Girls no more than 12 working city’s ‘young red light area’

A spike in underage prostitution in Auckland’s CBD is concerning police and outreach workers who say girls as young as 12 and 13 are being picked up off the streets from what is known as “the young red light area”.
Senior Constable Mark Riddell, a member of the Auckland central police Youth Action Team, says a [...]

Auckland City triples funding for Film Auckland

The Auckland City Council has tripled the amount of funding it has previously given to Film Auckland, after the Government cut funding to the organization.
Film Auckland attracts business to the city by courting film productions at location expos in Asia and North America, and by hosting international delegations locally, says executive manager Michael Brook,.
The council [...]

A new ticket price for international shows – $2

Thursday night’s drum and bass gig featuring UK DJ Mampi Swift cost punters only $2 entry, something previously unheard of in Auckland for a major international artist.
Ticket prices for the same show in Christchurch and Wellington stretch upwards of $40, and being able to do it for $2 is exciting, says promoter Kris Hyman.
Charging a [...]

Police fear karaoke causes ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’

Karaoke bars may give aspiring performers ‘Good Vibrations’, but the police say they contribute to too much ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
According to police, the practices of some karaoke bars in Auckland are encouraging excessive drunkenness.
The problem-bars are modelled on an Asian format where patrons rent a private room to drink and sing unsupervised.
Senior Sergeant Ben Offner [...]

Auckland zoo quits smoking

Auckland Zoo intends to be completely smoke-free by world smoke-free day on May 31.
At present there is no law requiring the zoo to be smoke-free, so customers are still able to smoke in its outdoor areas.
However recent customer feedback shows the public wants a smoke-free environment, says Paula Corcoran, the zoo’s marketing and development manager.
“Visitors [...]

Art gallery short of funds, not ambition

The Auckland Art Gallery redevelopment still has a $15.7 million gap in funding, but gallery director Chris Saines remains confident the money can be raised before the gallery opens in mid-2011.
The gallery closed in early 2008 to begin a $121 million redevelopment, including seismic strengthening, heritage restoration and contemporary additions that will expand gallery space [...]

Blog: Don’t turn your nose up

I think getting the homeless to help with gardening on Orakei Marae is a beautiful act of kindness by Ngati Whatua.
So many people turn their noses up at the homeless and wonder how they ever got themselves in that position. But not many people actually throw them a coin, give them a smile or offer [...]

Blog: Shouldn’t Auckland be supporting people using sustainable transport??

I was so dismayed a few weeks ago when I was going down to catch the train and an Auckland City Council worker handed me a form regarding proposed parking restrictions, that I wrote a story on it for City Beat news.
It seems bizarre that in an age where sustainable transport is so central to discussions of [...]

City councillors square off over World Cup funding

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has caused quite a stir between two Auckland City councillors who have opposing views on council funding for it.

City vision councillor Dr Cathy Casey says it is “appalling the council should be spending millions on it while cutting funding for services to help migrant and refugees such as [...]

Bookworms on the move for writers and readers week

Bookworms across Auckland will come out of the woodwork this week for the the city’s annual literature fest.
The Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, from today, May 13, to May 17, aims to celebrate the works of New Zealand, Pacific and international writers through a range of readings, seminars and free events.
Chief executive of the [...]