City Centre Coordination

Council sets a targeted rate to fund the costs of City Centre co-ordination. This is set as rate in the dollar on capital value of all commercial and industrial land identified in the map below

The rate was first introduced to fund Vibrant Invercargill, paused for a number of years and then reintroduced in 2016/2017. It has funded coordination actions in various forms over the years, including an in-house city centre coordinator role which focused on a range of things which evolved as the need changed, including liaison with retailers, organising events and supporting connection between developers during the building of ICL and streetscape work.

From 2021, the coordination primarily focused on liaison between inner city retailers, hospitality, and accommodation to ensure the city centre community was aware of what was happening regarding the construction process. As the city centre upgrades moved from the construction phase to completion of the inner-city blocks, a programme of activations – events, promotions, retail competitions, and campaigns became the focused output of the city centre coordination, delivered and/or supported by Great South. The purpose of the activation programme was to bring the public into the newly upgraded city centre, increasing foot traffic and creating a vibrant atmosphere. Activations from this programme include the Street Food Market series on Esk and Don Streets, Flames on Esk, the annual Visit, Shop & Explore retail competition, and many more.

As we prepare for the 2027 Long-term Plan we are asking those who pay the city centre rate and businesses based in the city centre what they think about this activity. This information will help shape Council plans, which Council will consult on as part of the LTP in March/ April 2027.

Share your feedback via the survey below. The survey closes on 1 June 2026.