Marcus Lush throws hat in ring for Invercargill City Council seat

Newstalk ZB host Marcus Lush. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Newstalk ZB broadcaster Marcus Lush is vying for a spot on the Invercargill City Council.

He lodged his application just minutes before the deadline closed on Tuesday.

It comes after former deputy mayor Toni Biddle announced her resignation from the council in October.

Lush said he saw the opportunity and thought it would be a good one.

"I've put a huge amount of thought into this decision. I am excited about the campaign and learning curve ahead if I am elected."

The 55-year-old has lived in the south for 18 years and said his passion lies in developing youth spaces and housing affordability.

"I look at things like the Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch and I think it's time we updated some of our playgrounds here."

Lush said he will continue with his nationwide show on Newstalk ZB Marcus Lush Nights if elected.

"I've made this decision with the approval of my bosses. I am certainly not running for mayoralty because I already have a fulltime job.

"However during the campaign, I will obviously need to be impartial so will avoid the topic altogether."

There are two other confirmed candidates in the running for the seat, Carl Heenan and David Pottinger.

The council has been plagued with controversy in recent times.

A governance review was carried out by Richard Thomson after the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) launched an investigation in August in response to concerns raised about the performance of the mayor and councillors.

Thomson found there was a clear consensus the mayor struggled to fulfil significant mayoral roles, such as providing an appropriate link between the governance (councillors) and management (senior staff), which would normally be a key role of a mayor.