Councils
- Invercargill City Council addresses sound and livestream issues in its temporary chambers.
- Civic Building decisions could take up to six years for a permanent solution.
- Planned upgrades to the temporary venue are expected to be completed by March 2025.
The Invercargill City Council is planning improvements to its temporary chambers due to ongoing issues with sound and livestreaming. The chambers, currently located in the Victoria Room at the Civic Theatre, were moved there in May from the Civic Building.
While no final decisions have been made on the future of the Civic building, the council indicated that it could take up to six years to establish a permanent solution. In the meantime, the temporary venue will be upgraded to ensure it is "fit for purpose" while long-term plans are finalised.
A report prepared for the full council meeting proposed several steps to improve the temporary chamber. One of the key changes suggested renaming the venue to "Council Chamber" and establishing a reference group to oversee the upgrades.
The report highlighted issues with the sound system, stating: "It will be very clear to all members that the sound quality in the Victoria Room is not as good as it could be." The ceiling speakers, originally designed for background music, were found to be inadequate for council debates.
In addition, problems with the quality of the council’s livestream were identified, which raised concerns about how this might affect community engagement. Several other changes were also proposed, including relocating the refreshment area, reducing the size of the front table, and moving historical photos of Invercargill mayors to the new site. There are also plans to install cabinets to display gifts from the city’s international sister cities.
Councillor Ian Pottinger has already expressed his interest in joining the reference group for the upgrades. The group will include two other councillors or mana whenua representatives.
The council is still in the early stages of planning, but they hope to complete the upgrades by March 2025. No budget has been finalised for the project yet.
Meanwhile, approximately 240 staff members will relocate from the Civic Building to other spaces across the city over the next year.