Invercargill councillors could be in for an increased workload under a new proposal from the city’s mayor.

Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell will table at proposal at Tuesday’s council meeting that  all councillors be added to the risk and assurance committee, and one councillor be added to the water committee.

Mr Campbell’s proposal follows a July announcement from the government that the Local Government Act would be changed to prevent non-elected members voting on council committees.

The mayor said those changes would take effect in 2027, but wanted the adjustment to be made now so the council was “well placed” when it happened.

“It is clear that risk and assurance is an area of great importance and has a significant oversight function that I feel will benefit, now having all council take part in,” Mr Campbell said.

He also wished to appoint councillor Ria Bond to the “busy” water committee.

In Invercargill, four non-elected committee members will lose their voting rights under the proposed legislation changes.

Those include mana whenua representative Mike Bain, water committee deputy chair Lee Babe, risk and assurance committee chair Ross Jackson and risk and assurance committee member Lesley Soper.

Three non-elected members on the council’s community wellbeing fund subcommittee would also lose their voting rights.

Council manager governance Michael Morris said proposed changes to the risk and assurance committee would not have financial implications.

“Councillors are not paid per meeting, but instead receive an annual honorarium.”

A report on the legislation changes would be presented at an extraordinary meeting on 2 November, where councillors could discuss applying for an exception, he said.

The council’s risk and assurance committee currently includes eight elected members, but would  increase to 13 under the mayor’s proposed changes.

The water committee’s elected membership would increase from five to six.

In June, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said there were examples in the Far North, Tauranga, and Hastings where iwi representatives and young people had been appointed to council committees and given voting rights.

“That’s not democratic, so we’re fixing it,” he said.

 

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.