Invercargill City Council (ICC) Mayor Nobby Clark is to undergo quadruple bypass heart surgery in Dunedin Hospital next week.

This follows Clark suffered a minor heart attack on Wednesday afternoon (27 Dec).

The Mayor was initially admitted to Southland Hospital before being transferred on Thursday morning to Dunedin Hospital for further tests.

Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell said Mayor Clark was scheduled to undergo quadruple bypass heart surgery next Wednesday and would remain in Dunedin Hospital with his family until then.

“I have spoken to Nobby today and he remains positive and is really chomping at the bit to get it over with and back on the road to recovery,” Cr Campbell said.

Mayor Clark’s recovery was likely to take a couple of months and Cr Campbell would take the reins at Council until such time the Mayor is ready and able to return, he said.

“As we move into the New Year, I look forward to making sure there is no loss of momentum on the projects Nobby has been driving.”

The Mayor and his family continue to request privacy while they focus on his recovery, but are grateful for the messages of support, Cr Campbell said.