Challenges yes - but I am not a quitter
As we are halfway through this council’s term in office, it is an opportune time to reflect on some of the success stories and challenges we have faced over the last 18 months.
To begin with, the last elections signalled that there would be dramatic changes to the makeup of the new council.
This was due to a sensational uproar over the purchase of Christmas lights from China and a very clever campaign to get rid of the ‘old boys network’'. Neil Boniface, Graham Sycamore and Peter Kett were all removed from office. Alan Dennis retired and Darren Ludlow lost his position as Deputy Mayor.
This was followed by indications that Richard King would be retiring as our chief executive.
Many of our traditional partners on major projects such as the Civic Theatre, Zero Fees, the Stadium, Rugby Park, the velodrome, the Joseph Parker fight, the World Sheep Shearing Championships, the Bluff Oyster Festival and the Burt Munro Challenge also faced major leadership changes. Community leaders such as Greg Mulvey retired and John Prendergast resigned.
Our local economy was also under the threat of major changes as a result of disease and environmental factors. More than 22,000 cattle with an estimated value of $36 million had to be culled as a result of mycoplasma bovis and parasites attacked our oyster farms. Then came the news that Southern ratepayers would have to pay $650,000 to move 20,000 tonnes of ouvea premix from local storage.
Other threats came from factors outside our region. Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes have been so significant to Invercargill because of the new restrictive legislation that followed these disasters.
The council has repeatedly been blamed for the closure of the Water Tower and Anderson House to the public. Of course I’m sure no councillor or myself as mayor wish to close these iconic buildings but once they fall below 33 per cent of the New Building Standards they are classified as earthquake-prone buildings and we have no choice.
Of course we will consult with our residents, and ratepayers and our highest priority will be the welfare of the staff, but we cannot simply ignore the issue.
Naturally the closure of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery will cause anger but imagine how much anger there would be if a class of young students were crushed in an earthquake. Some will argue that its highly unlikely but let’s not forget that Canterbury was classified as a low-risk earthquake zone.
Unfortunately, the lessons of Christchurch were that even the strongest structures are not designed to withstand a side-on impact. The pyramid consists of a four-building combo. It’s almost impossible for even the most astute engineer to visualise exactly how such a multi structure will respond to a major event.
I was appointed as the council’s representative on the Southland Museum and Art Gallery (SMAG) for a short term in the mid-90s.
Visually I was impressed by the largest pyramid in the southern hemisphere and it was celebrated with dazzling light shows. The designers had most certainly been thinking outside the square.
The biggest problem we had at that time was a leaking roof. Noone seemed able to identify exactly where on that magnificent roof the leak was occurring. We had to revert to catching the leaks with large pots and buckets.
In more recent times the most disturbing aspect of our pyramid was a report from the Fire Service about the hazardous panels that had been used in its construction. Apparently if the pyramid caught fire it would be virtually impossible to contain the flames.
There is little point in playing the blame game. We just have to make the best of a difficult situation. I usually confront disasters with overwhelming positivity and humour. In this case however there has been virtually nothing to smile about but there was one little irony. When the council announced it was holding an extraordinary council meeting a rumour went viral throughout New Zealand suggesting I was about to announce my resignation.
So let me make my position quite clear. I am not a quitter.
The good people of Invercargill have elected me for 24 years to be their mayor and regardless of how complex and stressful the problems we face become I will be doing my very best to resolve them. I will not flinch, surrender, or run. I am absolutely confident that Southlanders are resolute enough to overcome seemingly insurmountable issues with innovative solutions.
Perhaps we should examine the option of pop-up galleries. In Foxton, for example, they are celebrating with an exhibition the arrival here of Abel Tasman who arrived in New Zealand 127 years before Captain Cook. Perhaps the Scottish Hall could be transformed into a temporary pop up Scottish museum.
I’m sure a crisis will create numerous opportunities.
Tim Shadbolt is the mayor of Invercargill.