vote2025
Paid Candidate Round-Up of candidates standing for Invercargill City Council and ILT.
Allan Arnold - Council Candidate
I’m asking for your support for re-election because I bring common sense, logic and a principled approach.
• My vision for Invercargill is a great place to live with a vibrant inner city, and plenty of opportunities for people to work, study and enjoy our fantastic lifestyle.
• I have worked hard to achieve positive outcomes for Invercargill residents.
• I will keep pushing for a more effective, efficient and caring council that works for you. My business and public service experience helps me bring a balanced view to decision-making, and as my record shows, I’m not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. I want to be part of a Council that seeks to assist growth and development. Enables and assists private enterprise to get new businesses established creating employment opportunities.
Authorised by Allan Arnold, [email protected]
Trish Boyle - Council Candidate
I bring experience, independence, and integrity. Born and raised in Invercargill, I’ve led locally and internationally, from Principal of St John’s Girls’ to Chair of Community Trust South and Rotary International’s Leadership Committee. I’m Chair of ICC’s Community Well-being Fund. And in 2024, I was awarded a King's Service Medal.
I’ve heard our community loud and clear: rising rates are unsustainable. Every dollar must deliver value. We need a fair process prioritising essentials and respecting ratepayers’ limits.
My strength is governance: listening carefully, asking tough questions, focusing on what matters. Council must lead with maturity and respect. We need a team that serves the public, not themselves. I’ll continue to stand for common sense, transparency, and early, honest community engagement.
Community facilities like Stadium Southland matter, I’ll back them when the need is real and support is strong.
My promise: community, careful stewardship, and commitment to doing the job well. @votetrishboyle
Authorised by Trish Boyle, [email protected]
Tom Campbell - Mayoral Candidate
I’m standing for Mayor because all of my career experience has prepared me for what I believe is the key challenge facing Council next term, which is to maintain the momentum of progress in our city while constraining rate increases. I don’t consider myself to be a politician, and my natural leadership style has always been to build consensus through constructive compromise. A council which works as a team will focus on the right things and achieve better results.
I bring senior leadership experience to the job (including as a former Chief Executive of the Tiwai Smelter) and I am a Chartered Engineer by profession, but my track record of building effective teams in many past leadership roles is my strongest qualification I believe.
We must keep progressing as a city and so my slogan and my mission statement is to: Let Invercargill Flourish.
Visit tomcampbellformayor.com
Opinion: Tom Campbell - Let Invercargill Flourish
This election advertorial is published by commercial arrangement I’m sure everyone remembers the bad joke from ten or fifteen years ago that the last person to leave Invercargill should switch the lights out. Our city was in decline, with a fast-falling population and a city centre that had seen
Opinion
Authorised by agent Cath Campbell: [email protected]
Chris Dawson - Council Candidate
I’m a boilerman, a printer and water treatment plant operator, a husband and a father. I’ve worked in both the private and public sectors, they’re both rewarding but mildly infuriating.
As a city, I think we seriously need to establish what’s a need and what’s a want. The CBD is done, the museum is almost finished, but we can’t keep that level of investment up forever.
Our water bills are going to be separated from our rates bills, and paying $3,050 per annum for water in nine years time scares me, because we’ve still got to pay rates on top of that.
Let’s get someone with actual experience around the Council table. Someone who understands their language, but can articulate it in simple terms.
You wouldn’t ask an electrician to fix your teeth, so why ask someone who hasn’t worked with water their entire life to have a crack at getting your water bill down?
Opinion: Chris Dawson - We’re Growing Disenfranchised As Voters
We feel that regardless of how we vote, the same old stuff keeps happening. Endless decisions we don’t understand. We feel that even if we do vote, nothing will change. That’s where me being just an ordinary, everyday Kiwi grunt comes into it. I decided to run for Council because
Opinion
Authorised by agent Chris Dawson: [email protected]
Grant Dermody - Council Candidate
I have completed my first term as a councillor and seek your vote to continue the work to make our city the best place in New Zealand to live and work.
We have made significant progress in areas such as the CBD, the Museum project, council finances, and Bluff, while keeping rate increases as low as possible.
As the chair of the Finance and Infrastructure committee and the council lead on the Museum project, I have collaborated closely with councillors, staff, community groups and local businesses to drive positive outcomes for Invercargill and Bluff.
If elected, my priorities will include Bluff and South City, getting the Museum project completed, improving our existing recreation areas, and ensuring that council services are provided efficiently and cost-effectively.
It has been a privilege to serve the city. A vote for me is a vote for strong governance, prudent financial management, and ensuring our city is the best place to live and work in NZ.
Authorised by Grant Dermody, [email protected]
David Meades - Council Candidate
I'm a local builder, proud father, and typical ratepayer. After coming second in the 2023 by-election, I'm running again to bring a fresh perspective, practical approach, and a passion for Invercargill to council.
We've seen many exciting improvements and big projects around Invercargill recently, but with those have been big price tags and big rates increases. Council now needs to focus on the essentials, maintaining and improving services and infrastructure, getting our affairs in order and budget balanced before tackling another big project.
If elected I want to be part of a united council, focusing on our city's future, and is accountable and responsible to ratepayers.
I also bring the knowledge and experience in the construction sector necessary to make sure council is doing all it can to combat our housing shortage.
So for common-sense spending, housing done right, and a city to be proud of: vote Meades for ICC.
Opinion: Dave Meades -Invercargill A City with a Future...?
Ah Invercargill: there’s no better place to be, now more than ever. With Invercargill Central, the Langlands and Distinction hotels, and the street upgrades, the inner city is more vibrant than ever. There is still room for improvement (looking at you, Briscoes building, and the empty H+J’s
Opinion
Authorised by David Meades - [email protected]
Paddy O'Brien - ILT Candidate
It is a pleasure to put my name forward for re-election to the Invercargill Licensing Trust Board. As the President of ILT and Chairman of ILT Foundation for the past 3 years, I am extremely proud of the direction the Board, along with the dedicated Executive team has taken the organisation.
Despite challenging times, we have maintained annual community donations of circa $9 million, which is both remarkable and rewarding. Recent milestones we have supported include the opening of the Charity Hospital, Hawthorndale Care Village as well as introducing mental health prevention in schools through the Mitey programme.
Alongside continuing to back the Stags, Sharks, and Steel, we ensure every Invercargill primary aged child has access to free swimming lessons and also award 65 tertiary scholarships annually. These are just a few things the ILT Board has been proud to support, and I hope to continue leading into the future.
Authorised by Paddy O'Brien, 33 Waihopai Street, Invercargill
Ian Pottinger - Council & Mayoral Candidate
I am a fifth term City Councillor and business owner. At the forefront of Council’s priorities are rates affordability. Rates are required to fund Council activities and Government legislation states that any commercial transaction, should be in accordance with sound business practice.
Spending $87 million on a museum project for a City the size of Invercargill, in my view, is not a sound business practice. Essential Infrastructure and Community resilience must come first and if I am elected Invercargill’s new mayor, these are the guidelines Council will follow.
The City Council has a leadership role and that includes sorting out abandoned fire damaged buildings in Dee St, even if it means asking the Government to intervene.
The answer must always be, how can we help, not why we cannot. For, a clear vision, proven courage and common sense, Vote Ian Pottinger for Mayor.
Visit: ianpottinger.co.nz
Opinion: Ian Pottinger - Why I’m the Best Choice for Mayor of Invercargill
This election advertorial is published by commercial arrangement The role of Mayor is about strong leadership and collaboration. As Mayor, I would guide the governance of the city and work closely with our Chief Executive Officer to ensure Council’s management and governance are aligned. I believe my leadership experience
Opinion
Authorised by Ian Pottinger, [email protected]
Tony van der Lem - Council Candidate
I was born and raised in Invercargill, after completing my University of Otago studies I worked in banking as an economist and as a policy analyst and economist in a number of government department and agencies over the next twenty nine years.
In 2013 we moved to Invercargill, I then I retrained as an accountant at SIT before setting up my own tax agency in 2020.
I am standing for council because I want the opportunity to give back to the community that has given us the opportunity to rebuild our lives here over the last eleven years.
Authorised by Tony van der Lem, [email protected]