This election advertorial is published by commercial arrangement.
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 and Farmers buildings), but for now, let us rest on our laurels and enjoy the work that has been done.
With the museum nearing completion and fingers crossed opening on schedule, Invercargill is fast becoming an attractive and respectable destination in its own right. Through strategic planning and wise stewardship, previous councils have changed Invercargill’s trajectory from a slow, sad, decline into oblivion, to a vibrant city with a bright future.
However, in order to survive and thrive into the future, we need people to be here in the future. We’ve done the work to make Invercargill a great place, now we need people to know it. We need to attract and retain young working people, and people with young families, in order to keep our city alive and have Invercargill perpetuate itself for the coming generations. I love it here, I love to live here and work here, and I love raising my family here — there’s honestly no other place I’d rather be.
And so, I am running for council to ensure the viability and sustainability of Invercargill for generations to come. And for that to happen, we need to make sure Invercargill remains the Affordable, Liveable, and Loveable place that it is.
1. An Affordable City
First and foremost, if we want people to live here, they need to be able to afford to live here. Rising rates levels are putting more and more pressure on ratepayers, but also, increased unfunded government regulations are putting more and more pressure on council. It’s a lose/lose situation, and things are going to come to a head soon if nothing changes. Council needs to do more with less and cut waste and find and eliminate inefficiencies where it can, but I’m dubious that will be enough to take the pressure off of ratepayers. What I see as being the best solution, is rather than increasing rates, we need to increase ratepayers — and that’s done by building more houses.
2. A Liveable City
As a builder I have the insight and experience in the construction sector to tell you there is room to improve in council. Invercargill desperately needs more housing, and a wider range of housing, and builders and developers are keen to invest in Invercargill and grow and improve our housing stock. However, the council is a slow, inefficient, and expensive beast to deal with. Owning your own home is a huge step in life and offers stability for families, and Invercargill is still affordable enough for home ownership to be in reach for people in their 20s. So as long as supply keeps up with demand, it should stay that way. But that won’t happen unless council is far more intentional and proactive in encouraging growth and development — and I have the experience to help make that change.
3. A Loveable City
But of course, empty houses don’t pay rates. Invercargill has gotten a bad rap for far too long, and it’s time to change that. We’ve got a lot to boast about and a lot to be proud of: a booming economy, a bustling city centre, affordable housing, heaps of indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities, and we’re on the doorstep of a number of national parks and natural wonders. What we need to do now is promote Invercargill for the awesome place it is — to encourage people to move here and call Invercargill home, as well as retaining our own young people who are leaving in droves.
Authorised by David Meades. [email protected]