Council committees

If you'd like to present at any of these committees, find out how in this handy factsheet.

Integrated Catchment Management Committee

Chairman: Jon Pemberton

Members: Paul Evans, Roger Hodson, Alastair Gibson, Lyndal Ludlow, Ewen Mathieson, Phil Morrison, David Rose, Eric Roy, Geoffrey Young, Maurice Rodway, Jeremy McPhail.

Regulatory Committee

Chair: Paul Evans

Members: Alastair Gibson, Roger Hodson, Lyndal Ludlow, John Pemberton, Geoffrey Young, Maurice Rodway, Jeremy McPhail.

Strategy & Policy Committee:

Chair: Lyndal Ludlow

Members: Paul Evans, Alastair Gibson, Roger Hodson, Ewen Mathieson, Phil Morrison, Jon Pemberton, David Rose, Eric Roy, Geoffrey Young, Maurice Rodway, Jeremy McPhail.

Finance & Performance Committee

Chair: Maurice Rodway

Members: Paul Evans, Alastair Gibson, Ewen Mathieson, Phil Morrison, David Rose, Jeremy McPhail.

Risk and Assurance Committee

Chair: Will continue with the same independent chair as appointed in the previous triennium, for a term of two years, to support a planned transition to a new chair.

Members: The member councillors are: Alastair Gibson, Lyndal Ludlow, Jon Pemberton, David Rose, Maurice Rodway, Roger Hodson, Jeremy McPhail.

Investment Committee:

Chair: Andrew Morrison (Independent)

Members: The member councillors are Ewen Mathieson (deputy chair), Eric Roy, Geoffrey Young, Jeremy McPhail.

Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (Te Manatu Arai Mate Ohorere o te Tonga)

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 requires the establishment of a joint committee of representatives from all local authorities in the region.

The councils have established the Southland Emergency Management Group (SCDEMG) as a joint standing committee of the councils pursuant to Section 12 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (the Act). The terms of reference are set out in the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2017-2022 and the Agreement of Joint Civil Defence Services signed 1 July 2019.

After a comprehensive review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) in Southland the councils have agreed that their responsibilities for CDEM under the Act shall be combined and delivered through one body to be known as Emergency Management Southland (EMS) with the intention that each Council is to be an active equal participant in the establishment development and control of it.

EMS comprises an Emergency Management Office and Emergency Operations Centre in Invercargill with such other sub-offices and centres that are deemed necessary by agreement and shall have the purposes and functions and be governed by the principles set out in the agreement. EMS is located in a building alongside Environment Southland's offices and is staffed by a manager and several emergency management staff.

Members: Environment Southland's representative on the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is Chair Jeremy McPhail.

Representatives from 3 out of the 4 councils need to be present.

Joint committees/other bodies

Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (joint council committee): Councillor Phil Morrison, with Chairman Jeremy McPhail as an alternate. Mayors from the other councils will also be represented.

Regional Transport Committee: Councillor Phil Morrison was appointed as chair of the committee and Councillor Alastair Gibson as deputy chair. The Act defines the membership comprising of two people from the regional council and one each from the territorial authorities and the NZ Transport Agency.

Te Rōpū Taiao: Chairman Jeremy McPhail was appointed as our representative and Councillors Lyndal Ludlow and Roger Hodson as alternate representatives. The committee is made up of seven local authorities and the four papatipu rūnanga. Its primary role is consultative and it is a mechanism for implementing the Charter of Understanding/He Huarahi mō Ngā Uri Whakatupu, which provides the basis for an ongoing relationship between local authorities and tangata whenua of Murihiku Southland.

Bluff Maritime Museum Trust Board: In accordance with the Trust’s deed, our Chairman Jeremy McPhail and Chief Executive (Rob Phillips (acting) (or their nominees) were appointed as representatives. The trust also represents Invercargill City Council and the local community. Our interest flows from the former Southland Harbour Board, one of Environment Southland’s predecessor organisations.

Whakamana te Waituna Charitable Trust: Councillor Jon Pemberton was appointed as a representative. As provided in the deed, the Environment Southland trustee acts as co-chair alongside the Awarua Rūnanga representative.

Southland Community Broadcasters Charitable Trust: Councillor Phil Morrison was appointed as a board member. The trust was setup to establish and promote educational and community broadcasting, and provide training in the use of broadcasting facilities.

Regional Climate Change Working Group: Councillor Phil Morrison was appointed as representative and Councillor Maurice Rodway as alternate representative. The inter-agency group collaborates across local government and Te Ao Mārama. The group has adopted and endorsed the Regional Climate Change Strategy (2024) and completed and endorsed the Regional Framework for Action on Climate for Murihiku Southland (2025).

Waiau River Working Party: Councillors Paul Evans and Ewen Mathieson were appointed. The working party was established by ECNZ in the early 1990s to assist in securing water resource consents for the Manapōuri power scheme. Meridian Energy now holds those consents. The working party essentially has a community liaison role.