The $9,000 lectern that's never been stood at
Nine grand of oak turned up in the semester break and not one councillor has stood behind it.
Council Chaos
Rate rises, road cones and four-year consultations that baffle everyone but the consultants. Every Council Chaos yarn we have filed, newest first — 70 stories, none of them true.
Alexandra public loos shut for "wellness refurbishment" — nobody knows what that means
Central Otago District Council has padlocked the town's busiest dunnies for six weeks. Rail Trail season started Monday.
Picton road cones now outnumber residents two to one — Marlborough district council "comfortable with the ratio"
Roughly 9,000 cones, 4,500 people, and one bloke actually holding a shovel.
Mount Maunganui meeting on $140,000 bronze pigeon ends with retiree escorted from hall
The pigeon is two metres tall. Nobody at the Mount asked for it.
Royal commission of inquiry into Johnsonville camellia delivers 340-page findings
Eighteen months. Fourteen witnesses. One shrub. Wellington City Council found to have acted "with characteristic indecision".
Levin ratepayers fork out $84k for report concluding reports are underfunded
Pull up a stool, because a mate of mine reckons this one's a beauty.
Tauranga council installs EV chargers on Matua verge where no car has ever parked
Two units, four bays, one very confused retiree who thought it was a bus stop upgrade.
Sockburn playground shut four months for "aspirational maintenance", council won't say what that is
The fence went up in August. Bugger all has happened since.
Cromwell ratepayer's bill includes $400 for 'strategic vibes', council says that's correct
The line item sits between kerbside and water. Nobody at QLDC can explain it.
Auckland council sends Manukau household three recycling letters, all contradict each other
One says Tuesday. One says Thursday. The third says the bin has been retired.
Tauranga city council paints zebra crossing across Pyes Pa couple's driveway, declines to explain
Sources say the contractor followed the plans. The plans were for a different street.
Christchurch city council installs EV chargers on Sumner cliff face no car can reach
Two units, one bollard, zero vehicles. Council calls it 'future-proofing'.
Atawhai footpath upgrade halted by single camellia with better lawyer than the council
Nelson City Council contractors have downed tools over a shrub. The shrub has not commented.
Papamoa dog park stalled indefinitely by submission from one (1) cat
Tauranga City Council confirms the objection was filed on lined paper with a paw print where the signature should be.
Hamilton dog park stalled by submission from a cat named Derek
One cat. One typed letter. Six months of meetings. Ratepayers footing the bill.
Guys. Guys. I never thought I'd have to make this video about Tawa's EV chargers
Wellington City Council installs four fast chargers in a gravel lay-by no vehicle has ever visited. Barry Hoskins issues a full statement to his community.
Ohauiti playground shut for "aspirational maintenance" — council won't say what they're aspiring to
Slide works. Swings work. Consultant's invoice apparently doesn't.
Alexandra ratepayer billed $400 for 'strategic vibes' — council says it's 'ongoing'
The line item sits between 'kerb realignment' and 'consultation phase 2'. Nobody at council can say what a vibe costs per hour.
Royal commission finds Mangapapa dunny closure "not a wellness event"
After 14 months and $2.3m in costs, the Commission finds the toilets are still shut.
Dunedin meeting on north d cycleway derailed by Auckland pigeon statue for 90 minutes
DCC hired a consultant to explain a bronze bird nobody in Otago asked for. He billed the trip down.