Applications open today (February 22) for community members to become part of the panel that will help decide how our ratepayers are represented by the Invercargill City Council.

This year, the Invercargill City Council (ICC) is undertaking a representation review. All New Zealand councils are required to review how they represent their communities at least every six years. All aspects of what makes up an elected council is considered as part of the review, including options around wards, community boards, Maori wards, and the number of councillors who are on the council.

In February, the ICC resolved to begin its representation review by forming a community panel, chaired by Cr Rebecca Amundsen, with six community members to be recruited.

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“Our job as a panel will be to go out and talk to the wider community about how ICC can best represent them,” Cr Amundsen said.

“We will spend about six weeks consulting with the community before we then work together to write a report with our findings which will be presented to Council for consideration.”

Cr Amundsen said the council welcomed anyone who was passionate about the city and wider Invercargill area, including Bluff, Otatara, Kennington, and Makarewa to apply to be on the panel.

“We are hoping that we can find people who are great at sharing information with others, who are good listeners, and who are comfortable to ask and answer questions from different parts of our wider community,” she said.

“If you have an interest in local government and the future of our city, then that would be ideal.”

For more information about the representation review process, or to find out more about applying to be part of the community panel CLICK HERE or email [email protected].

Panel applications open on Monday, February 22 and close on Sunday, March 7.