Invercargill City Council critic Nobby Clark tops polls
Saturday, 12 October 2019
One of Invercargill City Council's harshest critics has been elected as the highest polling councillor.
Nobby Clark topped the list in terms of the candidates who ran for the Invercargill City Council.
He racked up up 9987 votes with Darren Ludlow the next highest on 9106.
The other councillors elected are Toni Biddle, Ian Pottinger, Graham Lewis, Allan Arnold, Nigel Skelt, Lindsay Abbott, Becs Amundsen, Alex Crackett, Lesley Soper, and Peter Kett.
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'I'm very honoured,' Clark says about topping the polls.
He says the vote of confidence from the public will allow him to push his own mandate, in regard to what he campaigned for, during the next three years.
Clark told Stuff that he now has his eye on the chairperson role for the finance and policy committee, a role that was held by Darren Ludlow during the past three years.
He has been a vocal critic of the council during the past three years through his connection with the Invercargill Ratepayers Advocacy Group.
While on council he says his approach will be to remain a voice for the ratepayers, rather than 'being caught up in the system'.
One of his top priorities is to get the WasteNet recycling contract sorted and he has reaffirmed his position as a supporter of Southland disAbility Enterprises.
He also wants the council to get the museum strengthened and reopened as soon as possible, saying he is not interested in more lengthy reports on the subject.
Clark also believes the council can get down to a zero percent rate increase by prioritising spending.
'I can afford a rate increase, but a lot of people can't,' he says.
Nigel Skelt is another newly elected councillor.
The ILT Stadium Southland general manager attracted 7534 votes, the seventh highest in terms of votes.
'It is an absolute privilege to be able to serve the community. I'm excited about the future of Invercargill.'
Speaking from Malaysia, where he is attending a World Badminton Federation meeting, Skelt says he is looking forward to working with the other councillors and getting on with the job.
Peter Kett has also returned to council, after missing out at the 2016 elections.
It will be his sixth term as a councillor after he was first elected in 1998.
Kett says he was confident leading into this election believing this year is the hardest he has ever campaigned.
He says he ditched the billboards this year and instead tried to meet as many people as possible.
Kett picked up the 12th and final spot with 6191 votes, 144 votes ahead of Wayne Harpur who just missed out.
Lindsay Thomas is the only councillor from the past term who was standing again and missed out.
He was 140 votes behind Kett.
The results are still provisional with an estimated 800 votes still to be counted.
Ensuring Southland disAbility Enterprises is looked after through the WasteNet contract, is a priority for Kett, as is getting the museum sorted, he says.
Although he says the No 1 priority is to push for is for a more 'respectful' council.
'It's been bloody toxic [over the past three years]. They've got to learn to respect each other.'
Invercargill City Council
(Elected)
Nobby Clark 9987 votes
Darren Ludlow 9106
Toni Biddle 8981
Ian Pottinger 8895
Graham Lewis 7906
Allan Arnold 7768
Nigel Skelt 7534
Lindsay Abbott 7416
Becs Amundsen 7387
Alex Crackett 7216
Lesley Soper 6772
Peter Kett 6191
(Not elected)
Wayne Harpur 6047 votes
Lindsay Thomas 6043
Kari Graber 5776
Barry Chilton 5772
Thelma Buck 5280
Barry Stewart 5113
Jay Coote 3683
Shane Pleasance 3474
Juilana Thomson 3474
Miriama Uamaki 3207
Russell Tempero 2935
Steve Chernishov 2881
Ian Edwards 2496
Carol Jasperse 2004
Waka Coughlan 1520
Alton McDonald 1482
John Rikkerink 836