The appearance of the West Auckland Press in February 1962 increased competition in the West Auckland newspaper market forcing District Newspapers Ltd to act aggressively.

On 4 September 1962, the first issue of The Western Suburbs News hit the streets, merging the Avondale Advance and Blockhouse Bay Beacon with the New Lynn News. The combined tabloid newspaper was placed under the management of J. Denis Chicken and was distributed weekly throughout New Lynn, Avondale, Titirangi, Blockhouse Bay, Waterview, Kelston, Green Bay, and Glen Eden.

That same month, Suburban Newspapers Ltd, a newspaper subsidiary of New Zealand Newspapers Ltd, publisher of the Auckland Star, entered the West Auckland market with the Southwestern Leader.

Competition proved fierce between the News and the Leader. In its first issue, the News offered free advertising to attract businesses. The first issue of the Leader was released on 19 September and announced its intention to distribute in the same area as the News, plus Laingholm, Wood Bay, French Bay, and parts of Mt Albert and Owairaka.

The News published on Tuesdays and the Leader on Wednesdays. Something had to give.

In its last issue on 22 January 1963, the News announced that it had been acquired by Suburban Newspapers Ltd and that it and the Leader would merge to become the News-Leader, which would release weekly on Wednesdays. The volume sequencing of the News-Leader continued from the Western Suburbs News.