Going Into Bat For The Ratepayers

Invercargill Ratepayers Advocacy Group member Nobby Clark believes the escalating costs of 10 council projects worth $78.35 million is “absolutely eye watering.”

His submission to the Invercargill City Council’s Annual Plan (2022-2023) on behalf of the group has outlined some of the big issues he understands from his work as a councillor and deputy Mayor.

“When I look back at this, I see a pattern of behaviour.”  He said councillors get sold on a project at a certain price, and then they get committed to doing it.

But in 10 projects he has monitored over the past term, they have all gone way over their initial predicted costings.

The ICC wants to increase rates by 7.8% instead of the 4% it initially proposed, to pay for the $78.35 shortfall.

Some of the changes in the Roadmap to Renewal projects include, the bigger new museum option, changes to the capital works programme (inflation), supply chain issues and additional property maintenance.

Nobby told the hearing people were fed up with continued rates increases, and believed council should be looking at various other funding options.

These included increasing loans, selling investment assets and surplus land, reducing expenditure and delaying projects.

Nobby outlined various projects, such as the CBD upgrade that had more than doubled from $30 million to $60 million, the water treatment station ($11.5 million to $25 million), and even smaller projects like Rugby Park had gone from $1.2 million to $4.9 million – a 400% increase.

He was told those who did the original quotes got it wrong and the initial figures were “totally inaccurate.”

The final version of the Annual Plan will be provided to council for adoption and the rates struck before the end of June 2022.