Plans for stadium, Great South funding cuts quashed, but...

“We still have an issue to discuss with our regional partners as to the way that regional facility is funded, and I do not think that we should forget that. That conversation cannot be forgotten."

The Invercargill City Council will not continue with plans to cut $70,000 of funding to ILT Stadium Southland.

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The Invercargill City Council has pulled plans for funding cuts to both Stadium Southland and Great South. Although some councillors have attached the word “but” to those decisions.

The council has settled on a 7.11% rate increase and, in the process, opted not to proceed with a 10% funding cut to Stadium Southland and Great South - Southland’s regional development agency.

The stadium was in line for a $70,000 reduction, with Great South closer to a $190,000 cut.

Stadium Southland representatives suggested the loss of $70,000 would have significant consequences.

On Tuesday, various councillors spoke glowingly about the role the stadium played in the community, with it described as the heartbeat of the community.

It was unanimously decided to keep the Invercargill council’s contribution to Stadium Southland at $700,000 for the 2025-2026 financial year.

Cr Lesley Soper supported the council’s funding of the Stadium Southland but wants more work done around a wider provincial contribution to the venue.

At the moment, the Invercargill council contributes $700,000 annually, the Southland District Council $75,000, and the Gore District Council does not contribute.

“I would like to point out we very much have an argument for going back to our regional partners about the funding of the stadium,” Soper said.

“This conversation is not finished. Even our submitters, the clubs being referred to, told us that a certain proportion - one of them said as high as 30% of their members - were out of Invercargill. In the [Southland] region but outside of Invercargill.

“We still have an issue to discuss with our regional partners as to the way in which that regional facility is funded, and I do not think that we should forget that. That conversation cannot be forgotten.”

Great South is Southland’s regional development agency.

While the decision not to proceed with a $70,000 cut to the stadium was well supported, the Great South decision sparked differing views.

Cr Ria Bond opened the discussion, saying it would be a mistake to take away funding from Great South, which does a lot of good work economically.

Mayor Nobby Clark supported those comments, saying Great South had already gone through a significant staff restructure last year.

Cr Trish Boyle, Cr Grant Dermody, and Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell spoke in favour of reducing Great South’s funding.

Although when it came to the vote, Boyle voted in favour of retaining the same level of funding.

Cr Steve Broad said he has been openly critical of Great South around his expectations of what delivery looks like for the organisation.

But Broad did not think continually cutting funding was the way to get improvements, which was why he voted for the same level of funding to remain.

Cr Ian Pottinger also supported retaining the same level of funding for Great South, but he believes there needs to be a more in-depth look at Great South, and the work it does.

“I actually think this is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. I think Great South situation needs a more in-depth discussion, research to find out exactly what we want out of it.

“The cancellation of Kidzone was unexpected, and obviously, their capability of not putting it on was a bit of a shock to me, but it happened.

“So, I think we really need to revisit where we are with Great South. I would support the same level of funding and wait and see what we want to get out of it,” Pottinger said.

When it came to the vote, 10 voted in favour of continuing with the same level of Great South funding. They were Bond, Pottinger, Crackett, Arnold, Clark, Boyle, Soper, Broad, Darren Ludlow, and Barry Stewart.

Two voted to continue with the plan to reduce Great South’s funding. They were Campbell and Dermody.

PLEASE NOTE: An earlier version of this article, stated Cr Peter Kett had voted to reduce Great South’s funding. However Kett did not take part in the voting.