Invercargill City Council adopts new Code of Conduct

Invercargill City Council has agreed to adopt a new Code of Conduct, which would include the ability to resolve lower-level conduct matters through mediation and early intervention measures.

Last year, Central Government asked the Local Government Commission (LGC) to prepare a standardised Code of Conduct template for territorial authorities throughout the country.

At yesterday’s full Council meeting, Invercargill’s elected members unanimously agreed to adopt the template prepared by the Commission.

Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell said the new Code’s focus on resolving issues earlier was a step in a more positive direction for the community.

“Council’s new Code of Conduct process will balance renewing our community’s confidence in its elected members and the governance systems within which we operate, with the public’s wish to reduce frivolous expenditure by dealing with any issues that arise in a clear, robust, and sensible manner,” he said.

While the Commission’s Code of Conduct template had not yet been rolled out nationwide, Council would be an early adopter of it, he said.

“It is vital that those of us privileged enough to have been chosen to represent the people of Invercargill and Bluff are governed by processes and procedures that enhance our community’s confidence in our decision-making.”

Council was statutorily obligated to adopt a Code of Conduct under the Local Government Act 2002.

The Code of Conduct 2026 would replace Council’s previous Code of Conduct, which was adopted in November last year.

Council’s Manager Legal and Governance Michael Morris said the Code was intended to support effective working relationships both within Council, and between elected members and the wider community.

“The Code of Conduct framework is designed to ensure that the governance of Council is undertaken with the highest degree of integrity, while also promoting the sharing of free and frank debate that enables sound decision-making on behalf of the community around the Council table,” he said.

A review of the Code of Conduct template prepared by the LGC had identified a number of improvements to assist Council, by providing greater clarity around obligations and processes required when a complaint was lodged, he said.

Council’s 2025 Code of Conduct included a more formal and Council-centric complaints process, with earlier escalation to investigators and the ability to impose political sanctions when complaints were upheld, Morris said.

The new Code instead emphasised early resolution practices including facilitated discussion and mediation, the clear separation of assessment and investigation roles, the consistent treatment of complaints, and organisational learning. The new code no longer included the ability to impose political sanctions, he said.

The Local Government Act required Councils that intended to revoke and replace existing Codes of Conduct attain a super-majority vote, of 75 percent of elected members, in order to do so.