Auckland Region

St Patrick's Cathedral in central Auckland is expecting to conduct 350 baptisms on Easter Sunday, says religion expert.

A 39 year-old has been charged with two counts of presenting a firearm-like object and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

Police were called to the scene on St Johns Road on Saturday about 10pm after reports of a person being assaulted by multiple people.

While those opposed to his reinstatement have accepted it, they called for Xi Chen to apologise.

Auckland councillor and residents say there was a concerning delay in notifications before Easter Friday's flooding and intense overnight storms. Audio

Police and whānau are urgently looking for a man who vanished from Auckland Airport after checking in for a flight and clearing security but never boarding his plane.

The fire broke out in a three-storey residential building.

Health NZ "should be ashamed of itself" for failing to recognise years of unpaid and involuntary overtime by Auckland theatre nurses, the nurses union says.

Esme Barber said her young daughter and babysitter had just stepped out of the car when the tree fell.

At the peak, about 10,000 homes in the region were left without power. Audio

The three men appeared in the Auckland District Court, where a trail date was set for May next year.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is not saying if he will take up an offer to visit flood-impacted residents in West Auckland. Audio

It says there's been a reduction in violent crime based on the latest quarterly statistics but the ministry says the numbers should be considered indicative only.

"Some might ask 'how this is legal', but it certainly is: wherever you pay rates you can vote," an official says.

Auckland residents are pleased the council has approved a plan for how it'll deal with land bought from homeowners. Audio

Kerrin Leoni accused Mayor Wayne Brown of "bully behaviour" against his deputy Desley Simpson.

From today, Auckland Transport is upping its parking prices by 50 cents an hour, catching some by surprise. Audio

The council is expected to purchase 1215 high-risk homes by the end of 2025 - as part of the buyout shared with the government, costing $352 million.

Police said a car collided with a pole on Carrington Rd on Monday morning.

As of April 11, 3813 fines remain unpaid.