Shape Your City: Invercargill Calls for Feedback on Its 10-Year Vision

• Public feedback invited on Invercargill’s draft Long-term Plan 2024-34, detailing a decade of proposed projects and services.
• The plan addresses key areas like infrastructure, community wellbeing, and cultural development, with an emphasis on sustainable financial planning.
• Residents can participate in the consultation process starting February 29, through various formats to ensure broad community involvement.

Invercargill City Council is seeking feedback from the public on its draft Long-term Plan for 2024-34, designed to direct the growth of Invercargill and Bluff through various projects, activities, and services for the coming ten years. The plan features several key proposals, including the museum’s expansion, the launch of Urban Play, a new swimming pool at Splash Palace, and initiatives for art in the city centre.

It also focuses on vital infrastructure improvements, particularly in water services, and presents options for enhancing community wellbeing, elderly housing, recycling efforts, and emission reduction strategies.

Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell highlighted the importance of community feedback, stating, “We know that the cost of living is hitting everyone and the Council has worked incredibly hard to balance the need to deliver great projects, services and activities for our community, while keeping the rates down.”

Despite rising costs, the proposed average rates increase is capped at 9.17%, a figure aimed at balancing ambitious projects with fiscal responsibility. The Council is seeking public opinion to ensure this balance is correctly struck.

Chief Executive Michael Day emphasised the draft plan’s focus on reflecting community desires, mentioning, “Our strong financial position has allowed a strategy to focus on critical asset renewal, and hold off funding other infrastructure renewals until later in the budget cycle, meaning we can include big projects but not push the rates increase higher than necessary.”

The consultation period opened on February 29, offering multiple avenues for residents to engage, including an online platform, in-person sessions with Councillors and Council staff, and even video submissions to gather a wide range of feedback.

For times and location information on in-person sessions, visit letstalk.icc.govt.nz

You can also send in a video submission via letstalk.icc.govt.nz, or set up a ‘cuppa and a chat’ with the team by booking a slot online at letstalk.icc.govt.nz emailing [email protected] or calling 03 211 1777.

To give your feedback, submit online at letstalk.icc.govt.nz, post it or drop it off at Council Civic Building at 101 Esk St, the Invercargill Public Library, Bluff Service Centre, Splash Palace or Murihiku Marae.

Submissions are due by 5pm, Tuesday 2 April.