Category: Cities and Regions

Duncan Garner Podcast: ‘We’re Going Backwards’ – Firefighters Sound The Alarm On Pay, Resources

May 6, 2026 | Article, Auckland City, Cities and Regions, Emergency Services, Freedom of Expression, Hamilton City, Health and Safety, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Protest, Regulations

OPINION: Is the Government Letting the Foxes Guard the Henhouse with Infrastructure Spending?

May 5, 2026 | Asset Sales, Cities and Regions, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Global Warming, Government Organisations, High-density Housing, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Managed Retreat, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Rates Increases, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Three Waters, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Water Meters

OPINION: A Failure of Education and a Failure of Governance

Dec 4, 2025 | Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Elections, Fixing Councils Series, Global Warming, Government Organisations, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases

OPINION: Regional Council Reforms Should Focus on Reducing Bureaucracy not Reducing Democracy

Dec 4, 2025 | Amalgamation, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Contractors, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Elections, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases

OPINION: The End of Regional Councils?

Dec 4, 2025 | Amalgamation, Building Consent, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Spending, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Housing supply, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Safety and Well-being

2025 Local Government Elections

Jun 30, 2025 | Article, Auckland City, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities and Regions, Dunedin City, Elections, Far North District, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Taking Action, Upper Hutt City, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington City, Whanganui District

No tolls on the new Manawatū Tararua Highway, public feedback was 90% against the proposed tolling

Apr 22, 2025 | Cities and Regions, Consultation, Council Spending, Emergency Services, Health and Safety, News, Palmerston North City, Protest, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Safety and Well-being, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading

Cities and Regions

2025 Local Government Elections

2025 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Most councils in New Zealand are having local government elections...

Cities and Regions

Duncan Garner Podcast: ‘We’re Going Backwards’ – Firefighters Sound The Alarm On Pay, Resources

Summary “Duncan is joined by firefighter Steve Devine and union representative Dave Phillips, who...

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October 2025 Coverage of S&P’s “New Zealand Water Reforms Don’t Guarantee Rating Relief For Local Councils” Report

Oct 31, 2025 | Article, Auckland City, Christchurch City, Cities and Regions, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Developer Contributions, Dunedin City, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Invercargill City, Law and Legislation, LGFA, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Three Waters, Upper Hutt City, Water Meters, Wellington City

Summary In late October 2025, S&P Global published a Scenario Analysis titled New Zealand...

Open Invitation for Candidate Opinion Pieces

Aug 10, 2025 | Article, Auckland City, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities and Regions, Dunedin City, Elections, Far North District, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Taking Action, Upper Hutt City, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington City, Whanganui District

Given the number of elections running across the country, sending out personal invites to every...

Michael Connett’s NZ Speaking Tour on Water Fluoridation

Jan 21, 2025 | Auckland City, Cities and Regions, Hamilton City, Health and Safety, Hutt City, Law and Legislation, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Three Waters, Upper Hutt City, Water Fluoridation, Wellington City

Fluoride Free NZ has organised for US Lawyer Michael Connett to tour New Zealand in February 2025....

News coverage of the meetings to oppose the Tararua toll road

Oct 25, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Consultation, Council Spending, Emergency Services, Health and Safety, News, Palmerston North City, Protest, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Safety and Well-being, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading

Summary State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge was closed in 2017 due to slips. Saddle road is...

NZTA consultation on three proposed toll roads (closes 7 Oct 2024)

Sep 30, 2024 | Article, Cities and Regions, Consultation, News, Palmerston North City, Protest, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Transport and Roading

All three consultations on these proposed toll roads close at 5:00pm on Monday 7 October 2024. If...

Kāpiti Coastal Advisory Panel and managed retreat: June 2024 updates

Jun 30, 2024 | Article, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Consultation, Council Meetings, Flood Risk, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Greater Wellington Region, International Organisation, Kapiti Coast District, Managed Retreat, Natural Hazards, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Protest, Resource Management Act (RMA), Taking Action, United Nations

June 2024 has been a busy month for the issues of climate change adaptation and managed retreat....

What is RCP8.5?

Jun 30, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Flood Risk, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, International Organisation, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Managed Retreat, Natural Hazards, Overview, Resource Management Act (RMA), United Nations, Wellington City

Summary RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5) is a climate change model scenario used...

What Has Been Happening with Number Plate Recognition Cameras in Manchester, UK?

Jun 1, 2024 | Article, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Council Debt, Council Spending, Crime, Global Agendas, International, Mode Shift, News, Overview, Petitions, Protest, Public Transport, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Surveillance, Taking Action, Transport and Roading

Summary and Key Points In 2008 the Greater Manchester local authorities proposed a congestion...

OPINION: Why You Should Fear Facial Recognition

May 27, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Crime, Emergency Services, Internet of Things, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Surveillance

By Guest (a concerned New Zealand resident) Introduction Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is an...

OPINION: Comparing the coalition’s draft transport General Policy Statement (GPS) with Labour’s version

Mar 23, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Consultation, Elections, Global Agendas, Incoming Legislation, International Organisation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Overview, Public Transport, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Taking Action, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations, Vision Zero

By John McDonald, 2024 Hamilton East Ward By-election Candidate and CityWatch NZ editor The...

Public Consultation for WEL Energy Trust Annual Plan and Consumer Discount closes 20 March 2024

Mar 17, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, ENERGY, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Hamilton City, Letter Templates, News, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Taking Action, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations

Graphic from page 13 of the WEL Energy Trust Draft Annual Plan 2024-2025 [Editor’s note: CityWatch...

Consultation finishes on 2 April 2024 for the draft GPS on land transport

Mar 7, 2024 | Cities, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Funding, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, News, Public Transport, Regions, Safety and Well-being, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Taking Action, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading

Send your feedback to the Ministry of Transport before noon on the 2nd of April 2024 regarding the...

RNZ Article: Waka Kotahi puts funding for cycling, walking and public transport initiatives on hold

Dec 11, 2023 | Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Council Funding, Council Spending, Mode Shift, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Public Transport, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, Vision Zero

Authored by: Robin Martin Published on: 4 November 2023 Published by: RNZ Headline: Waka...

Category: Cities and Regions

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