Across Auckland Central, I hear the same concern every day. People are working hard, paying higher rates on their house and asking whether their hard-earned savings or home will become the next target for tax. Is this still a place where people can build a good life and feel confident about the future? I believe it is, but this election could take New Zealand in a very different direction.

Auckland Council have planted 37 Magnolia Grandiflora trees down Anglesea Street which are slowly taking away the best view of Ponsonby. Right outside Chapel and Elmos, the council even put a seated area there for us to enjoy our beautiful city. When I first came to New Zealand in 1999 with BBC Television filming it was the opening shot for our Travel show; it's an iconic spot for tourists who now stand in the middle of the road to get the view.

Our city is brimming with talent and hard-work. We want world-class infrastructure, we want events that bring us all together, and we want to have fun and enjoy life. That’s been on display in abundance with each rolling sneak-peek of our long-awaited City Rail Link Stations, as people from every walk of life have come out to join in celebration of the future within our grasp.

Auckland Live is please to announce the New Zealand premiere of Cirque Alice, an epic new circus production inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, playing at The Civic until Sunday, 6 September 2026.

Cassia will open the doors to its brand-new restaurant at 58 Albert Street on 1 September, marking a bold new chapter for Sid and Chand Sahrawat’s celebrated contemporary Indian restaurant and its return to the heart of Auckland city. The opening follows the conclusion of Cassia’s 10-week residency at Ozone in Grey Lynn on 28 August, with the team moving into a permanent new home at 58 Albert Street.