Latest news with #InvercargillCityCouncil
Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
New access to Clifton industrial area safer, more efficient
ODT GRAPHIC Accessing Invercargill's Clifton industrial area will be safer and more efficient from next week. The new access off the Elles Rd roundabout, across the recently upgraded KiwiRail level crossing, will be available from Monday. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Southland senior project manager Jason Forbes said the existing access via Lake St about 300m south of the Elles Rd roundabout would close. There will be signs advising of the closure of Lake St before July 28 and people should find the new, wider route preferable, Mr Forbes said. "Lake St is attracting increasing numbers of large trucks and with further developments in this area now under way, this traffic growth means this intersection is no longer fit for purpose." The access increases the number of exits to the roundabout to four. It will be the key route to the Invercargill City Council pound and wastewater treatment plant and Freight Haulage. The access off the Elles Rd roundabout will have new bells and barrier arms. There will also be a separated cycle path alongside the new road which will have automatic gates at the rail crossing to protect cyclists and pedestrians. — APL
Scoop
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Elles Road Roundabout, Invercargill, Gets Its Fourth Leg
Invercargill's Clifton industrial area will get a new, safer and more efficient access point from next week. New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises the new access off the Elles Road roundabout, across the recently upgraded KiwiRail level crossing, will be available from Monday 28 July. It will be the key route to the Invercargill City Council (ICC) Pound, ICC Wastewater Treatment Plant and Freight Haulage. 'The existing access via Lake Street, about 300 metres south of the Elles Road roundabout will be closed,' says Jason Forbes, Senior Project Manager for NZTA in Southland. The additional access takes the Elles Road roundabout to four legs (as seen in the aerial map below). Mr Forbes says there will be signs advising of the closure of Lake St ahead of 28 July and people should find the new, wider route preferable to Lake St. 'Lake St is attracting increasing numbers of large trucks and with further developments in this area now underway, this traffic growth means this intersection is no longer fit for purpose,' Mr Forbes says. 'The new access off the Elles Road roundabout will have new bells and barrier arms to protect road users at the rail line, there will also be a separated cycle path adjacent to the new road which will have automatic gates at the rail crossing to protect cyclists and pedestrians.'
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Majority of southern ratepayers hit hard
More than two-thirds of Otago and Southland's councils hiked rates above the national average for 2025, new data shows. Only the Invercargill City Council (7.11%), the Otago Regional Council (5.50%) and the Southland District Council (7.23%) were below the national average rates increase of 8.39% for 2025. Of the 78 councils across New Zealand, less than half (34) were below the national average rates increase, and now the Taxpayers' Union is calling for ratepayers to sign a petition calling for a cap to be put on rates hikes. Taxpayers' Union local government campaigns manager Sam Warren said the union had created a Rates Dashboard so ratepayers could track and compare their council's annual rates increases with councils across New Zealand. It also showed the average cumulative rates increase over the present three-year council term, which was an ''astonishing'' 34.4% — more than two and a-half times inflation over the same period. ''The dashboard shows that the average Kiwi household now faces a rates bill more than a-third higher than just three years ago. ''These numbers represent real pain being felt by ratepayers, including reports of ratepayers being forced out of their homes. ''They show why United Kingdom or Australian-style rates capping is so urgently needed. ''Councils should be forced to keep rates under the level of inflation unless approved by local referenda.'' He said more than 28,000 New Zealanders had signed the Cap Rates Now petition. However, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said Dunedin's 10.70% rates increase this year was necessary, because the city had underinvested in infrastructure over the past two decades. ''Our rates are a bit higher than the national average because we've got more ground to make up with water in particular. ''We are embarking on a programme to bring our water services and infrastructure up to standard. ''We're an older city and we're suffering from a lack of expenditure on pipes and plumbing and the water infrastructure over the last 20 years in particular. ''So we're having to make up that ground, but also we're looking to try to balance the increasing levels of debt of council with rates, and we're looking to maintain the water infrastructure within council ownership.'' He said feedback from residents in the nine-year plan consultation, showed there was ''a definite preference'' for the Dunedin City Council to retain control of its own water infrastructure. ''So what that means is, it will cost us a little bit more in the short term to fund that infrastructure, but in the longer term, we'll save a considerable amount of money over the course of the nine-year plan. ''I think it's $158million that we save by funding the water infrastructure upgrades and renewals ourselves, as opposed to forming a council-controlled organisation.'' He said many councils further north were banding together and forming council-controlled organisations, and as a result, they were loading all of the infrastructure upgrades on to debt. ''And in some cases, that debt is heading towards a maximum of about 500% of revenue. We are well under that. ''Even though some people complain about the level of council debt, we are at a realistic level,'' he said. 2025 rates rises % rise 3-year cumulative rise* Central Otago District Council 12.47% 47.95% Clutha District Council 16.59% 39.85% Dunedin City Council 10.70% 38.53% Environment Southland 8.80% 37.13% Gore District Council 8.82% 46.60% Invercargill City Council 7.11% 24.28% Otago Regional Council 5.50% 45.76% Queenstown Lakes District Council 13.50% 50.23% Southland District Council 7.23% 31.15% Waitaki District Council 9.79% 34.79% *(as of July 10, 2025) Top 10 rates rises in 2025 Clutha District Council - 16.59% Upper Hutt City Council - 15.78% Hamilton City Council - 15.50% Waipa District Council - 15.50% Hastings District Council - 15.00% Selwyn District Council - 14.20% Grey District Council - 13.73% Queenstown Lakes District Council - 13.50% Westland District Council - 13.20% Taranaki Regional Council - 12.90%
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Majority of southern ratepayers hit hard: Many rates rises above national average increase
More than two-thirds of Otago and Southland's councils hiked rates above the national average for 2025, new data shows. Only the Invercargill City Council (7.11%), the Otago Regional Council (5.50%) and the Southland District Council (7.23%) were below the national average rates increase of 8.39% for 2025. Of the 78 councils across New Zealand, less than half (34) were below the national average rates increase, and now the Taxpayers' Union is calling for ratepayers to sign a petition calling for a cap to be put on rates hikes. Taxpayers' Union local government campaigns manager Sam Warren said the union had created a Rates Dashboard so ratepayers could track and compare their council's annual rates increases with councils across New Zealand. It also showed the average cumulative rates increase over the present three-year council term, which was an ''astonishing'' 34.4% — more than two and a-half times inflation over the same period. ''The dashboard shows that the average Kiwi household now faces a rates bill more than a-third higher than just three years ago. ''These numbers represent real pain being felt by ratepayers, including reports of ratepayers being forced out of their homes. ''They show why United Kingdom or Australian-style rates capping is so urgently needed. ''Councils should be forced to keep rates under the level of inflation unless approved by local referenda.'' He said more than 28,000 New Zealanders had signed the Cap Rates Now petition. However, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said Dunedin's 10.70% rates increase this year was necessary, because the city had underinvested in infrastructure over the past two decades. ''Our rates are a bit higher than the national average because we've got more ground to make up with water in particular. ''We are embarking on a programme to bring our water services and infrastructure up to standard. ''We're an older city and we're suffering from a lack of expenditure on pipes and plumbing and the water infrastructure over the last 20 years in particular. ''So we're having to make up that ground, but also we're looking to try to balance the increasing levels of debt of council with rates, and we're looking to maintain the water infrastructure within council ownership.'' He said feedback from residents in the nine-year plan consultation, showed there was ''a definite preference'' for the Dunedin City Council to retain control of its own water infrastructure. ''So what that means is, it will cost us a little bit more in the short term to fund that infrastructure, but in the longer term, we'll save a considerable amount of money over the course of the nine-year plan. ''I think it's $158million that we save by funding the water infrastructure upgrades and renewals ourselves, as opposed to forming a council-controlled organisation.'' He said many councils further north were banding together and forming council-controlled organisations, and as a result, they were loading all of the infrastructure upgrades on to debt. ''And in some cases, that debt is heading towards a maximum of about 500% of revenue. We are well under that. ''Even though some people complain about the level of council debt, we are at a realistic level,'' he said. 2025 rates rises % rise 3-year cumulative rise* Central Otago District Council 12.47% 47.95% Clutha District Council 16.59% 39.85% Dunedin City Council 10.70% 38.53% Environment Southland 8.80% 37.13% Gore District Council 8.82% 46.60% Invercargill City Council 7.11% 24.28% Otago Regional Council 5.50% 45.76% Queenstown Lakes District Council 13.50% 50.23% Southland District Council 7.23% 31.15% Waitaki District Council 9.79% 34.79% *(as of July 10, 2025) Top 10 rates rises in 2025 Clutha District Council - 16.59% Upper Hutt City Council - 15.78% Hamilton City Council - 15.50% Waipa District Council - 15.50% Hastings District Council - 15.00% Selwyn District Council - 14.20% Grey District Council - 13.73% Queenstown Lakes District Council - 13.50% Westland District Council - 13.20% Taranaki Regional Council - 12.90%
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Praise for keeping consultant fees low
Invercargill City Council chief executive Michael Day has given a shoutout to his staff for keeping consultant fees down. Mr Day made the comments during the council's extraordinary meeting last week when he was speaking to his pre-election report. Previously, Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark hit out at the council, saying its aversion to risk had resulted in an "eyewatering" consultants bill. His comments followed an information request revealing the council had spent more than $7.3 million on consultants in less than three years between July 2022 and December last year. The numbers were made public on the back of a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request from the Taxpayers' Union, which released the data recently. It showed $2.58m was spent on consultants for the 12 months to June 2023, $3.23m was spent for the 12 months to June last year and $1.52m was spent for the six months to December last year. The document showed more than 160 companies were used during the two and a-half years. Deloitte topped the spending with more than $424,000 for work on reviewing rates, contract compliance, internal audit support and risk and assurance support. Stantec was next with a figure of more than $396,000 for support with the Bluff wastewater consent. Mr Clark said the only way to change the situation was to tell staff not to spend large amounts on advice, and for councillors to accept the risk. "And if we get it wrong, we get it wrong." At a meeting last week, Mr Day said he was proud to praise staff for being able to absorb costs to keep consultants' fees as low as possible. Now the figure had been made public, he highlighted the amount was only "2% of our overall spend over the same period". The council was in a good position financially but there was always room for improvement, he said. "We are very much focused on efficiency and effectiveness going forward as an organisation. "Have been for some time." — Additional reporting Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporting
