While Invercargill residents are having to pay $11 for a cauliflower in the supermarket, Mayor Nobby Clark said he cannot justify forcing a 10% increase on ratepayers in 2025/26.

Speaking to whatsoninvers.nz founder Mike Sanford in his 90 Seconds segment last week, Mayor Clark said he still advocated for the Invercargill City Council dropping back rates increases for a few years, while the cost of living was so high.

He said the Government wanted councils to cap their rates and bring costs right down, and suggested ratepayers could as well.

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But people could only do so much to minimise the impact by buying less groceries, being careful where to run their cars, and some were even turning their power off.

“Some old people don’t get up till lunchtime because it’s just too cold.”

Mayor Clark said he told ICC chief executive Michael Day he wouldn’t be personally responsible for any rates increases above 3.9%, which was a $5 to $6 million difference.

He wasn’t happy with the closed door meetings at council, which he was told were commercial sensitive and also might affect staff.

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Last month Mayor Clark proposed increasing rates only 2.3% - which would make it among the lowest in the country.

ICC management have initially recommended the rates increase for between 8.5% and 10.5%, but while there were workshops and closed door meetings, nothing was set in concrete until at least May.

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Mayor Clark has long said the council needed to sell Donovan Farm which could bring in $20 to $30 million for the city, that would set up them up for years.

The cost of lawyers, contractors and consultants was also crippling the council, and he gave the example of one earning twice as much as he did in his role leading the city.

Last year the council spent $800,000 on four consultants for the Bluff wastewater project, for advice they ignored anyway, he said.

“And there will still be another $300,000 to come.”

Council will make a final decision on rates under its Long Term Plan 2025/26 in June-July 2025.

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