First Council meeting of triennium held

Invercargill City Council has held its inaugural meeting of the 2025 – 2028 term, following local government elections last month.

The first meeting of the new term was held today, after the incoming Council was officially sworn-in at a ceremony on Tuesday, 28 October.

The city’s new Mayor, Tom Campbell, and returning elected members Steve Broad, Alex Crackett, Grant Dermody, Trish Boyle, Ria Bond, Darren Ludlow, Ian Pottinger, Allan Arnold, and Barry Stewart were joined by new Councillors Andrea de Vries and Lisa Tou-McNaughton, as well as Marcus Lush, who served as an Invercargill City Councillor between 2021 and 2022.

Mayor Campbell said he was looking forward to getting to work alongside all elected members.

“There’s an interesting mix of experience and fresh thinking around the Council table, and we’re all focused on keeping things moving in a positive, thriving direction,” he said.

“I look forward to standing alongside all of our Councillors, and ensuring the community we serve is at the centre of our decision-making.”

Appointments confirmed at the meeting included:

• Councillor Grant Dermody – Deputy Mayor; Chairperson, Water Committee; Portfolio, Te Unua Museum of Southland; Council representative, Bluff Community Board
• Councillor Alex Crackett – Chairperson, Infrastructure and Growth Committee; Portfolio, Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)
• Councillor Darren Ludlow – Chairperson, Community and Regulatory Committee
• Councillor Trish Boyle – Chairperson, Finance and Policy Committee

An external chairperson for the Risk and Assurance Committee, Ross Jackson, was also appointed by elected members.

Elected members also resolved to offer the opportunity for two mana whenua representatives to be appointed to Council, as had been case in the previous term. Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Rūnaka o Awarua would be invited to provide their nominations to Council, for representatives to be formally appointed.

Mana whenua representatives have voting rights at Committee-level, and speaking rights at full Council meetings.

Meanwhile, the inaugural meeting for the Bluff Community Board – members of which had also been officially-sworn in on 28 October – would be held on Monday, 24 November.