Shadbolt already looking to future

Invercargill’s voters have backed Sir Tim Shadbolt to lead their city for the next three years despite some believing the 72-year-old’s best days are behind him.

Now in his ninth term as Invercargill’s mayor, Shadbolt says he has no intention of it being his last.

He plans to stand again in 2022.

‘‘Too right, this is just the beginning,’’ he says.

‘‘My icon was [former British Prime Minister] Winston Churchill who was still in parliament at the age of 80.’’

Shadbolt believed his biggest threat for the mayoralty in the future will be someone with a high profile who has achieved in the community. Shadbolt won the mayoralty with 8903 votes, ahead of Darren Ludlow with 5878 votes, Rebecca Amundsen with 3003 votes, and Steve Chernishov with 566 votes.

Shadbolt, who received 48 per cent of the votes, said the public had spoken. ‘‘[I’m] Absolutely delighted, and it certainly shows the trust people have got in us.’’

‘‘The future is looking stable, they know who I am, they know what I stand for and... it’s a great leap forward for the city of Invercargill.’’

He believed he continued to be popular with the voters because people liked to see him in a vulnerable position.

He had not been afraid to put himself out there, appearing in comedy shows and Dancing with the Stars in the past.

‘‘People want to be able to enjoy a mayor as well as [have a mayor who] tackles the core issues such as water and sewerage.’’

Shadbolt’s ability to chair council meetings was questioned by the majority of his fellow councillors in June.

They said he appeared confused, went off on tangents during meetings and they believed he sometimes struggled to understand what was happening, with some suggesting it was time he retired.

He went on the counterattack, saying the council was in dire need of a ‘‘major councillor cleanout’’ and a toxic faction had formed.

He did not get the cleanout he wanted – the vast majority of councillors were voted back in.

Yesterday, he said he could work with the councillors around the table.

Shadbolt said he was relieved to win as it had been a very intense campaign.