Have councils of the past let us down with civic building neglect?

“When we just looked at the maintenance on its own it’s actually come back at such a number that has caused us to go, ‘Wholey moley’."

The Invercargill City Council civic administration building that’s “seriously overdue” a refurbishment.

Analysis: When the wind blows in Invercargill more often than not city council staff are made well aware of it.

The whistling through the drafty windows at the Invercargill council’s Esk St civic administration building is the giveaway.

Stripping away all the technical terms, the building is absolutely poked. The cost that the council - and in turn the ratepayers - are now facing, just to carry out maintenance work, has been described as stark.