land around the Pine Ridge apartment complex. (North Shore City Council, 18 August 2010)

Council’s free composting courses for North Shore residents Planning ideas for your spring garden? Now is the best time to learn about composting and you can do it for free thanks to the North Shore City Council’s composting courses. (North Shore City Council, 18 August 2010)

Council considers opening tunnel to out-of-service buses The Wellington City Council is considering opening an inner-city bus tunnel, in which a man was struck by car last year, to out-of-service buses. (Radio New Zealand, 18 August 2010)

Jevan Goulter to withdraw candidacy for WCC In recent days I have had to stop and assess what I hope to achieve in my bid to run for Wellington City Council. While running a strong campaign in Wanganui I have quite simply neglected the Lambton Ward as a candidate for council and at this point in time would not deserve to win. (Jevan Goulter, 18 August 2010)

Second work death in months for waste collection firm The death of a rubbish collection worker on Tuesday was the second such incident involving the same council contractor since March. (Radio New Zealand, 18 August 2010)

Detailed Inspections To Follow Heavy Rainfall Bay of Plenty Regional Council Rivers and Drainage staff have begun detailed inspections of the river schemes to assess the extent of repair works required following the weekend's heavy rain event. (Voxy, 18 August 2010)

New Sand Bar bid fails to impress council A bid by the Sand Bar to resume trading on a prime chunk of beachfront at Mount Maunganui has failed to win support from the Tauranga City Council. (Bay of Plenty Times, 18 August 2010)

Public Feedback Vital To Wetlands Protection Process Otago people are being assured that comments they make on an Otago Regional Council (ORC) proposal to protect remaining regionally significant wetlands will be listened to. (Otago Regional Council, 18 August 2010)

Local body nominations slow in many areas Some high-profile contenders still have not officially put their names forward for the local body elections in October. (Radio New Zealand, 18 August 2010)

Future city centre design plans released today Lakefront reached a milestone today with the release of a document that lays out the desired future look of the city centre. (Rotorua District Council, 18 August 2010)

Work Experience Scheme a Hawke's Bay First A new initiative is offering a “leg-up” to Hawke’s Bay people looking for work, giving them on-the-job experience while working towards a national qualification. (Hastings District Council, 18 August 2010)

Hutt City confident of meeting new resource consent rules Hutt City Council is now subject to new Government rules which require councils to pay applicants a discount of 1 per cent per working day up to a maximum of 50 per cent when processing of resource consent applications go over time. (Hutt City Council, 18 August 2010)

"Brainless" conditions jeopardize wilding tree operation An exemption to the Emissions Trading Scheme that would have allowed wilding conifer trees to be removed from Mid Dome has been tagged with unworkable conditions, the Chair of the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust said today. (Environment Southland, 18 August 2010)

More vandalism of Southern Entranceway: Mayor questions if political agenda at work The Southern Entranceway has been extensively vandalised again with the base for the welcome sculpture being attacked over this past weekend. (Wanganui District Council, 18 August 2010)

Hazardous waste a good reason for an early spring clean What nasties are lurking in your garage? Perhaps it’s time for a spring clean to get rid of any hazardous waste around the house. (Hutt City Council, 18 August 2010)

Extra volunteers for Sixtus Lodge Manawatu District Council is supporting calls by the Sixtus Lodge Trust Board for extra volunteers to help maintain the unique outdoor education centre north of Feilding. (Manawatu District Council, 18 August 2010)

Local body nominations slow in many areas Some high profile contenders still have not officially put their names forward for the local body elections in October. (Radio New Zealand, 18 August 2010)

Right backs Swney in bid to sink left's ward hopes Citizens & Ratepayers are not contesting the Waitemata and Gulf seat on the Super City council in a bid to stop left-leaning Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee winning the flagship ward. (The New Zealand Herald, 18 August 2010)

Government asked to reconsider drink driving decision The Waikato Regional Transport Committee is urging Cabinet to reconsider the Government’s decision not to lower blood alcohol limits for adult drivers. (Environment Waikato, 18 August 2010)

Improving Marine Safety On The East Coast The unforgiving eastern coastline of Central District now has a vastly enhanced communications system to improve marine safety, and it will be officially launched this weekend in the culmination of five days of search and rescue training. (Voxy, 18 August 2010)

North Shore Leisure - Glenfield Aquatic Open Day a huge success A huge crowd turned out to help celebrate the recent refurbishment of the aquatic facility at North Shore Leisure - Glenfield. (North Shore City Council, 17 August 2010)

Sir Bob drops Wellington election plans Wellington businessman Sir Robert Jones has dropped plans to back a mayoral candidate at the upcoming local elections. (Radio New Zealand, 17 August 2010)

Beyer pulls out of mayoral race Former Labour MP Georgina Beyer has pulled out of the contest for the Masterton mayoralty. (The New Zealand Herald, 17 August 2010)

Candidates Blend Experience And Diversity Citizens and Ratepayers has announced a further mix of experienced and capable candidates for the upcoming Auckland Council elections. (Auckland Citizens and Ratepayers, 17 August 2010)

Wellington Need More Artificial Playing Surfaces The Wellington City Council is budgeting to spend less than a million dollars on artificial playing surfaces in the current financial year even though hundreds of games are being cancelled each week because the grass pitches are unplayable. (John Biship, 17 August 2010)

Group to decide on waste water policy after election One of the main political groupings for Auckland's super city elections will wait until after local body elections to decide whether to introduce a user-pays system for waste water. (Radio New Zealand, 17 August 2010)

Council CEO Performance Review Results Wellington City Council's Performance Review Committee has completed its annual review of the performance of Council Chief Executive Garry Poole. (Wellington City Council, 17 August 2010)

Public to Get Say on Rural Environment’s Future Proposed District Plan changes to protect rural character would not close the door on lifestyle subdivisions. (New Plymouth District Council, 17 August 2010)

North Shore City Largest Infrastructure Project Complete On Monday 16 August the completion of North Shore City’s largest public project - the Rosedale Tunnel and Outfall - was celebrated by a large number of community members, local politicians, project officers and special guests who gathered above the route of the tunnel on the foreshore of Mairangi Bay. (North Shore City Council, 17 August 2010)

Toxic sea slug alert after three found on Kohimarama Beach Visitors to Kohimarama Beach are warned to be on the lookout for sea slugs after three specimens were discovered on the beach yesterday. (Auckland City Council, 17 August 2010)

Time for spring planting with Gardeners' Gold Gardening enthusiasts getting ready for spring planting are being encouraged to get digging with Gardeners’ Gold. (Rotorua District Council, 17 August 2010)

GTS Update (Government Technology Services) In this issue ICT roadmap enters new phase, one.govt continues to grow, Clarification on syndicated mobile contracts, Roadmap services available in 2010, Workshops on multi-agency infrastructure service (The Department of Internal Affairs, 17 August 2010)

Te Uku wind farm wins “Site of the Year” Meridian Energy Limited’s Te Uku wind farm project has won Environment Waikato’s inaugural earthworks site of the year award. (Environment Waikato, 17 August 2010)

Community tackles rat problems at Whangamata The Whangamata community is better equipped to tackle rodent infestation problems in the harbour area as Environment Waikato has provided 40 rat traps and 30 bait stations to the Whangamata Harbour Care community group. (Environment Waikato, 17 August 2010)

Arms length review on hold for elections Nelson City Council discussed the future governance of its arms length entities in a confidential session at last week’s Council meeting (Nelson City Council, 17 August 2010)

Judge rules cremator appeal is one issue Dunedin funeral company Hope and Sons' appeal against two councils over its unsuccessful bid for resource consent to build a new cremator will be dealt with as a single matter when it goes before the Environment Court. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Allowed to borrow $149m for stadium Dunedin City Council chief executive Jim Harland was yesterday given the authority to draw down debt of up to $149 million to pay for the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and rates payments from residents were approved as security for the city's debt. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Sports fields plan goes before council The Queenstown Lakes District Council will today be asked to give staff approval to negotiate a draft agreement with two landowners to locate proposed sports facilities in a "greenfields triangle" opposite Mt Iron on the outskirts of Wanaka. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Winter helps regional service industry The inflow of winter tourists has helped lift the Otago-Southland service industry off the June low. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Door may be open to Project Hayes Project Hayes is going back to the Environment Court, following a High Court decision one submitter believes "opens the door" for the wind farm to proceed. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Volcano collapse underlines threat of tsunami A huge undersea volcano not far from the coast has dramatically reduced in size after partly collapsing more than 100 metres toward the ocean floor. (The New Zealand Herald, 17 August 2010)

Brown adds 'eco' to his city plan Mayoral candidate Len Brown wants to incorporate Waitakere's eco-city into the Super City as part of his plan to build the most liveable city in the world. (The New Zealand Herald, 17 August 2010)

Environment Court to hear wind farm appeal Meridian Energy's appeal against an Environment Court decision, which declined consents for an Otago wind farm, has been referred back to that court by the High Court. (The New Zealand Herald, 17 August 2010)

Kapiti drinking water decision due this week Kapiti Coast District Council will this week decide on how to secure the water supply of three of the district's main towns for the next 50 years. (Radio New Zealand, 17 August 2010)

Sir Robert Jones ends mayoralty bid Property tycoon and local businessman Sir Robert Jones will not back a mayoral candidate in the upcoming Wellington city elections. (Otago Daily Times, 17 August 2010)

Two Bay of Plenty Maori seats so far uncontested With only days to go before nominations close, no-one has put their hand up for two of the three Maori positions on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. (Radio New Zealand, 17 August 2010)

Vandals attack babies' graves Midnight attacks on Masterton cemeteries have tormented a grieving young mother and left council officers ready to lock graveyard gates at night. (Wairarpa Times-Age, 17 August 2010)

Queen Mary now in Council hands The historic Queen Mary Hospital site in Hanmer Springs has now been formally vested with the Hurunui District Council. (Hurunui District Council, 16 August 2010)

Sculpture returns to original home A notable bronze sculpture by artist Paul Dibble is returning to its original location at the entrance to the Robert McDougall Gallery. (Christchurch City Council, 16 August 2010)

Help plan Mangere town centre Public feedback is sought on plans for Mangere town centre which include proposed new streets, a wider range of housing choices and a strong focus on the community. (Manukau City Council, 16 August 2010)

Botanic Garden Parking We're looking to introduce pay and display parking throughout the Botanic Garden. (Wellington City Council, 16 August 2010)

Faster Consents at Rodney Improvements to Rodney District Council's resource and building consent processing procedures have paid off for customers, as information recently released indicates that the Council is now one of the fastest resource and building consent processing authorities in New Zealand. (Rodney District Council, 16 August 2010)

Opera in the Park to stay beside the seaside The success of this year’s Nelson Opera in the Park at Tahunanui has led to both the popular venue and free entry being repeated for 2011. (Nelson City Council, 16 August 2010)

Community invited to help plant city trees In a new initiative to enable Porirua residents to join in planting trees for the city's future, the Council has organised a series of community planting days. (Porirua City Council, 16 August 2010)

Disaster planning DVD designed for deaf Civil Defence Minister John Carter has today launched a DVD designed to give potentially life-saving advice on emergency planning to the deaf and hearing impaired. (Beehive, 16 August 2010)

Five million hours of restoration labour generated Two community environmental programmes say their projects have generated at least five million hours of volunteer labour. (Radio New Zealand, 16 August 2010)

'Quality' is way to sign liquor ban A smart, quality image, befitting the city, came first over "well-intentioned" graffiti, the Napier City Council agreed as it discussed its latest moves to make liquor-ban areas clear to potential offenders. (Hawke's Bay Today, 16 August 2010)

A new candidate for the Waitemata Gulf Ward Former Youth Council Chairperson Rob Thomas submitted his nomination today as Councillor for the Waitemata Gulf Ward. (Rob Thomas, 16 August 2010)

Thousands risk losing their voice “Aucklanders have just until the end of this week to get on the electoral roll. Tens of thousands have not done so and risk losing their voice”, says Magele Brenda Simmons Vui-Talitu, a Roskill Community Voice candidate for Puketapapa Local Board. (Roskill Community Voice, 16 August 2010)

Labour complains about transition agency's publication Labour says it wants a ruling from the Auditor-General on whether the Auckland Transition Agency can use public money to promote the new super city council. (Otago Daily Times, 16 August 2010)

River levels recede and works continue Bay of Plenty Regional Council Flood Duty Manager Roger Waugh said that now rain has ceased, river levels are receding quickly but staff and contractors continue to work across the affected areas. (Environment Bay of Plenty, 16 August 2010)

Water consultants recommend “preferred solution” Technical consultants CH2M Beca has recommended Council proceed with the “River Recharge with Groundwater” option as the preferred 50 year water supply solution for Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati residents. (Kapiti Coast District Council, 16 August 2010)

Growing the Far North as an Events Destination Far North Mayoral candidate, Laurie Byers, today announced his plan to breathe life back in to the Far North Events Strategy, adopted during the 2006 Far North Long Term Plan. (Laurie Byers - Far North Mayoral Candidate, 16 August 2010)

Dairies caught selling smokes to minors Health officials are making no apologies for sting operations targeting retailers after two Whangarei dairies were fined for selling cigarettes to minors. (The Northern Advocate, 16 August 2010)

Brown undecided on Value for Ratepayers ticket Far North Mayor Wayne Brown has yet to decide whether he'll contest the upcoming election on his Value for Ratepayers ticket. (The Northern Advocate, 16 August 2010)

Mayoral candidate's email campaign an 'abuse of office' Wellington mayoral candidate Celia Wade-Brown is accused of abusing her position as a councillor to access staff email addresses and send unsolicited campaign messages. (The Dominion Post, 16 August 2010)

Southland schools sign agreement with top Bangkok school The old saying “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary” rings true for Venture Southland and participating schools as part of the Education Southland international education marketing initiative. (Venture Southland, 16 August 2010)

Volcano exercise a blast from the future Mount Taranaki is on the brink of a virtual eruption, and the people of the region are being offered a ringside seat. (Taranaki Regional Council, 16 August 2010)

Environmental Defence Society Might Join High Court Action The Environmental Defence Society says it might apply to the High Court for permission to join proceedings being brought by climate sceptics against the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). (Voxy, 16 August 2010)

Flood-hit householders set to return home Bay of Plenty regional council officials were early today assessing whether 15 people evacuated from their Whakatane homes can safely go back after being told to stay the night with friends or family while council workers repaired a 10-metre breach in a stopbank along the Whakatane River. (Otago Daily Times, 16 August 2010)

Mega-trucks too heavy for motorway Auckland's Southern Motorway - one of New Zealand's busiest highways - has up to a dozen points too weak to support new, extra-heavy trucks already plying the roads. (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Candidates offer fresh look for boards Two North Shore high school students have put up their hands for election to the new local boards that will be crucial to the Super City's success. (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Stopbank Breach Repaired - Strengthening Work Continues Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff and contractors have repaired a serious breach of a stopbank near Whakatāne but will continue to strengthen the work. (Voxy, 16 August 2010)

Call to missing voters Nearly 60,000 people have been dropped off the electoral roll since the start of July because they had changed address and did not pass on their new information. (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Most Aucklanders against bus-lane fines, survey shows Auckland City Council's policy of fining motorists $150 for driving more than 50m in a bus lane is not supported by more than half the wider Auckland population, according to a Herald-DigiPoll survey. (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Race for mayoral chains swells to 15 Fifteen candidates - most with no local government experience - believe they have what it takes to lead 1.4 million Aucklanders and control a $3.2 billion budget wearing the mayoral chains of the Super City. (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Mayoralty frontrunners fend off jab at rail hopes Super City mayoral candidates are defending their rail expansion hopes against a suggestion by Transport Minister Steven Joyce that these are linked to "the lunar cycle". (The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2010)

Faceless Facebook site faces setback Access to an internet site set up to attack Whangarei Mayor Stan Semenoff has been restricted and much of the content removed. (The Northern Advocate, 15 August 2010)

North Shore's Civil Defence Proposals A "Disaster In The Making" "North Shore residents have a right to know about the future of civil defence in our city" said North Shore City councillor and Chair of the Strategy and Finance Committee, Grant Gillon. (Voxy, 15 August 2010)

Niwa challenged over accuracy of data The country's state-owned weather and atmospheric research body is being taken to court in a challenge over the accuracy of its data used to calculate global warming. (The New Zealand Herald, 15 August 2010)

Politics foil patch ban hope Cities keen to emulate Wanganui's anti-gang patch law are not having their job made easier by the Government. (The New Zealand Herald, 15 August 2010)

Landslide for the left on cards in council race Len Brown's chances of beating John Banks for the Auckland mayoralty have taken a hit in latest polling. (The New Zealand Herald, 15 August 2010)

Billboard bandits Adoring female fans may have struck Christchurch mayoral candidate Nathan Ryan's billboards again. (The New Zealand Herald, 15 August 2010)

Second John Banks barred from Auckland mayoral race Voters in Auckland have been saved by a technicality from having to choose between two candidates called John Banks running for the super city mayoralty. (Rdaio New Zealand, 15 August 2010)

Whakatane Council Open Welfare Centre For Evacuated Residents Whakatane District Council has opened a welfare centre at the War Memorial Hall to cater for small number of residents being evacuated from Fortunes and Paroa Road area following the breach of the Te Rahu canal stop bank (left bank). (Voxy, 15 August 2010)

Official Call Made To Give More Weight To Urban Design A timely new Ministry for the Environment report has recommended giving more effective weight to the expertise of urban design panels as a key tool in the decision making process followed by councils around New Zealand. (Voxy, 15 August 2010)

Let’s Protect Our Precious Local Heritage “Voters tell me they like the fact that one of my seven commitments is ‘protecting our heritage’. (Cameron Brewer, 15 August 2010)

Dunedin boy racer bylaw not likely There appears to be an impasse between Dunedin's boy racers, police and residents, with no resolution likely to satisfy everybody's concerns and little clarity on whether new cruising ban powers available to local bodies will be any use in addressing Dunedin's problem. (Otago Daily Times, 15 August 2010)

Public respond to port proposal More than 60 public submissions were received by the Otago Regional Council by late yesterday on Port Otago's proposed $100 million channel-deepening project, with more expected by mail and email over the weekend. (Otago Daily Times, 15 August 2010)

Three in race for QLDC mayoralty There are now three hats in the ring for the Queenstown Lakes District mayoralty, after Michael Scott announced his nomination yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 15 August 2010)

Mayor in blogging brew again Auckland mayoralty candidate Andrew Williams says he was not on "a bender" at a Takapuna bar on Thursday night, as claimed on blogger Whaleoil's website. (The New Zealand Herald, 14 August 2010)

Minister weighs in to save gang pad Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has lent his support to save a Black Power stronghold from being demolished because the gang pad caters for the "spiritual and cultural needs" of Maori. (The New Zealand Herald, 14 August 2010)

Further re-zoning makes Izone NZ’s largest industrial park The 180-hectare Izone industrial hub just south of Christchurch continues to grow in national significance after a Selwyn District Council resource consent hearing approved the rezoning of a further 49 hectares of rural land. (Scoop, 14 August 2010)

Poll shock: It's neck and neck The race for the Super City mayoralty is going down to the wire - Manukau Mayor Len Brown and Auckland City Mayor John Banks are almost tied in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey. (The New Zealand Herald, 14 August 2010)

Brown's chances tied to his home turf Manukau mayor needs to mobilise typically apathetic voting bloc for genuine shot at heading Super City (The New Zealand Herald, 14 August 2010)

267 building consents as activity starts to kick in There's another bright light shining in the gloom of the economic stagnation with the Wanganui District Council recording increased numbers and values of building consents in the last two months ahead of the same period last year. (Wanganui Chronicle, 13 August 2010)

Marineland costs $500,000 to stay closed Ratepayers are paying more than half a million dollars a year to keep the closed Marineland centre running. (Hawke's Bay Today, 13 August 2010)

Gang link may help me says young council candidate Wanganui District Council hopeful Jack Bullock believes going public with his connections to a gang may put a positive spin on his election campaign. (Wanganui Chronicle, 13 August 2010)

Regional Council Offers Homeowners Loan To Get Rid Of Old Fires To help clean up Rotorua’s air the Bay of Plenty Regional Council is offering an interest free loan to help replace old fires and burners with new, clean heat appliances. (Bay of Plenty Regional Council, 13 August 2010)

Time For Action On Hutt Housing Needed Hutt campaign group VAN today released the first of six key policies for the upcoming Council elections. (Valley Action Network, 13 August 2010)

Expert to help save our dunes Sand dune expert Wayne O’Keefe is heading back to Gisborne next week to help stop the erosion of our dunes. (Gisborne District Council, 13 August 2010)

Wastewater project brings benefits The $39.5 million Gisborne Wastewater Project is bringing benefits to the community through jobs, goods and services and, by early next year, cleaner wastewater going into the bay. (Gisborne District Council, 13 August 2010)

Council Reviews District Plan Stratford District Council has reviewed its district plan in a bid to protect significant forests, wildlife habitats and wetlands. (Stratford District Council, 13 August 2010)

Brooklands Lagoon Area Parks Master and Management Plans approved A master plan and management plans for the special natural environment of the Brooklands Lagoon/Te Riu o Te Aika Kawa area have been approved by the Christchurch City Council. (Christchurch City Council, 13 August 2010)

Public Open Space Strategy The Public Open Space Strategy that outlines the long-term strategy for the Council to maintain and manage public open space, has been adopted by Council this week (12 August 2010). (Christchurch City Council, 13 August 2010)

Council adopts Climate Smart Strategy The Climate Smart Strategy 2010 – 2025 adopted by Christchurch City Council yesterday sets the direction for responding to the challenges of climate change. (Christchurch City Council, 13 August 2010)

Cutting costs and working smarter helps reduce rates Cost savings and greater efficiencies in the 2009/10 financial year have helped Environment Waikato achieve a year-end surplus ahead of forecast that could be used to further trim next year’s rates. (Environment Waikato, 13 August 2010)

Liquor licence cancelled because of gross breaches Print At a hearing held in Pukekohe on 2 August 2010 the Liquor Licensing Authority cancelled the off-licence held by Fresh and Save for their premises 231/235 Manukau Road, Pukekohe. (Franklin District Council, 13 August 2010)

Street, lane take on new look The $550,000 upgrade of Church St and Searle Lane in Queenstown is expected to finish this week after starting four months ago and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is taking the opportunity to change the angle of parking bays on Marine Pde as "an extra". (Otago Daily Times, 13 August 2010)

Former deputy to join mayoral race The contest for the Queenstown mayoralty became at least a two-horse race yesterday with former deputy mayor Simon Hayes confirming he will stand against Vanessa van Uden. (Otago Daily Times, 13 August 2010)

Olympian to run again - for Super City Thirty-five years to the day after he smashed the world record for the mile, Sir John Walker has decided to enter a very different race - for a seat on the Super City council. (The New Zealand Herald, 13 August 2010)

Mayors and MPs jostling for jobs The Super City is starting to resemble a retirement home for mayors and members of Parliament. (The New Zealand Herald, 13 August 2010)

Motorists warned off city roads for 36 hours Transport authorities are going to extraordinary lengths to warn Aucklanders to stay off city roads during a 36-hour closure of all southbound motorway lanes on Newmarket Viaduct early next month. (The New Zealand Herald, 13 August 2010)

Sandcastle trip to US 'money well spent' A besieged local body politician insists a ratepayer-funded trip to see a sandcastle competition in the United States was worth every cent. (The New Zealand Herald, 13 August 2010)

New council HQ hailed as PPP example Ngai Tahu leader Mark Solomon says Christchurch City Council's new headquarters shows what iwi can achieve through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). (Radio New Zealand, 13 August 2010)

Mayoral candidate sticks to rail expansion plan Auckland Mayoralty candidate Len Brown is sticking to his plan to accelerate major rail projects, despite criticism from the Government. (Radio New Zealand, 13 August 2010)

Further Re-zoning Makes Izone Nz's Largest Industrial Park The 180-hectare Izone industrial hub just south of Christchurch continues to grow in national significance after a Selwyn District Council resource consent hearing approved the rezoning of a further 49 hectares of rural land. (Voxy, 13 August 2010)

OK Corral land gifted for affordable housing Availability of quality, affordable rental housing was given a boost after Council decided yesterday to gift the Brook Street land known as the OK Corral to Nelson Tasman Housing Trust for the development of nine residential units. (Nelson City Council, 13 August 2010)

Ombudsman finds in favour of ratepayers Carterton District councillors are left wiping egg off their faces after an Ombudsman's ruling in favour of a petition against a planned $6 million town hall. (Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 2010)

Keep Our Waterways Clean Every month, the Marlborough District Council is testing water quality at 34 sites on the rivers of the region. (Marlborough District Council, 12 August 2010)

Mayoral candidates warned over campaign promises Transport Minister Steven Joyce says candidates for the Auckland mayoralty need to consider who will pay for promises being made on the campaign trail. (Radio New Zealand, 12 August 2010)

Christchurch councillor quits over sandcastle trip A Christchurch City Councillor is quitting after 15 years in local politics, following criticism over a ratepayer-funded trip to the United States to attend a sandcastle competition. (Radio New Zealand, 12 August 2010)

Shared service approach delivers another win for Bay councils BOPLASS Ltd (Bay of Plenty Local Authority Shared Services) is delivering another win for its shareholding councils with the completion of a 1Gbps fibre network linking councils in the region. (PDF, Whakatane District Council, 12 August 2010)

Rocking sounds raise cash for Child Cancer Drumming up top sounds for a great cause is the drive behind a concert planned to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation next month. (PDF, Wairoa District Council, 12 August 2010)

Motu Trails Cycleway agreement signed The Department of Conservation, Gisborne District Council and Opotiki District Council signed off the $1.74 million funding agreement to develop the Motu Trails Cycleway in the Opotiki-Motu-Matawai area. (Gisborne District Council, 12 August 2010)

Rating roll below growth forecast For the first time in more than a decade the rating roll growth in the Queenstown Lakes District Council has dipped below forecast, QLDC deputy chief executive and general manager finance Stewart Burns said. (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 12 August 2010)

Wanaka sports facility update Work on the proposed Wanaka Sports Facility is continuing in response to the Wanaka community’s request for green field sites to be further considered, Queenstown Lakes District Council community services general manager Paul Wilson said. (Queenstown Lakes District Council, 12 August 2010)

A big win for Council and community partners Cr Ray Stevens, Chair of Community Development Committee and Safer Wanganui, is delighted Wanganui was awarded Safe Community accreditation this week. (Wanganui District Council, 12 August 2010)

Time running out for local elections nominations Clutha District Council Electoral Officer Alan Dickson is urging people not to wait until the last minute to get their nomination in to stand for the 2010 local elections. (Clutha District Council, 12 August 2010)

One dollar anytime parking announced for the city City shoppers will be able to park in the central city anytime for as little as one dollar an hour, 7 days a week, from 1 September. (Hamilton City Council, 12 August 2010)

Environmental Awards to be held two yearly A low number of entries to the Hawke’s Bay Environmental Awards this year has lead to a decision to hold the awards every two years. (Hawke's Bay Regional Council, 12 August 2010)

Thousands of Wellingtonians Taken off Electoral Roll Almost 4,000 Wellingtonians have been taken off the electoral roll because they have moved house and not updated their address details. This means they are not eligible to vote in either the local or general elections. (Wellington City Council, 12 August 2010)

Celebrate Library Week with novel competition Become a Twitterati sensation. Write a stunning piece of Twitterature and win New Zealand’s first official e-reader, the Kobo. (Manukau City Council, 12 August 2010)

Councillor quiet over $4k sandcastle trip A Christchurch city councillor is keeping her head below the parapet after taking a $4000 ratepayer funded trip to California to study sandcastles. (The New Zealand Herald, 12 August 2010)

Labour's Opposition To The Puhoi-wellsford Highway Upgrade Neglects The People Of The North - Mayor Rodney Mayor Penny Webster is disappointed by the Labour Opposition's continued lack of support for the proposed upgrade of Puhoi-Wellsford highway north of Auckland. (Voxy, 12 August 2010)

Safety First For State Highway 1 Increasing safety and reliability between Puhoi and Wellsford needs to be the New Zealand Transport Authority’s (NZTA) immediate priority, not a new motorway the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) confirmed today. (Auckland Regional Council, 12 August 2010)

Public views sought on wetlands Public response is being sought on a proposal to give more protection to Otago's remaining regionally significant wetlands. (Otago Daily Times, 12 August 2010)

Monkeying with bricks criticised A former church which has been plastered in alcohol advertising is to be investigated by the Dunedin City Council. (Otago Daily Times, 12 August 2010)

Permanent liquor ban may be on way A temporary liquor ban at Otematata to stop trouble during holiday periods could become permanent if it is successful, Cr Struan Munro told the Waitaki District Council yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 12 August 2010)

Mayoral bid speculation mounts Former Queenstown Lakes deputy mayor Simon Hayes may be making a bid for the top job this year. (Otago Daily Times, 12 August 2010)

Great divide looms over water bills Super City mayoral candidate John Banks is refusing to divulge a water policy that could increase the cost of water services for about 127,000 households in Manukau, Waitakere and the North Shore by up to several hundred dollars a year. (The New Zealand Herald, 12 August 2010)

Elephant expansion at Auckland Zoo A $13 million extension to Auckland Zoo has been given the thumbs up - which could bring the only elephant herd in Australasia to New Zealand. (The New Zealand Herald, 12 August 2010)

New Zealand's broadband: Bring it on at the speed of light Commentators over the last few weeks have argued the Government's ultra-fast broadband plan is crying out for "a rigorous cost/benefit analysis" that's "nowhere to be found". (The New Zealand Herald, 12 August 2010)

Garden Place Work To Start - Hamilton Hamilton City Councillors last night (Wednesday, 11 August) supported a concept plan for the city's central square, allowing physical works to commence in the Spring. (Voxy, 12 August 2010)

Slip Repairs on Te Henui Walkway Repairs to a section of Te Henui’s stream bank will see part of the adjacent walkway narrowed for a fortnight. (New Plymouth District Council, 12 August 2010)

Waterloo Quay Makeover Gets Under Way Work starting on Waterloo Quay this week will transform the pedestrian route between the cruise ship terminal and the city before Rugby World Cup 2011. (Wellington City Council, 11 August 2010)

New policy framework for managing the region's resources A proposed policy framework that sets the direction for managing the Waikato region’s natural and physical resources is a step closer to public release. (Environment Waikato, 11 August 2010)

Elections 2010 Nominations With just 9 days left before nominations close only 3 people have put forward their names to become a Councillor for the local government elections. (Whakatane District Council, 11 August 2010)

Code Compliance Certificates Provide Certainty All sorts of problems can arise when people do not apply for Code Compliance Certificates (CCC) soon after construction work has finished, according to the Far North District Council. (Far North District Council, 11 August 2010)

Council Actions Upheld in Two Building Code Compliance Court Cases Two claims lodged against the Far North District Council for alleged negligence and breaches of its statutory duties under the Building Act have been successfully defended by the Council in the High Court. (Far North District Council, 11 August 2010)

City bosses block i-Site bus option The Napier i-Site would be an ideal bus stop, InterCity Coachlines says, but the Napier City Council told the company traffic management would be too difficult. (Hawke's Bay Today, 11 August 2010)

Auckland iwi push for say in resource management Auckland mana whenua iwi say their input is needed to clean up the super city environment. (Radio New Zealand, 11 August 2010)

Flood Forecasting Model A First For Canterbury A newly developed flood forecasting system – successfully trialled by Environment Canterbury during the May 2010 floods in South Canterbury’s Temuka district – has been commissioned for full installation this month. (Environment Canterbury, 11 August 2010)

Sediment seminars aim to better protect water Officials are hoping up to 90 Northland contractors and consultants will attend one of a series of seminars designed to better protect the region’s waterways from harmful sediment runoff. (Northland Regional Council, 11 August 2010)

Customer service training Some 500 staff from across all of the existing councils attended sessions which focussed on providing excellent, efficient customer service. (PDF, Auckland Transition Agency, 11 August 2010)

Council uses neighbour's 'bark diary' evidence to evict noisy dog Neighbours of a noisy dog were asked to keep "bark diaries" before the pet was eventually confiscated in a dispute that has soaked up hundreds of hours of council time and involved police. (The Dominion Post, 11 August 2010)

Building survey feedback positive Building owners, builders, developers and designers have responded in a largely positive manner to the Manawatu District Council’s recent Building Services customer survey. (Manawatu District Council, 11 August 2010)

Greater interest in local politics Interest in the Manawatu District Council’s 2010 local body elections is significantly higher than in 2007, with 14 candidates already indicating their availability nine days out from the close of nominations. (Manawatu District Council, 11 August 2010)

Households to have their say on waste management options Wanganui District Council is giving residents the opportunity to have their say on how the district manages household waste. (Wanganui District Council, 11 August 2010)

Council investment in Industry Training School "excellent investment for the city's future" The new Wanganui Trades Training initiative (INTRANZ), a collaboration between Wanganui District Council, Wanganui YMCA and the Wanganui Lean Group, has been described by Deputy Mayor Dot McKinnon as an “excellent investment for the city’s future”. (Wanganui District Council, 11 August 2010)

Clubs Capitalise on Club Smart Smarts More than 50 clubs in Manukau now benefit from Club Smart programme that helps them manage various issues including volunteer and member recruitment and retention, funding, facilities and legal responsibilities. (Manukau City Council, 11 August 2010)

Westport Water Treatment Plant update Work at the Westport Water Treatment Plant has been progressing with all new filter nozzles and associated pipework installed into the two filter tanks. (PDF, Buller District Council, 11 August 2010)

Council funding strengthens community support Nelson City Council has allocated its Contract Funding and One-off Grants from the Community Assistance Fund following a day of hearings and deliberations. (Nelson City Council, 11 August 2010)

What types of galleries should Auckland Museum house? Public suggestions wanted on ambitious multimillion-dollar plan to renew galleries Auckland Museum is calling for views to help shape a multimillion-dollar plan to renew its galleries. (The New Zealand Herald, 11 August 2010)

Mayor 'acting in good faith' A suggestion Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton had plenty of time to resolve the issue of the altar in the Teschemakers Chapel but did not get back to the Dominican Sisters was misleading, Mr Familton said yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 11 August 2010)

Co-ordinator to take wider role With more than 20 years of experience in community-focused positions, Jean Proctor has been appointed the new Clutha District Council community co-ordinator. (Otago Daily Times, 11 August 2010)

Council bid by Bev Butler The former president of Stop the Stadium, Bev Butler, believes her public profile over the last three years will help boost her voting tally at this year's election. (Otago Daily Times, 11 August 2010)

Wilson pulls out of mayoral race A surprise announcement by Queenstown Lakes deputy mayor John S. Wilson yesterday that he was withdrawing his bid for the mayoralty could open the door for Wanaka colleague Lyal Cocks. (Otago Daily Times, 11 August 2010)

Shadbolt's 'no credit card' policy Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt is paying all expenses out of his own pocket after getting rid of his mayoral credit card more than a year ago. (The New Zealand Herald, 11 August 2010)

Chasing voters on Facebook Local body elections traditionally have low voter turnout but Rotorua's politicians say Facebook may be a way of drumming up more votes. (The Daily Post, 11 August 2010)

Govt wants central regulation of oil operations Environment Minister Nick Smith says small councils are not capable of regulating offshore oil and gas operations so a national regulator should step in. (Radio New Zealand, 11 August 2010)

Ruth Dyson Chooses Jim Anderton And The People's Choice For Election In October Ruth Dyson, Labour's MP for the Port Hills Electorate has endorsed Jim Anderton for Mayor and The People's Choice 2021 team for Christchurch's upcoming local body elections in October. (Voxy, 11 August 2010)

Browny Continues To Build A Stronger Far North Far North Mayor Wayne Brown wants another three years in the district's top local body job. (Wayne Brown, 11 August 2010)

Stakeholder Plan For Manawatu River Enhancement Massey University researchers working with Horizons Regional Council will combine stakeholder perspectives with current science to help create a management plan to protect and enhance the Manawatu River catchment. (Voxy, 11 August 2010)

Council Urged To Reject Elephant Plan Animal advocacy organisation SAFE says the Auckland City Council should not support Auckland Zoo’s proposal to expand to make space for a new elephant herd. (SAFE, 10 August 2010)

Building statistics positive for Wanganui The number and value of building consents issued by Wanganui District Council in June and July is up on the statistics for last year. (Wanganui District Council, 10 August 2010)

Pollen problem not pollution Do not be fooled by the presence of fine yellow pollen in Auckland’s stormwater gutters and waterways. It may look like industrial or chemical pollution but it is harmless. (Auckland Regional Council, 10 August 2010)

Water measuring session planned for Roxburgh The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is holding an information session in Roxburgh next week (Wednesday August 18) to update farmers on selection and installation of water measuring and recording devices. (Otago Regional Council, 10 August 2010)

Auckland: Your Council. Your Vote A 16-page guide to the new Auckland Council and how to vote in the upcoming elections is being distributed to Aucklanders this week. (Auckland Transition Agency, 10 August 2010)

EW encouraged by fewer earthworks problems Environment Waikato says it is very encouraged by the fact that compliance with earthworks rules is rising and that enforcement actions against people doing earthworks improperly have dropped significantly. (Environment Waikato, 10 August 2010)

Ground Lease for Cycle Park to be Considered A new cycle park for Taranaki has got one step closer. (Taranaki Regional Council, 10 August 2010)

Liquor offences detected in Christchurch Asian grocery stores The Christchurch City Council’s Liquor Licensing team says recently a number of Asian grocery stores have been caught selling liquor without a licence or in breach of their licence conditions. (Christchurch City Council, 10 August 2010)

Relationships key in any Civil Defence & Emergency Management response The agencies and organisations responsible for responding to civil defence events and other public emergencies in the Ruapehu district will be meeting at the Ruapehu District Council (RDC) on Tuesday next week (24 August) as part of a ‘Welfare and Recovery Network Forum’. (PDF, Ruapehu District Council, 10 August 2010)

Rangitikei District Council seeks public feedback As part of its on-going commitment to actively seek public opinion and involvement, the Rangitikei District Council is to conduct a survey of its residents. (PDF, Rangitikei District Council, 10 August 2010)

Sausages can still sizzle Charitable or community groups may still sizzle sausages or run cake and jam stalls at Kapiti Coast markets under the Foodstalls at Markets, Events and Other Sites policy adopted by Council’s Regulatory Management Committee. (Kapiti Coast District Council, 10 August 2010)

80 Christchurch bus company jobs to be cut Eighty jobs are now expected to be cut at Christchurch's Red Bus Company due to the loss of several bus routes in the Canterbury Regional Council's recent tender round. (Radio New Zealand, 10 August 2010)

Motu Trails Cycleway Agreement Set To Be Signed Representatives of two District Councils and the Department of Conservation will be in Opotiki on Wednesday night for the signing of a $1.74 million economic initiative centred on tourism development and job creation. (Gisborne District Council, 10 August 2010)

North Shore City's Largest Infrastructure Project Complete History will be made for North Shore City's on Monday, 16 August when a short ceremony will be held by North shore City Council to officially open the Rosedale Tunnel and Outfall. (Voxy, 10 August 2010)

Ewen Gilmour withdraws from super mayor race An Auckland mayoral candidate has announced his withdrawal from the super city race. (Radio New Zealand, 10 August 2010)

Brown gets backing from heavyweights Two former Governors-General, Sir Paul Reeves and Dame Cath Tizard, are backing Len Brown for the Super City mayoralty. (The New Zealand Herald, 10 August 2010)

New ticket will fight Banks over school move A political ticket has been formed to oppose plans by Auckland City Mayor John Banks and his Citizens & Ratepayers allies to spend millions moving Monte Cecilia School and Liston retirement village in Hillsborough. (The New Zealand Herald, 10 August 2010)

Council wants to regulate flow Cardrona Valley residents and farmers say the proposed minimum flow levels the Otago Regional Council wants imposed to regulate the Cardrona River will affect upstream water users. (Otago Daily Times, 10 August 2010)

Marine reserves proposed for West Coast A forum of community groups, including fishing and environmental interests, has proposed putting 8.8 percent of Westland's coastal waters into marine protected areas to help biodiversity in the region. (Otago Daily Times, 10 August 2010)

Independent Super City Mayoral Candidates Team Up Super City mayoral candidate Colin Craig has found a new campaign supporter in former Waitakere councillor and comedian Ewen Gilmour. (Colin Craig, 09 August 2010)

Comedian pulls out of Super City race Ewen Gilmour, the comedian competing for the Auckland Super City mayoralty, has reportedly decided to withdraw from the race. (The New Zealand Herald, 09 August 2010)

EDITORIAL: Explaining tabs goes with territory Credit cards are a touchy subject for anyone in public office these days - everyone wants to know what's being slapped on the tab. (Hawke's Bay Today, 09 August 2010)

Nominations for Christchurch City Council election close next week Electoral Officer Clare Sullivan is urging people who want to stand as a candidate for the 2010 Christchurch City Council election to get their nominations in now. (Christchurch City Council, 10 August 2010)

Council secures funding for Nelson youth Nelson City Council has secured $72,380 in funding from the Ministry of Youth Development for its ‘Tomorrow’s Leaders Today’ Programme – a leadership programme for young people in Nelson. (Nelson City Council, 09 August 2010)

West Coast marine protection report released Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Phil Heatley today welcomed the release of the recommendation report from the West Coast Marine Protection Forum. (Beehive, 09 August 2010)

Fort Buckley Land adjacent to the historic Fort Buckley Reserve in Wadestown has recently been purchased by the Council to help protect the site for future generations. (Wellington City Council, 09 August 2010)

Online Library Services Did you know you can go online and read the latest national and international newspapers and magazines for free? (Wellington City Council, 09 August 2010)

Driftwood Structures under Scrutiny It may be art, but is it legal? Controversial driftwood sculptures that have been erected on the Riverton foreshore in recent weeks are not only stimulating discussion in the local community, they have led to four complaints to Environment Southland by people who see them as an eyesore. (Environment Southland, 09 August 2010)

It's official: this stream is FILTHY Carterton's worst-kept secret has been confirmed in a two-year study by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. (Wairarapa Times-Age, 09 August 2010)

Resource law 'burden for ratepayers' A new law designed to whip councils to work faster will only push the burden on to ratepayers, say local government authorities. (Wairarapa Times-Age, 09 August 2010)

KAPAI'S CORNER: Who said politics was about fighting fairly? The gloves are off for the upcoming Tauranga City Council election and I am picking this one is going to get a lot more down and dirty before the final votes are counted. (Bay of Plenty Times, 09 August 2010)

Get your five to survive a disaster Could your family get through a disaster with what’s in your shopping trolley? That’s the question Auckland City Council wants people to think about when they do their weekly shop. (Auckland City Council, 09 August 2010)

$250,000 awarded to Central Hawke’s Bay By the end of the year, a much-needed Community Development worker will be appointed to help support the elderly, local Marae, and improve Economic Development for Central Hawke's Bay, says CHB District Council's Communication advisor, Shelley Burne-Field. (Central Hawke's Bay District Council, 09 August 2010)

Rates Discount Available Tararua District Council wishes to make residents aware that by paying their year's rates in full by 31 August, they will be able to take advantage of not only the 3% early payment discount but rates paid will be at the present GST rate of 12.5%. (Tararua District Council, 09 August 2010)

Auckland's new art destination opening soon Pah Homestead in Monte Cecilia Park will open its doors as the new TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre on 15 August, the new permanent home of the James Wallace Arts Trust and its extensive collection of contemporary New Zealand art. (Auckland City Council, 09 August 2010)

New Ticket Will Fight To Overturn Monte Cecilia Demolition "The decision of the Auckland City Council to relocate Monte Cecilia School and demolish Liston Village, as well as the decision of the Auckland Transition Agency to support the Council's actions are a disgrace", say Garth Houltham and Michael Wood of the newly formed Roskill Community Voice team, which is contesting the Puketapapa Local Board election. (Garth Houltham and Michael Wood, 09 August 2010)

Review Wellington City Council’s Parking Regime Lambton Ward candidate John Bishop is calling for a review of the Wellington City Council’s parking policies – and he wants public input about the behaviour of the parking wardens. (John Bishop, 09 August 2010)

River City's push for safe status Wanganui is aiming to be a safer place. And it is seeking accreditation to help make this happen. (Wanganui Chronicle, 09 August 2010)

Parties to mediate over noise The Arthur's Point Protection Society and the Queenstown Lakes District Council are to enter into mediation over how to measure helicopter noise within general noise standards. (Otago Daily Times, 09 August 2010)

$60m DCC surplus from large projects The Dunedin City Council ended the last financial year with a $60 million net surplus - $20 million more than expected. (Otago Daily Times, 09 August 2010)

Countdown for an unchained mayoralty Eighty-six days before the swearing-in of the first Super City mayor, it is not known whether the pomp and ceremony will include mayoral chains. (The New Zealand Herald, 09 August 2010)

ARC boss attacks bus lane 'gouging' The head of Auckland's regional council has joined the chorus of criticism of bus lanes, accusing the Auckland City Council of "revenue gouging". (The New Zealand Herald, 09 August 2010)

Slain farmer's sister runs for city council The slaying of her brother has prompted Nikki Guy to run for Palmerston North District Court. (Otago Daily Times, 09 August 2010)

Atkinson goes for DHB job Former District Health Board chairman Kevin Atkinson yesterday announced he was standing for election for the new board after a nomination from Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, seconded by Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott. (Hawke's Bay Today, 09 August 2010)

Far North Super Enough The Far North, unlike Auckland, is ‘super’ enough for the time being, according to mayoral candidate Sir John Goulter. (Sir John Gould, 09 August 2010)

Pay deal settled for 2500 super city workers Another milestone has been reached in creating Auckland's super city council, with employment conditions settled for thousands of workers. (Radio New Zealand, 09 August 2010)

Glenda Fryer: Lessons for future in volcano mismanagement The Transition Authority has been set the task of aligning the policies and practices of Auckland's seven territorial authorities and the Regional Council, so that on November 1 the new Auckland Council is an entity that is "working for you". (The New Zealand Herald, 09 August 2010)

Mayoral candidate wants congestion unblocked A new contender in the election for the Auckland super city mayoralty wants to spend $600 million to unclog roading bottlenecks in the region. (Radio New Zealand, 09 August 2010)

Promise Not To Privatise Water Mayor Len Brown says he strongly supports public ownership and management of water assets and opposes any proposals to either privatise water or give private companies 35 year management contracts for water supplies. (Len Brown, 08 August 2010)

Bad egg identified Police believe they've cracked the case of the fossilised dinosaur egg stolen from Otago Museum on Tuesday. (The New Zealand Herald, 08 August 2010)

Nasty sea lettuce problem linked to sewage flow Bay of Plenty Polytechnic students claim we have the power to fix Tauranga's unsightly sea lettuce problem. (Bay of Plenty Times, 07 August 2010)

3 more mayoral candidates Three more mayoral candidates - in Oamaru and Balclutha - made their bids official yesterday but regional electoral officers say nominations for October's local body elections are only trickling in just 13 days before the deadline. (Otago Daily Times, 07 August 2010)

$1m 'Sports House' to be debated by council The Waitaki District Council is to consider building a $1 million "Sports House" at Whitestone Contracting Centennial Park as a focal point for sports in the Waitaki district. (Otago Daily Times, 07 August 2010)

New destination sought by rally organisers The organisers of the Undie 500 car rally by Canterbury University students are seeking a new place to finish the event after their plans were scuppered by Marlborough District Council. (Radio New Zealand, 07 August 2010)

Radio host in mayoralty bid Student radio host Aaron Hawkins has become the fourth candidate to announce plans to run for the mayoralty in Dunedin. (Otago Daily Times, 07 August 2010)

Banks 'nervous' over 35 year deal, but missed meeting Supercity mayoral contender John Banks failed to show up to a committee meeting where his council voted to allow private companies to manage the town water supply for up to 35 years. (The New Zealand Herald, 06 August 2010)

Vehicle, firearms and camping restrictions mooted to protect special character of Waipara River Restrictions on vehicles, firearms and camping are being proposed to protect one of Hurunui district’s special river environments for continued enjoyment by current and future generations. (PDF, Hurunui District Council, 05 August 2010)

Water Treatment Plant upgrade is going well A week into the Westport Water upgrade project and progress is going as planned. (PDF, Buller District Council, 06 August 2010)

ORC striving to protect regionally significant wetlands The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is seeking public feedback on a proposal to ensure remaining regionally significant wetlands are protected. (Otago Regional Council, 06 August 2010)

Changes being considered to allow more flexibility in rural subdivision lot sizes The Hurunui District Council is considering refining some of the rules relating to rural subdivision to allow for more flexibility in lot sizes. (Hurunui District Council, 06 August 2010)

PCC gets 100 percent for resource consent processing The latest figures from the Porirua City Council reveal it has little to fear from new legislation penalising councils for late processing of resource consents. (Porirua City Council, 06 August 2010)

Hamilton Zoo farewells Southern white rhinoceros A member of Hamilton Zoo’s Southern white rhinoceros herd is currently settling into a new home in Australia, while the zoo awaits a new furry arrival from across the ditch. (Hamilton City Council, 06 August 2010)

Citywide Heritage Shake-up in the Offing A new way of looking at Thorndon's heritage status could result in a substantial overhaul of the approach to heritage in Wellington City, following a decision made by Wellington City Council's Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday. (Wellington City Council, 06 August 2010)

New Community Coordinator brings wealth of experience to role Clutha’s new Community Coordinator will already be a familiar face to many of the local community groups and organisations she will be working with. (Clutha District Council, 06 August 2010)

Nelson Youth to Support high turnout at Local Body Elections The Nelson Youth Council is launching its first ever campaign aimed at getting young people enrolled to vote. (Nelson City Council, 06 August 2010)

Fine for illegal burning A Christchurch man has been fined a total of $1750 and ordered to pay investigation costs of $800 after pleading guilty to burning plastic and metal waste in June 2009. (Environment Canterbury, 06 August 2010)

2010 Youth Leadership for Sustainability Awards Environment Canterbury and Ngai Tahu are celebrating the contribution of young people to environmental sustainability this month. (Environment Canterbury, 06 August 2010)

Earthquake-prone Buildings Policy headed for Council approval The Christchurch City Council’s Hearing Panel on the review of the 2006 Earthquake-prone, Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy have proposed amendments to the policy which will go before Council next month. (Christchurch City Council, 06 August 2010)

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker gets in behind the giant pavlova Mayor Bob Parker ensured early birds at Kiwiana in the Square event got a piece of the world’s biggest pavlova by donating $1000 to the KidsCan Stand Tall Charitable Trust. (Christchurch City Council, 06 August 2010)

Stricter memorial policy People hoping to be the subject of memorials or plaques in the Queenstown Gardens will have stricter criteria to meet under the Queenstown Lakes District Council's new draft plaques, memorials and monuments policy. (Otago Daily Times, 06 August 2010)

Stolen fossilised egg returned Otago Museum staff are thrilled to have their fossilised dinosaur egg back, but would like to see the person who stole it caught. (Otago Daily Times, 06 August 2010)

Planners say 'view-shaft' concept good A proposed new model for a residential subdivision in Wanaka, which guarantees "view-shafts" and stops neighbours from building too close to other properties has earned plaudits from council planners and landscape architects for its approach to sustainable urban design concepts. (Otago Daily Times, 06 August 2010)

Consent application for cycle track The Roxburgh Gorge cycle trail is back on track. The Central Otago District Council has applied to itself for resource consent to carry out work and build structures associated with the trail. (Otago Daily Times, 06 August 2010)

Hawkins may swap seat for Super City board Long-serving Labour MP and former Cabinet Minister George Hawkins has announced his conditional retirement from Parliament. (The New Zealand Herald, 06 August 2010)

Vote for mystery candidate Super City mayoral candidate Colin Craig has an excellent website and is pounding Facebook and Twitter to gather votes, says a reader from Sandringham, but it seems to be at the cost of the marketing basics. (The New Zealand Herald, 06 August 2010)

Grand-canal plan makes sense to irrigators The national irrigation organisation says a grand canal linking Canterbury's irrigation and water storage systems would make economic as well as environmental sense (Radio New Zealand, 06 August 2010)

Fonterra tightens scrutiny of farm effluent systems Fonterra will be checking the effluent systems of all the farms supplying it with milk every year, from now on. (Radio New Zealand, 06 August 2010)

Council Aims To Eradicate Water Weed Bay of Plenty Regional Council is planning to eradicate the invasive aquatic weed hornwort from Lake Ōkataina. (Voxy, 06 August 2010)

Regional Council Improves Lake Pest Monitoring Bay of Plenty Regional Council is planning to improve the effectiveness of its aquatic plant pest surveillance programme in Rotorua's lakes (Voxy, 05 August 2010)

New committee set to oversee tourism The Rotorua Tourism Board will soon be no more after the city's council decided to set up a new standing committee to oversee all things tourism. (The Daily Post, 05 August 2010)

Pre-election reports not liked Kapiti Coast Mayor Jenny Rowan has told MPs that a bill requiring a council to provide a pre-election report could compromise chief executives. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Council relief at rejection of Omaha Park proposal The Auckland Regional Council says it's relieved the Environment Court has rejected a plan to build up to 500 dwellings and a hotel behind Omaha Beach, north of Auckland. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Goulter seeks Far North mayoralty Businessman Sir John Goulter, the former managing director of Auckland International Airport Ltd, has launched his bid for the Far North mayoralty. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Sewage-dumping decision now up to minister The Conservation Minister will make the final call on a controversial consent that would allow the Whangarei District Council to dump sewage in the harbour in emergencies. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Hawkins to stand for Manurewa local board Labour MP for Manurewa George Hawkins says he will not stand at next year's general election if he is elected to a local board at upcoming local body elections. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Meridian offers compromise to district council A $56,157 sweetener offered by power supply company Meridian to the Kaipara District Council could provide a win-win situation for both parties who have been in dispute over outstanding charges. (The Northern Advocate, 05 August 2010)

Most Porirua residents satisfied with how rates are spent Most Porirua residents say they are satisfied with the way rates are spent according to the recent National Research Bureau (NRB) survey. (Porirua City Council, 05 August 2010)

Agreement reached to sign the Leaders' Accord Tararua District Council agreed yesterday to be one of the signatories for the Manawatu River Leaders' Accord. (Tararua District Council, 05 August 2010)

Council provides refuse and recycling for all businesses The Hurunui District Council is now providing refuse and recycling to all businesses in the district. (Hurunui District Council, 05 August 2010)

Ashburton Air rules insist on cleaner heating but offer people choice. The air rules for Ashburton commence on May 1 2011, however they do not ban the use of all woodburners. Only open fires and woodburners more than 15 years old will not be able to be used in the Ashburton township. (Environment Canterbury, 05 August 2010)

Are you in the dog box? If you are a dog owner and live in Auckland city, your dog should have a lime green registration tag on its collar by now as the new dog registration year began on 1 August. The red registration tag has now expired. (Auckland City Council, 05 August 2010)

Council to hold information day for Clevedon residents Manukau City Council has chosen its preferred growth option for the sustainable development of Clevedon Village, and residents are invited to an information day to find out more about it. (Manukau City Council, 05 August 2010)

Request to extend alcohol ban The Christchurch City Council will be asked to consider extending the existing city alcohol ban to take in Ilam and Riccarton. (Christchurch City Council, 05 August 2010)

Pay rates in full before 1 October and current GST applies Hutt City Council is reminding ratepayers the upcoming rise in GST will affect their 2010/11 rates account. (Hutt City Council, 05 August 2010)

Theft of dinosaur egg shocks museum staff A brazen thief has stolen a dinosaur fossilised egg from the Otago Museum. (Otago Daily Times, 05 August 2010)

Mixed response to CODC system An $830,000 system aimed at improving performance within the Central Otago District Council has generated mixed reviews, the council heard yesterday. (Otago Daily Times, 05 August 2010)

Tourists warned of lake 'tsunami' Tourists at the Tasman Glacier near Mt Cook have been warned that heavy rain in the area is likely to lead to a huge iceberg in its terminal lake "calving" - breaking off explosively and sending a tsunami-like surge of water down the lake. (The New Zealand Herald, 05 August 2010)

Whanau a Apanui ready to stake a claim The ownership of New Zealand's coastline and the issue of customary title are shaping up as major political issues as the Government prepares to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act. (The New Zealand Herald, 05 August 2010)

Court rejects Omaha development A scheme to build up to 500 homes and a visitor lodge on the higher land behind Omaha Beach has been rejected by the Environment Court. (The New Zealand Herald, 05 August 2010)

Higher voter turnout expected in local elections Voter turnout in this year's local elections is expected to be higher than it was three years ago. (Radio New Zealand, 05 August 2010)

Laws' ex seeks council seat The former partner of Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws is running for Wanganui District Council in this year's local body elections. (Otago Daily Times, 05 August 2010)

Joint Road Safety Initiative Sees Eastern Waikato Rural School Children Provided With Hi-Visibility Vests Wanting school pupils to be safe and be seen was the driver for a joint Police, council and local schools road safety initiative in the Eastern Waikato. (Voxy, 05 August 2010)

Walkway User Numbers Boom in July A dry July, an iconic bridge and the recent school holidays have kept New Plymouth District’s parks and walkways very busy with users. (New Plymouth District Council, 05 August 2010)

Safe Community Reaccreditation Sought from WHO Work is under way to have New Plymouth District reaccredited as an International Safe Community by the World Health Organisation. (New Plymouth District Council, 05 August 2010)

Public views on waste important Wheelie bins or rubbish bags are among options listed in the Manawatu District Council's Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan’s discussion document that is about to be sent out to all district ratepayers for feedback. (Manawatu District Council, 04 August 2010)

Candidates welcome briefing Eight prospective candidates for the Manawatu District Council's 2010 elections attended a special briefing session last week on election processes and the roles of councils and elected members. (Manawatu District Council, 04 August 2010)

Minister to have final say on Okara sewage Independent Commissioners have recommended the Conservation Minister grant the Whangarei District Council permission for emergency sewage discharges from its Okara Park Pump Station to the Hatea River. (Northland Regional Council, 04 August 2010)

Northern Civil Defence Survey Confirms Real-Times Communication Issues Survey results from the northern parts of the Ruapehu district undertaken for council’s Civil Defence activity has confirmed that real-time communication with these rural communities during an emergency could present significant challenges due to the lack of radio coverage. (PDF, Ruapehu District Council, 04 August 2010)

Olympic pool heated by local wood chips A wood chip boiler installed at the Olympic Pool in June has started to pay dividends. (Gisborne District Council, 04 August 2010)

Awards for two council staff Manawatu District Council registered a double strike when two of its staff, Customer Services Officer, Anna-Lisa Mulcock, and Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor, Russell Dean, were recognised at the 2010 Feilding Excellence in Business Awards. (Manawatu District Council, 04 August 2010)

Events Centre shortlisted for global award The ratepayer-funded Northland Events Centre in Whangarei has been shortlisted in the 2010 World Architecture Festival Awards. (Northland Regional Council, 04 August 2010)

Council extends time to pay rates Mayor Michael Laws today said the Wanganui District Council is extending the deadline for payment of the first instalment of 2010/11 rates. (Wanganui District Council, 04 August 2010)

Harbour clean up strategy already paying off Whangarei Mayor Stan Semenoff is delighted that the current Council’s upgrade of the Okara Pump Station has already paid off. (PDF, Whangarei District Council, 04 August 2010)

Kids Choose Playgrounds! Whangarei is getting two new playgrounds to replace the old ones at Tarewa Park and at Laurie Hall Park, but we don’t know which ones to choose because we are all adults! (Whangarei District Council, 04 August 2010)

Olympic pool heated by local wood chips A wood chip boiler installed at the Olympic Pool in June has started to pay dividends. The old gas heater was 30 years old and cost $150,000 per year in energy costs. (Gisborne District Council, 04 August 2010)

Westport Water Treatment Plant filter upgrade off to good Contractors began work on the filter upgrade yesterday and are making good progress. (Buller District Council, 04 August 2010)

Waikouaiti minimum flow process has community buy-in Otago Regional Council (ORC) staff came away from a recent water management workshop in Waikouaiti impressed with the strong community interest in the Waikouaiti River and its future. (Otago Regional Council, 04 August 2010)

August 31 New Penalty Deadline For Dogs An extended deadline for dog registration has given owners another month's grace in which to pay. (Tararua District Council, 04 August 2010)

feeling safer says independent report Rotorua residents are feeling safer despite more personal experiences of crime over the last twelve months. (Rotorua District Council, 04 August 2010)

Passing the Baton on at the Karamu After a decade of caring for the Karamu Stream the St Columba’s Havelock North Environmental House Group is passing the baton on to the Karamu Enhancement Group. (Hawke's Bay Regional Council, 04 August 2010)

If I were made Super Mayor, I would ... The prospect of Auckland's water services being contracted out to private companies for up to 35 years has been rejected by the two heavyweight Super City mayoral contenders, John Banks and Len Brown. (The New Zealand Herald, 04 August 2010)

1.8m allocated for opening party on waterfront Auckland City will spend up to $1.8 million on a waterfront opening celebration for the Rugby World Cup. (The New Zealand Herald, 04 August 2010)

Council in firing line for volcano damage The Auckland City Council has been accused of hypocrisy after ignoring the rules designed to protect the area's volcanic cones. (The New Zealand Herald, 04 August 2010)

Blitz part of crackdown on illegal Sunday parking The Dunedin City Council has launched a crackdown on Sunday parking, targeting motorists tying up short-term spaces with all-day parking. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Township looks at itself A civic heart for Glenorchy and how the township could tap into the increasing popularity for cycleways were among issues raised in a workshop of residents and Queenstown Lakes District Council staff. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Ahuriri ward challenge The Waitaki District Council's longest-serving councillor, Struan Munro, will face a challenge in October's local body elections in the Ahuriri ward from Ahuriri Community Board chairman Craig Dawson. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Special river group The establishment of a special committee by Environment Canterbury (ECan) to manage water resources in the lower Waitaki catchment and the Waimate district will be discussed at two public meetings next week. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Vandervis to seek mayoralty Former city councillor Lee Vandervis has emerged as another contender for the Dunedin mayoralty. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Trust keen to keep any excess funds for stadium The future of any private-sector funding for the Forsyth Barr Stadium that exceeds set targets may go to a Dunedin City Council vote, but stadium developers are keen to hold on to the money for any "embellishments" the stadium may require. (Otago Daily Times, 04 August 2010)

Cheaper water predicted under Auckland reforms Auckland mayoralty contender John Banks predicts cheaper water as a result of the super-city reforms. (Radio New Zealand, 04 August 2010)

Operation Kura This week Manurewa Police, in partnership with Manukau City Council and Manurewa Schools, launched the initiative "Kura, Safer Schools Together"; an initiative to place forensic property marking in all Manurewa (Voxy, 04 August 2010)

NZ Dam Safety Depends on ‘Blind Faith’ The Clutha River Forum, an alliance of environmental groups opposed to further dams on the Clutha River, is concerned that New Zealand’s long-awaited Dam Safety Scheme has been deferred. (Clutha River Forum, 04 August 2010)

Green light for Otaki Clean Technology Centre Six years after being earmarked by the local Council as a focus for sustainable technologies and renewable energy, the Kapiti Coast has been confirmed as the location for a regional Clean Technology Centre. (Kapiti Coast District Council, 03 August 2010)

Waikato campaigners push rail as election issue The group pushing for a commuter train service between Hamilton and Auckland has launched a campaign to make it an issue at the local body elections in October. (Radio New Zealand, 03 August 2010)

Protect the environment and save money Council's new eco-design advisor, Sarah Fleet, is the person to call if you're taking on house renovations, building a new home, or just want some information about how to make the most of your resources. (Hutt City Council, 03 August 2010)

Analyst sees broadband contract being shared A telecommunications analyst says the fiercely contested contract for the Government's ultra-fast broadband project is likely to go to several contenders working together. (Radio New Zealand, 03 August 2010)

Super City debate: Candidates square off Mayoral hopefuls for Auckland's new Super City have promised everything from fewer liquor shops to a green waste curbside collection. (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Court quashes decision to move council headquarters The Court of Appeal has set aside the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's decision to move its headquarters from Whakatane to Tauranga. (Radio New Zealand, 03 August 2010)

Mayor under Facebook attack The race for the Whangarei mayoralty has got dirty with an anonymous internet site set up to attack incumbent Stan Semenoff. (The Northern Advocate, 03 August 2010)

Water use consents for hydro scheme confirmed The Environment Court has confirmed water use consents for a proposed hydro scheme on the lower Waitaki River in South Canterbury. (Radio New Zealand, 03 August 2010)

Progress on ultra-fast broadband initiative The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce, has welcomed an announcement this morning from Crown Fibre Holdings that it has received refined proposals from those seeking to participate in the government's roll-out of ultra-fast broadband. (Beehive, 03 August 2010)

$7.5million wastewater treatment plant upgrade first to use new technology Rotorua District Council (RDC) is to carry out New Zealand’s first application of MBR (Membrane Bio Reactor) technology to treat large scale community wastewater. (Rotorua District Council, 03 August 2010)

Tsunami Map A newly developed map showing tsunami inundation zones for Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty coastline has been released by the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (CDEMG) as a tool to help coastal residents improve their tsunami preparedness planning. (Tauranga City Council, 03 August 2010)

Gold award Waimakariri flood protection project Environment Canterbury and Good Earth Matters Consulting have won a national engineering award of excellence. (Environment Canterbury, 03 August 2010)

Court rules in favour of Council The Court of Appeal has granted the appeal by Whakatane District Council of the High Court decision to allowing the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (EBOP) to relocate head office from Whakatane to Tauranga. (Whakatane District Council, 03 August 2010)

Customers rate our service as excellent Satisfaction with the service provided by council has increased significantly over the last couple of months. Council surveys 10% of all people who request a service from council to identify how satisfied they were with what was provided. (Gisborne District Council, 03 August 2010)

Streamside planting day a success Waikanae Stream is looking more attractive after 320 native trees and shrubs were planted on its banks last week. (Gisborne District Council, 03 August 2010)

Quality of air not yet better It will be at least another 18 months before any noticeable improvements in air quality can be measured in towns like Alexandra, Otago Regional Council environmental information and science director John Threlfall says. (Otago Daily Times, 03 August 2010)

Water quality concerns Fish and Game Water quality in the Hakataramea River catchment remains a major worry for the Central South Island Fish and Game Council, but it has also found some positives in new resource consents which will see major expansion in irrigation in the valley. (Otago Daily Times, 03 August 2010)

Museum could be a 'swap' Cardrona residents say a new museum could raise the profile of the township's historic past, after the stalling of a proposal to put up a $120,000 war memorial monument near the old village hall. (Otago Daily Times, 03 August 2010)

Urban Maori seek deal on city beaches The ownership of New Zealand's coastline and the issue of customary title are shaping up as major political issues as the Government prepares to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act. (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Williams: I'll build rail, car tunnels North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams is promising a new harbour crossing of four tunnels, two each for rail and motor vehicles, as part of his bid to be the first Super City mayor. (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Mayor moves on land dispute Far North Mayor Wayne Brown is intervening in a heated dispute over access to one of Northland's best-known beaches before it ends in a "serious punch-up". (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Councils review lifestyle block size rules A number of local councils want the minimum size of lifestyle blocks to be increased, to curb the increase in the number of houses in rural areas. (Radio New Zealand, 03 August 2010)

Drivers in dark over new bus lane signs Auckland City parking wardens will install new signs and markers on some bus lanes today - but drivers will be left guessing where they will be and even what they look like. (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Eco-bulbs pass the test The Electricity Commission says more than two-thirds of 850 people surveyed were not able to tell the difference between eco-friendly bulbs and traditional lightbulbs. (The New Zealand Herald, 03 August 2010)

Mayoral Candidate Announces Leaky Homes Policy Super City mayoral candidate and businessman Colin Craig has released his policy regarding the current Leaky Homes Crisis. (Colin Craig, 03 August 2010)

Cr Hislop not standing I have recently advised Mayor Ogden that I will not be standing for Council for a third term in 2010. (Hutt City Council, 02 August 2010)

Sewer Pipe Money Saver A smart, no-dig technique has given new life to the sewer pipe running beneath the southern runway approach to Wellington Airport, and has saved almost a million dollars. (Wellington City Council, 02 August 2010)

Council to Replace Decaying Trees Masterton District Council’s Street Tree Advisory Group has approved a three-year project to breathe new life into Masterton’s street trees. Work started last week with the ‘sad but necessary’ removal of unhealthy specimens in Perry and Essex Street. (Masterton District Council, 02 August 2010)

Air rules aim to protect health in Ashburton The new air rules that will take effect in Ashburton from May 2011 are designed to help the town meet the standard for air quality that has been introduced by central government. (Environment Canterbury, 02 August 2010)

Nzta And Police Crack Down On Non-compliant Vehicles The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Police carried out two operations in Tauranga last week to get unsafe and illegal vehicles off the roads. (Voxy, 02 August 2010)

Bernard Orsman: No wonder voters don't bother to make a choice Why do so few people vote in local body elections? John Banks, Len Brown and Andrew Williams on TVNZ's Q & A political programme yesterday gave the answer. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 August 2010)

EDITORIAL: Make sure to get council you deserve Election hoardings are sprouting on roadsides and fences again, which means over the next two months a few things are certain to follow. (Hawke's Bay Today, 02 August 2010)

Iwi agree to keep cemetery road open Iwi of Mahia will allow a road running through an urupa (cemetery) to remain open another year to allow Wairoa District Council time to build an alternate route. (Hawke's Bay Today, 02 August 2010)

InternetNZ chooses Fellows and Councillors Well-known ICT consultant, former InternetNZ president, blogger and occasional agitator Colin Jackson was made a Fellow of InternetNZ at the organisation’s annual general meeting, as was Laurence Zwimpfer, a long-time champion of the use of technology in education. (Computerworld, 02 August 2010)

Small councils could be stung by new RMA rules - mayor Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast wants the Government to look again at the requirement for a 20-day deadline for processing resource consent applications. (Radio New Zealand, 02 August 2010)

School holidays won’t help ‘Super City’ voting numbers ’Super City’ voters will have three weeks to send back their postal ballot papers, but many Auckland families will be sidetracked by school holidays which will take up the last two of the three-week voting period. (PDF, Cameron Brewer, 02 August 2010)

Voluntary water scheme offered Details on the Manawatu District Council’s offer of a voluntary town water supply for Rongotea are outlined in an information sheet and survey form being distributed throughout the area. (PDF, Manawatu District Council, 02 August 2010)

Council Seeks Public Feedback Some Waitaki District Residents will receive a phone call from the National Research Bureau (NRB) asking for their opinion of Council for the Annual Residents Survey. (Waitaki District Council, 02 August 2010)

Bus lane sign and marker trial underway today Auckland City Council today launched a month-long trial of new signs and markers for bus lane education and enforcement. (Auckland City Council, 02 August 2010)

Sculpture Wanganui event receives funding boost The Powerco Wanganui Trust has approved $35,000 funding towards the inaugural Sculpture Wanganui event, taking place in September this year. (Wanganui District Council, 02 August 2010)

Nelson puts best foot forward on walking Nelson has been named winner of the Golden Foot Award for Top Commitment to Walking by a New Zealand Organisation. (Nelson City Council, 02 August 2010)

Bus lane marker trial goes ahead Auckland City Council has launched a trial of signs and markers at bus lanes after a public outcry over the council's hard stance in enforcing bus lane rules. (TVNZ, 02 August 2010)

One Stop Candidate Portal A First A one stop online shop for candidates in this year‟s local body elections has been launched by Local Government Online. (PDF, Local Government Online, 02 August, 2010)

Nelson puts best foot forward on walking Nelson has been named winner of the Golden Foot Award for Top Commitment to Walking by a New Zealand Organisation. (Nelson City Council, 02 August 2010)

New regulations put heat on councils New regulations requiring councils to provide a discount for late processing of resource consent applications come into effect tomorrow and Environment Minister Nick Smith says delays will be reduced. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 August 2010)

Touch screen delights Everything from virtual fly-through videos, imagery and track guides, to weather updates and fire and avalanche safety advice is available at the touch of a screen at the Department of Conservation (Doc) Wakatipu's Queenstown Regional Visitor Centre, thanks to a Queenstown technology company. (Otago Daily Times, 02 August 2010)

Warning on cut to bus subsidies A push to further commercialise public transport could lead to fewer and even more heavily subsidised bus services in Otago, regional council policy and resource planning director Fraser McRae warns. (Otago Daily Times, 02 August 2010)

DCC bids for festival funding The Dunedin City Council is hoping a slice of a $9.5 million Rugby World Cup funding carrot could see popular festival events - such as Dunedin's midwinter lantern parade - restaged during next year's tournament. (Otago Daily Times, 02 August 2010)

Super-council work conditions lower than past councils Management positions at Auckland's super-city are offering lower benefits than many of the local bodies being merged into the new council. (Radio New Zealand, 02 August 2010)

Wairoa council pushes for highway upgrade Wairoa District Council says upgrading State Highway 38 through Te Urewera National Park and Lake Waikaremoana could provide an economic boost of many millions of dollars a year. (Radio New Zealand, 02 August 2010)

Consent incentive Councils that drag the chain in processing resource consent applications face being hit in the pocket. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 August 2010)

New RMA efficiency measure takes effect A requirement for local bodies to provide a fee discount for late processing of resource consent applications came into effect on Monday. (Radio New Zealand, 02 August 2010)

Key: Banks meeting not endorsement Prime Minister John Key says he is not publicly supporting any Auckland super city mayoral candidate despite attending a meeting of current Auckland City Mayor John Banks. (The New Zealand Herald, 02 August 2010)

City Vision pushes Auckland voter enrolment The centre-left ticket hoping to control Auckland's super-city council has launched its campaign with a focus on boosting voter turnout. (Radio New Zealand, 02 August 2010)

Bylaw drives out boy racers The new anti-cruising bylaw has driven boy racers off troubled Christchurch streets, police say. (The Press, 02 August 2010)

New RMA efficiency measure takes effect New regulations requiring councils to provide a discount for late processing of resource consents come into effect tomorrow and will reduce delays and help the economic recovery, Environment Minister Nick Smith says. (Beehive, 01 August 2010)

No say for public in council spending Multimillion-dollar spending decisions are being passed by local body politicians without public input as Auckland's fragmented councils enter their final days. (The New Zealand Herald, 01 August 2010)

Auckland mayoral candidate backs harbour tunnels Auckland super-city mayoral candidate Andrew Williams wants four road and rail tunnels under the Waitemata Harbour completed in 12 years. (Radio New Zealand, 01 August 2010)