{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox legislature | name = Invercargill City Council | native_name = | native_name_lang = mi | legislature = | coa_pic = Invercargill coat of arms full achievement (only mural crown).svg | coa_res = 120 | coa_alt = | coa_caption = Invercargill City Council coat of arms | logo_pic = File:Invercargill City Council logo.svg | logo_res = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | house_type = City council | houses = | jurisdiction = Invercargill | term_limits = None | foundation = 1929 or 1930 | preceded_by = Invercargill Borough Council | new_session = | leader1_type = [[Mayor of Invercargill|Mayor]] | leader1 = {{NZ officeholder data|Invercargill City Mayor|y||}} | leader1_term = | party1 = | election1 = | leader2_type = Deputy Mayor | leader2 = Grant Dermody | party2 = | election2 = | leader2_term = | members = 13<ref group="lower-alpha">Includes Mayor</ref> | house1 = | committees1 = | term_length = 3 years | voting_system1 = [[First-past-the-post voting|FPP]] | first_election1 = | last_election1 = [[2025 Invercargill City Council election|11 October 2025]] | next_election1 = 2028 | motto = | meeting_place = [[Civic Theatre (Invercargill)|Invercargill Town Hall and Civic Theatre]] | website = {{URL|https://icc.govt.nz/}} | footnotes = {{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}} }} The '''Invercargill City Council''' is the [[territorial authorities of New Zealand|territorial authority]] for the city of [[Invercargill]], [[New Zealand]].
The council is made up of an elected [[mayor of Invercargill|mayor]] and 12 councillors elected [[at-large]].<ref name="council">{{cite web |title=Your Council |url=https://icc.govt.nz/your-council/ |website=icc.govt.nz |publisher=Invercargill City Council |access-date=20 April 2024 |language=en-nz}}</ref> They are elected using [[First-past-the-post voting]] in [[Local elections in New Zealand|triennial elections]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Elections |url=https://icc.govt.nz/elections/ |website=icc.govt.nz |publisher=Invercargill City Council |access-date=20 April 2024 |language=en-nz}}</ref> with the most recent election being held in [[2025 Invercargill City Council election|2025]]. The current mayor is {{NZ officeholder data|Invercargill City Mayor|y||}}.
==History== The site that would go on to become Invercargill was selected and streets laid out by the chief surveyor for the [[Otago Province]], [[John Turnbull Thomson]], in 1856.<ref name="te-ara">{{cite web |last1=Grant |first1=David |title=Southland places – Invercargill |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/southland-places/page-1 |website=teara.govt.nz |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=20 April 2024 |date=8 September 2008}}</ref>
Following a public meeting on 14 March 1871 to discuss the establishment of the Invercargill [[Municipal corporation#New Zealand|municipality]], notice of the incorporation of the town of Invercargill was published in the [[Otago Province|Otago Provincial Gazette]] on 28 June 1871.<ref name="past-mayors">{{cite web |title=Information on past Mayors of Invercargill City and the location of their headstones in the Invercargill Cemeteries |url=https://icc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Past-Mayors-updated-March-20161.pdf |website=icc.govt.nz |publisher=Invercargill City Council |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="cyclopedia">{{cite web |author1=Cyclopedia Company Limited |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts] {{!}} Borough Of Invercargill |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d6-d2-d5.html |website=nzetc.victoria.ac.nz |publisher=[[Victoria University of Wellington]] |access-date=21 April 2024}}</ref>
[[Borough#New Zealand|Borough]] elections for the first [[Mayor of Invercargill]] were then held on 26 August 1871, with the election of the eight councillors taking place later on 5 September 1871.<ref name="past-mayors"/> The electorate for these first elections consisted of Invercargill property owners.<ref name="te-ara"/><ref name="te-ara2">{{cite web |last1=Grant |first1=David |title=Southland region – Government, education and health |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/southland-region/page-10 |website=teara.govt.nz |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=20 April 2024 |date=8 September 2008}}</ref> The council held its inaugural meeting on 11 September 1871.<ref name="past-mayors"/>
The [[Civic Theatre (Invercargill)|Invercargill Town Hall and Civic Theatre]], opened in November 1906, was initially built for the council. Previously the council had sat in what had been the [[Southland Province|Southland Provincial Council Chambers]].<ref name="heritage">{{cite web |title=Town Hall and Civic Theatre |url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/2521/2521 |website=www.heritage.org.nz |publisher=[[Heritage New Zealand]] |access-date=20 April 2024 |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
In 1909, [[Gladstone, Invercargill|Gladstone]], [[Avenal, New Zealand|Avenal]], [[List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand#Borough councils|North Invercargill]] and [[List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand#Borough councils|East Invercargill]] were amalgamated into Invercargill Borough.<ref name="te-ara2"/>
In 1929<ref name="te-ara2"/> or 1930,<ref name="te-ara"/> Invercargill Borough gained [[city status]]. In 1956, the borough of [[List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand#Borough councils|South Invercargill]] was amalgamated into the city.<ref name="te-ara2"/>
Most of the city council staff left the Civic Theatre for newly built council offices in the 1960s, though the Council Chamber and committee room remain in use.<ref name="heritage"/>
The modern borders of the city of Invercargill took shape when [[Bluff, New Zealand|Bluff]] was amalgamated in the [[1989 New Zealand local government reforms|local government reforms of 1989]].<ref name="te-ara2"/>
Since 2021, the council has appointed two [[mana whenua]] representatives nominated by local [[rūnanga|runaka]]. They do not have voting rights at full council meetings but may vote in committee meetings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://icc.govt.nz/mana-whenua-representatives-announced/ |title=Mana whenua representatives announced |date=1 October 2021 |publisher=Invercargill City Council}}</ref> In 2026, the mana whenua position for [[Ngāi Tahu#Southland rūnanga|Te Rūnanga o Awarua]] was suspended at their request.<ref name="mana">{{cite news |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/dark-cloud-over-this-house-invercargill-council-suspends-mana-whenua-role/ |title='Dark cloud over this house': Invercargill council suspends mana whenua role |date=25 March 2026 |work=1News |first=Matthew |last=Rosenberg}}</ref>
==Composition== [[File:Civic Theatre, Invercargill.jpg|thumb|right|Invercargill Town Hall and Civic Theatre]] [[File:Blade of grass 7930.jpg|thumb|right|''Blade of grass'' sculpture outside the Invercargill City Council building in Esk Street]] ===Councillors=== {| class="wikitable" |+ Invercargill City Council<ref name="councillors">{{cite web |title=Mayor and Councillors |url=https://www.icc.govt.nz/council/about-council/02-mayor-and-councillors |website=icc.govt.nz |publisher=Invercargill City Council |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref name="mana"/> |- ! Position !! Name !! Affiliation (if any) |- |[[Mayor of Invercargill|Mayor]] |[[Tom Campbell (New Zealand politician)|Tom Campbell]] |[[Independent politician|Independent]] |- |Deputy Mayor |Grant Dermody |Independent |- |Councillor |Allan Arnold |Independent |- |Councillor |[[Ria Bond]] |Independent |- |Councillor |Trish Boyle |Integrity, Independence |- |Councillor |[[Steve Broad]] |Independent |- |Councillor |Alex Crackett |Independent |- |Councillor |Andrea de Vries |Independent |- |Councillor |Darren Ludlow |Independent |- |Councillor |[[Marcus Lush]] |Independent |- |Councillor |Ian Pottinger |Independent |- |Councillor |Barry Stewart |Independent |- |Councillor |Lisa Tou-McNaughton |Positivity, Partnership and Progress |- |Mana whenua |Mike Bain |[[Ngāi Tahu#Southland rūnanga|Waihōpai Rūnaka]] |}
===Community board=== The council has created a local [[Community boards in New Zealand|community board]], under the provisions of Part 4 of the [[Local Government Act 2002]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/whole.html#DLM171851 |title=Local Government Act 2002 No 84 (as at 01 July 2017)|website=www.legislation.govt.nz|language=en-NZ |access-date= 20 April 2024}}</ref> to represent [[Bluff, New Zealand|Bluff]]. The Bluff Community Board consists of five elected members<ref>{{cite web |title=Bluff Community Board |url=https://www.icc.govt.nz/council/about-council/03-bluff-community-board |website=icc.govt.nz |publisher=Invercargill City Council |language=en-nz}}</ref> and two councillors appointed by the council.<ref name="councillors"/>
The community board is intended to provide advice to the city council regarding the interests of the Bluff community.
{| class="wikitable" |+ Bluff Community Board |- ! Position !! Name |- |Board member |Jo Eruera |- |Board member |Ray Fife |- |Board member |Frazer Murdoch |- |Board member |Haylee Simeon |- |Board member |Justin Sutherland <!--|- |Council appointee |Councillor Allan Arnold |- |Council appointee |Councillor Grant Dermody--> |- |}
==Coat of arms== The city of Invercargill has a [[Achievement (heraldry)|coat of arms]], which was first proposed in 1956 for Invercargill’s [[Centennial|centenary]] and granted by the [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]] on 25 July 1958.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pollock |first1=Kerryn |title=Invercargill symbols |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/21716/invercargill-symbols |website=teara.govt.nz |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=20 April 2024 |date=11 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McLintock |first1=A. H. |title=Local |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/coats-of-arms/page-2 |website=teara.govt.nz |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref> The coat of arms is used as an official seal for the council.<ref name="council"/> {{Emblem table | name = Invercargill City Council | image = File:Invercargill coat of arms full achievement (only mural crown).svg | imagesize = | notes = | crest = A [[Mural Crown]] [[Argent]]. | escutcheon = [[Or (heraldry)|Or]], on three [[Bar (heraldry)|Bars]] [[Line (heraldry)#Wavy and nebuly|Wavy]] [[Gules]] a [[Sheep#In heraldry|Ram's Head]] Horned [[Attitude (heraldry)#Positions indicating direction|Affrontee]] [[Tincture (heraldry)#Proper|proper]], on a [[Chief (heraldry)|Chief]] Wavy [[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]] a [[Lymphad]] Argent, Flagged Gules between two [[Sheaf (agriculture)|Garbs]] Or. | supporters = On either side a [[Takahē]] proper. | motto = {{lang|la|Pro Communi Utilitate}} (For the Use of the Community). | symbolism = The red wavy bars on the arms are taken from those on the arms of [[Clan Drummond]], which is associated with [[Captain William Cargill]]. The ram’s head, sheaves of wheat and ship are intended to represent the agriculture and export activity of Southland, while the mural crown in the crest is a symbol of government. The takahē supporters were included in recognition of their [[Takahē#Rediscovery|rediscovery in Fiordland]] in 1948, after previously having been thought to be extinct. }}
==Notable council members== * [[William Wood (politician, born 1827)|William Wood]] – former member of parliament, first [[Mayor of Invercargill]] 1871–1873 * [[James Walker Bain]] – former member of parliament, mayor 1891–1892 * [[William Denham]] – former member of parliament, councillor 1928– * [[Tim Shadbolt]] – mayor 1993–1995 and 1998–2022 * [[Lesley Soper]] – former member of parliament, councillor 2016– * [[Lloyd Esler]] {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSM}} – natural history teacher, columnist, councillor 2010–2019 * [[Marcus Lush]] – television and radio presenter, councillor 2021–2022
==See also== * [[Southland District Council]] – the council neighbouring Invercargill City Council * [[Southland Regional Council]] – the regional council covering Invercargill
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Sources == * {{cite journal | last=James | first=Katie | last2=Thompson-Fawcett | first2=Michelle | last3=Hansen | first3=Carsten Jahn | title=Transformations in identity, governance and planning: The case of the small city | journal=Urban Studies | volume=53 | issue=6 | date=2016 | issn=0042-0980 | doi=10.1177/0042098015571060 | pages=1162–1177 | url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=48ad759354ae48d323685c988223262bc29e60da| url-access=subscription }}
==External links== * [https://icc.govt.nz/ Official website]
{{Territorial Authorities of New Zealand}} {{Invercargill}}
[[Category:Politics of the Southland Region]] [[Category:City councils in New Zealand]] [[Category:Invercargill]]