Invercargill Gives Support To LGNZ Membership

• Invercargill City Council commits to ongoing LGNZ membership despite previous concerns.
• Mayor Nobby Clark highlights importance of collaborative strength among councils.
• Council selects minimal representatives for LGNZ conference to reflect cost awareness.

Invercargill City Council will retain its Local Government New Zealand membership and has agreed to move on from the 3 Waters issues of the past.

Some councillors grew to have a lack of trust for LGNZ regarding their stance about 3 Waters, but at a council meeting yesterday, decided strength in numbers was important moving forward.

Mayor Nobby Clark said Auckland City Council moving out of LGNZ had hurt the organisation and  also noted that Timaru City voted out (2021) and then came back in again (2022).

“We can’t do this on our own.”

Invercargill was part of Zone 6 – incorporating all of the councils from Waitaki south, which recently appointed Central Otago councillor Tamah Alley as chair to replace Bryan Cadogan.

The $73,000 annual membership was discussed, and attendance at the annual conference, with Mayor Clark saying Invercargill was the most ‘lean’ council in its representation.

Most other councils had three to four representatives attend, but councillors agreed with the rising cost of living and high rates across the country, it wasn’t a good look to send more than necessary.

The LGNZ annual conference allows councillors to contribute to training and hear from leading figures in New Zealand, including the Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government.

Mayor Clark stepped aside from being nominated to attend the conference, to give other councillors a chance to step up.

Cr Darren Ludlow said it was times like this with the new Government formed, that forging relationships with new ministers was quite important.

Alex Crackett, who was co-chair of the Young Elected Members Committee, said that along with Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan, they were the only ones south of Christchurch on the national LGNZ council.…”that actually have any kind of voice around the council table, so to get rid of that would be a bit remiss.”

It was decided Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell and Cr Ludlow would attend, along wth Cr Crackett, who will already be at the Young Elected Members hui the day before.