The road ahead for Invercargill will not be without bumps as the incoming council braces for big decisions and change.
A pre-election report has detailed a series of challenges for the small city of just over 55,000, including water service delivery, an ageing population, earthquake risks and getting back to a balanced budget.
It said the next council would need to "grapple with big issues", and make decisions on financially sustainable delivery.
Te Unua Museum of Southland has been a major talking point following its approval in 2022 but has faced both delays and budget issues.
It is still without a definite opening date and is now expected to cost $87 million.
The report noted both the museum and inner-city renewal had been a focus of the past two terms, while indicating core services and infrastructure would be a focus going forward.
Transition to an in-house water delivery model was also expected to be a key focus of the next term.
On the topic of water, a serious issue hanging over the city was the fact it only had a single supply, the Ōreti River, which posed serious implications in the event of a major earthquake or drought.
This long-known problem reared its head at a recent council meeting where a decision was made to delay a lower capacity emergency option for a better version down the line.
Clifton Wastewater Treatment Plant — the city’s only wastewater plant — has also been flagged for its low-lying location meaning it may need to be shifted at some point; a similar fate could befall Invercargill Airport.
But there were other issues not addressed in the report.
Amalgamation remains on the table for all four Southland councils following a bold proposal from Southland mayor Rob Scott last August.
The idea has received a mixed response, but an investigation by the Local Government Commission was supported by some local leaders.
Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark has previously stated a preference for a single unitary authority should an amalgamation take place.
The city is hosting its first election without an incumbent mayoral candidate since 1993.
One issue not highlighted in the pre-election report was the reputational damage suffered by the council over the past six years.
Shadbolt’s final term was marred by conflict with council staff, concern from the Department of Internal Affairs, and fallouts with his deputies.
Mayor Clark’s single term has had its own issues too, including two code-of-conduct breaches — one for comments at a private event and a second for appearing on a television show where he repeated the ‘N-word’.
Eight people are contesting the top job this time around, four of whom are sitting councillors.
■LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
