All 13 of Invercargill's elected members will sit on the city council's risk and assurance committee from Sunday, after councillors approved mayor Tom Campbell's proposal at Tuesday's council meeting.

The change, flagged by the Herald on Tuesday, turns the committee into a committee of the whole council. Councillor Ria Bond was also appointed to the water committee, lifting its elected membership from five to six.

Mr Campbell, who put the proposal forward, was not at the meeting. Deputy mayor Grant Dermody chaired in his place. Reports of the meeting did not record a vote count.

Both changes take effect on 1 November, and the council's governance statement and delegations register were to be updated at the meeting to reflect them.

Why now

The move anticipates a Government amendment to the Local Government Act that will stop non-elected members voting on council committees. The council's governance manager, Michael Morris, told councillors the four appointed members affected would lose their votes from 18 March 2027.

They are Ross Jackson, who chairs the risk and assurance committee; Lesley Soper, a member of that committee; Lee Babe, deputy chair of the water committee; and Mike Bain, the mana whenua representative. Three further appointed members sit on the community wellbeing fund subcommittee.

In his report, Mr Campbell said he wanted the committees adjusted now, given the direction of the change and comments from Local Government Minister Simon Watts, so the council was well placed when the law took effect. He described risk and assurance as an area of great importance with a significant oversight function that would benefit from the whole council taking part.

Mr Morris has said the risk and assurance change carries no financial implications, because councillors are paid an annual honorarium rather than a fee for each meeting.

Exemption still on the table

The law change allows councils to apply for an exception so that appointed members can keep voting. Mr Morris will bring a report on the options to an extraordinary council meeting on 2 November, and any application must be lodged by 18 November.

He said the report was needed "because there is a process to seek approval for appointed members to continue to be able to vote". He has also sought guidance from local rūnaka on how they want to be involved in future.

Councillor Andrea de Vries suggested two elected members, rather than one, should join the water committee. "That upholds better democratic function," she said. Mr Dermody said it was a fair point and acknowledged the appointed members' influence on that committee.

Mr Watts has defended the national change by pointing to councils in the Far North, Tauranga and Hastings that gave iwi representatives and young people committee voting rights, arguing that was not democratic.