Early battle lines emerge in South Island mayoral races

Sunday, 9 March 2025

The conclusion of Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark's apology at city council meeting for his conduct at a firefighters' celebration dinner in March.

Rates and infrastructure are top of the agenda for the South Island as early battle lines emerge in mayoral races ahead of this year’s contest.

A number of councils are also grappling with amalgamation proposals amid funding shortfalls, while fallout from controversy may shape voters in some regions.

There are 24 sitting mayors in Te Waipounamu (the heads of regional councils are decided amongst councillors), and most have confirmed they will seek re-election - with some notable exceptions.

Clutha mayor Bryan Cadogan is stepping down for health reasons, while his brother Tim Cadogan stepped down as Central Otago’s mayor in October to take up a job with the water services authority, Taumata Arowai.

Brothers Tim Cadogan, left, and Bryan Cadogan will not be on the ballot this year.

Another mayor not returning to the ballot is Invercargill’s Nobby Clark, whose decisive victory in 2022 unseated Sir Tim Shadbolt - the longest-serving mayor in Aotearoa - and followed a term on council as the highest-polling candidate.

Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark is calling it quits after just one term in office.

Six months into the job he used the ‘n’ word in a speech, one of two incidents of poor behaviour that were investigated and upheld, costing ratepayers more than $60,000. By June 2024, the Southland Business Chamber joined calls for his resignation.

New Zealand’s youngest mayor, Gore District’s Ben Bell, says he has “grown up” a lot and had more time and experience to give.

Gore District mayor Ben Bell also had a rough first 18 months on the job. After beating the incumbent mayor by eight votes, he promptly clashed with the council’s CEO, his deputy mayor resigned, and his colleagues asked for his resignation.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown discuss the government’s plans to rein in local council rate hikes with a package of reforms focused on essential services and fiscal responsibility.

However, New Zealand’s youngest mayor recently told The Southland Times he had “grown up” and would stand for re-election, saying he had a lot more experience and time to give.

Even for those who have avoided controversy, rates complaints are a familiar refrain. Rates have been rising because provincial and rural councils in particular don’t have enough funding for essential infrastructure upgrades.

Many councils already share services to cut costs. Gore - where water costs are expected to increase fivefold in the next decade - has agreed to work with Central Otago, while other councils are progressing joint water services deals as part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well policy.

However, Southland District mayor Rob Scott - who confirmed he is running for re-election - is advocating for a more drastic measure, even if it sees him out of a job.

Scott believes all four Southland councils should amalgamate into two unitary authorities. Invercargill would deal with urban issues, a combined Gore-Southland would cover the rest, and both would absorb the duties of the regional council.

Nelson mayor Nick Smith wants his city council to amalgamate with Tasman.

He said the proposal received positive feedback from residents and was lodged with the Local Government Commission in February.

Council amalgamation is also being considered at the top of the South Island, with a renewed proposal to combine the Nelson City and Tasman District councils to save costs. It was last suggested in 2012; Nelson residents were in favour back then, while Tasman residents were opposed.

The proposal resurfaced in July 2024, and Nelson mayor Nick Smith is an advocate, saying it would save ratepayers millions of dollars.

Tasman mayor Tim King says he might not be up for another stint as mayor unless central government does more to address unnecessarily complex rules, like the RMA.

The two councils already work together on transport, sewerage and landfill, and jointly own a holdings company which manages Port Nelson, Nelson Airport and Saxton Field, a sport and recreation facility.

Smith - who hasn’t decided if he’ll run for re-election, but said it was likely - said if the councils merged he would step back and let Tasman mayor Tim King lead both.

King has previously said he believed the savings would be minimal and was concerned rural voters would lose their voice, but despite Smith’s vote of confidence, he told the Sunday Star Times he wasn’t sure he would run even as Tasman’s mayor.

'I'm getting over the complexity. We've made such a complicated system in this country.'

Southern councils are crying out for more infrastructure investment from central government, particularly councils like the Mackenzie District, which bring in big tourist bucks but has a small ratepayer base.

Marlborough District mayor Nadine Taylor was unavailable to confirm her election intentions, but has already made it clear her council did not want to amalgamate.

Along the West Coast, all three district mayors have confirmed they will seek re-election.

Westland’s Helen Lash said rates was most likely to be the top issue for voters, but it was unrealistic for candidates to promise low rises. She said the regulatory costs and pressures placed on local government by central government “is never ending”.

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Glyn Lewers says councils will be banging on central government’s doors until there is “true partnership”.

When Grey District mayor Tania Gibson announced her re-election bid, she said all West Coast councils and iwi had combined their efforts to lobby the Government for funding, sending in applications to the Regional Infrastructure Fund and applying for a regional deal.

The Mackenzie District and Queenstown Lakes councils were also lobbying together for more funding, notably from the international visitors levy, which the Government recently increased from $35 to $100 per visitor.

There has been no commitment from the Government to invest funds in critical infrastructure upgrades for tourist hotspots like Takapō/Tekapo, where demand on the wastewater network is 15 times the local population of 720, with upgrades estimated to cost $47 million.

Phil Mauger and Sara Templeton, pictured during a council meeting, are both running for the Christchurch mayoralty.

“We haven’t got the cheque book,” Mackenzie District acting mayor Karen Morgan said.

Mackenzie District’s mayor Anne Munro is on leave and undergoing treatment for cancer. It is unclear if she will contest the upcoming election.

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Glyn Lewers, who has confirmed he will run again, said the tension between local and central government wouldn’t ease without “true partnership” over how the “nationally significant industry” of tourism was funded.

Left to right: Jules Radich is the sitting mayor of Dunedin, and will be seeking re-election; Sophie Barker is a sitting councillor tipped to be considering a mayoral run; businessman Andrew Simms is also running, and describes himself as slightly left of centre.

With nominations for council not opening until July, most contests are yet to begin.

However, the race for Christchurch’s mayoralty is clear, with incumbent Phil Mauger and councillor Sara Templeton already in campaign mode.

Centre-right Mauger is known for prioritising low rates and maintaining basic infrastructure, like footpaths and roads. He scored an early win by establishing a roving footpath crew to respond to one of the city’s most common complaints.

Dan Gordon loves being mayor of Waimakariri, but hasn’t yet confirmed whether he’ll run again.

However, the political leanings of Christchurch councillors are fairly evenly split, and it has not been possible for Mauger to stick to his promise of keeping rates increases below 4%.

Centre-left Templeton is more likely to champion cycleways and action on climate change, and is vocal on improving - not just maintaining - infrastructure.

However, those projects cost money. Paired with her struggle to shake her former Green Party membership, she won’t be perceived as a champion of low rates, and her success hinges on inspiring voters to agree to invest in a vision for the future.

In Dunedin, sitting mayor Jules Radich has announced he’ll go again, but faces a fierce competitor in businessman Andrew Simms, owner of one of the country’s largest independent motor companies.

Simms, who describes himself as slightly left of centre, has deep pockets and an energised campaign. He is not a sitting councillor, but on a community board, and has already built a strong public profile. His relative outsider status means he is spared the burden of having to defend the massive 17.5% rates increase of 2024.

Radich, a small business owner turned business coach, was elected in 2022 with the backing of a team of centre-right councillors, but he does not appear to have a team assembling this time around. His biggest win this term - the Dunedin Hospital campaign - was a shared effort, while other campaign promises have not eventuated.

He earned a code of conduct complaint in 2023 for sharing confidential information in a media interview. Councillor Sophie Barker resigned as his deputy at the time, saying it was the final straw - and insiders suggest she may now be considering a tilt at the job herself.

Barker has a reputation for working well across the political spectrum and being on top of the issues; she came third in the 2022 race and was the highest-polling councillor.

Elsewhere, sitting mayors including Waitaki’s Gary Kircher, Waimate’s Craig Rowley and Ashburton’s Neil Brown have not decided whether they’ll run for re-election.

Waimakariri’s Dan Gordon, who recently came out on top as the country’s most popular mayor according to a Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll, said he loved being mayor but would announce his intentions “when the timing is right”.

Selwyn’s Sam Broughton, Chatham Islands’ Monique Croon and Timaru’s Nigel Bowen have confirmed they will run again.

Kaikōura’s Craig Mackle and Hurunui’s Marie Black did not respond by deadline.

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