Council committees, boards & subcommittees

Council and committee meetings are scheduled usually on a Wednesday, every three weeks. You can access meeting schedules, agendas and minutes for these meetings online.

Council has 5 committees:

Executive

Chair: Mayor Gary Tong
Committee members: Cr Paul Duffy, Cr Ebel Kremer and Cr Julie Keast

Responsible for reviewing the performance of the chief executive and recommending remuneration levels. To review any indiscretions by Councillors under the Southland District Council Code of Conduct. To deal with matters of an urgent nature that cannot wait until the next council meeting or specific matters referred to it by Council. To monitor compliance with the Southland District Council Fraud Policy. Authority to engage the independent member of the Finance and Assurance Committee to assist with the investigation of a code of conduct issue/complaint should they consider that desirable.

Regulatory and Consents Committee

Chair: Cr Paul Duffy
Committee members: Mayor Gary Tong, Cr Darren Frazer, Cr Julie Keast, Cr Christine Menzies and Cr Margie Ruddenklau

Responsible for overseeing the role of the council under various pieces of legislation and also the Resource Management Act 1991 including deliberation on matters that are publicly notified and where a hearing is required.

Services and Assets Committee

Chair: Cr Ebel Kremer
Committee members: Mayor Tong and all councillors

Responsible for overseeing Transport, Property management including community facilities, acquisitions and disposals (including land dealings), Forestry, Water supply, wastewater and stormwater; Solid waste management; Flood protection, Waste management, Rural fire management, Te Anau Airport, Stewart Island Jetties and Riverton Harbour Subcommittees, Water supply schemes and Stewart Island Electrical Supply Authority

Finance and Assurance Committee

Chair: Mr Bruce Robertson (external member)
Deputy Chair: Cr Ebel Kremer
Committee members: Mayor Gary Tong, Cr Don Byars, Cr John Douglas, Cr Paul Duffy and Cr Julie Keast

Responsible for ensuring that Council has appropriate financial, risk management and internal control systems in place that provide: an overview of the financial and non-financial performance of the organisation; effective management of potential opportunities and adverse effects; reasonable assurance as to the integrity and reliability of Council’s financial and non-financial reporting; exercising active oversight of information technology systems, health and safety policies, processes, compliance, results and frameworks and relationships with external, internal auditors, banking institutions and insurance brokers.

Monitor and assess the financial and non-financial performance of Council against budgeted and forecasted outcomes; consideration of forecasted changes to financial outcomes; Council’s compliance with legislative requirements; Council’s risk management framework; Council’s control framework; Council’s compliance with its treasury responsibilities and Council’s compliance with its Fraud Policy.

Community and Strategy Committee

Chair: Cr Julie Keast
Committee members: Mayor Tong and all councillors

Responsible for assessing and providing advice on key strategic issues, community development, services of the District’s communities, developing, recommending, monitoring implementation and effectiveness of strategies, plans and policies, developing and approving submissions, advocating Council position to other organisations. Responsible for monitoring the progress, implementation and effectiveness of work undertaken by Great South, allocation of grants, loan, scholarships and bursaries, International relations and developing an overseeing the implementation of Council’s community engagement and consultation policies and processes.

Water supply subcommittees:

The council has constituted three Water Supply Subcommittees within the district which are each responsible for the overall governance of the respective water supply scheme in accordance with the policies of council. These subcommittees are:

• Te Anau Basin: One member each from Ramparts, Mt York, Takitimu, Kakapo
• Five Rivers: Six members plus ward councillor
• Matuku: Six members plus ward councillor

Public forum

Each council meeting has a public forum at the start, where members of the public are able to raise issues with the council. If you are wanting to speak in public forum, you must contact the Governance Team on 0800 732 732 at least two working days before the meeting. The subject matter should be disclosed and if presenting with Powerpoint, a paper copy of the presentation needs to be provided to the Governance Team.

Council also has a Community Trust in Milford and other subcommittees include the Stewart Island Jetties Subcommittee, the Riverton Harbour Subcommittee, and 3 Rural Water Supply Subcommittees.

Council organisations

There are external organisations that Council has representation on.  These are as follows:

Age Concern Southland	Janet Thomas (Officer)
Destination Fiordland	Cr Ebel Kremer and Cr John Douglas
Creative Communities	Cr Margie Ruddenklau
Gore and Districts Community Counselling Centre Inc.	Cr Julie Keast
Milford Sound Development Authority	Mayor Gary Tong
Pioneer Women’s Memorial Trust (Gore)	Cr Julie Keast
Rakiura Heritage Centre Trust	Cr Bruce Ford
Regional Community Road Safety Network	Hartley Hare (Officer)
Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust	Cr Darren Frazer (Chief Executive)
Southland Medical Foundation	Mayor Gary Tong
Southland Regional Heritage Building and Preservation Trust	Cr Paul Duffy (Cr Karyn Owen as an alternate)
Te Roopu Taiao	Mayor Gary Tong (Cr Paul Duffy as an alternate)
Waiau Working Party	Cr George Harpur

Joint committees of the Council

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group

Mayor Gary Tong with Deputy Mayor Paul Duffy as alternate

The purpose of the group is to identify the hazards and risks to be managed by the group and the Civil Defence Emergency Management measures deemed necessary to manage those hazards and risks.

Southland Regional Heritage Joint Committee

Cr Paul Duffy and Cr Karyn Owen

The purpose of the committee is to establish and preserve the regional heritage of Murihiku/Southland.

For more information about the committee contact Great South (03) 211 1400

Southland Regional Land Transport Committee

Cr Ebel Kremer

Venture Southland Joint Committee

Mayor Gary Tong and Cr Paul Duffy

Responsible for the advancement and coordination of activities within the Southland region including, tourism, economic and business development, promotion and marketing of the region and events management.

WasteNet (Waste Management Advisory Group)

Mayor Gary Tong and Cr Ebel Kremer

WasteNet has been developed to encompass waste management issues in Southland.

Combined Local Approved Products Joint Committee

Councillors George Harpur and Paul Duffy

Combined Local Alcohol Policy Joint Committee

Councillors George Harpur, Julie Keast, Paul Duffy and Darren Frazer

Council controlled organisations

Council Organisations (COs) are those organisations in which the Council is involved by itself or with other local authorities and controls any proportion of voting rights or rights to appoint directors etc.

The council organisations in which the Council is involved are:

Southland Museum & Art Gallery Trust board

The purpose of the trust board is to maintain, manage and operate a museum and art gallery.

Council have deferred making an appointment until a report on the future structure of the trust is known.

For more information contact the Southland Museum and Art Gallery Invercargill Director - (03) 218 9753, office@southlandmuseum.co.nz

Milford Community Trust

Councillor Ebel Kremer

Community boards contacts

Ardlussa Community Board

Chair – Richard Clarkson 027 544 2220

Fiordland Community Board

Chair – Sarah Greaney 027 222 6634

Northern Community Board

Chair – Greg Tither 027 203 2672

Oraka Aparima Community Board

Chair – Graeme Stuart 027 222 0962

Oreti Community Board

Chair – Brian Somerville 027 704 5287

Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board

Chair – Jon Spraggon 027 248 2522

Tuatapere Te Waewae Community Board

Chair – Margaret Thomas 027 231 5581

Waihopai Toetoe Community Board

Chair – Pam Yorke 027 225 5654

Wallace Takitimu Community Board

Chair – André Bekhuis 027 220 6933