Draft:Alex Crackett

Cr. Alex Crackett
Photo of Alex Crackett
Born	(1990-07-31) July 31, 1990
Organization	Invercargill City Council
Website	alexcrackett.com

Alex Crackett is a New Zealand local government leader, marketing professional and community advocate based in Invercargill. Serving as an Invercargill City Councillor since 2016, she has been re-elected for three consecutive terms and is a candidate for the 2025 mayoral election. Crackett is recognised for her commitment to youth engagement, governance reform and community well being initiatives.

Early Life

Alex Holly Crackett was born in Invercargill, New Zealand into a third-generation Southland family. She grew up in the South City area of Invercargill and attended Clifton Full Primary School which at the time was the city’s lowest-decile primary school. Crackett went on to attend Southland Girls’ High School in Invercargill for part of her secondary education. She also spent a period of her teenage years at Feilding Agricultural High School in Manawatū and later Central Southland College in Winton. In 2008 Crackett moved to Dunedin to study at Otago Polytechnic where she completed a Certificate in Creative Studies.

Professional Career

After finishing her studies, Crackett began working in the graphic design and marketing field. In 2011 she joined Craigs Design and Print, a printing and design firm in Invercargill, as a junior graphic designer and worked there until 2014. She subsequently took up a marketing role with Market South, a local marketing and promotions agency, where she was involved in regional projects such as The Life magazine and the Invercargill City Guide. By 2018 alongside her first term on council, Crackett was noted to be working at Market South as a marketing professional.

Crackett holds the position of Head of Marketing and Client Experience at McIntyre Dick and Partners, a local business advisory and accounting firm. In this role she leads strategic marketing initiatives and client engagement efforts. Her role at McIntyre Dick also involves providing business development services, including succession planning, team culture workshops, strategic planning, business coaching and startup support.

Community Involvement

Crackett coordinated the Invercargill branch of Bellyful, a national charity that prepares and delivers meals to families with newborns or those facing serious illness. This role involved organising volunteers and ensuring timely meal deliveries to support families during challenging times.

Beyond her council duties, Crackett has held several leadership positions in community organisations. She served as a trustee for Active Southland (formerly Sport Southland) contributing to regional health and wellness initiatives. As Chair of Ride Southland, she promoted cycling and active transport in the region. She chaired Southland Youth Futures, focusing on youth employment and career development.

Crackett has been actively involved in youth engagement through her role as a council liaison for the Invercargill City Youth Council. In this capacity, she supports young people in understanding local governance and encouraged their participation in civic matters.

In 2025 Cr Crackett joined the Hato Hone St John to advocate for a prospective new paramedic station in Southland.

Political Career

Involvement with Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)

Crackett serves as the Co-Chair of LGNZ's Young Elected Members (YEM) Committee, representing Zone 6, which encompasses the southernmost regions of New Zealand. The YEM Committee is a sub-committee of LGNZ's National Council and was established to provide a platform for elected members under the age of 40. In this capacity Crackett contributes to the strategic direction of LGNZ, ensuring that the perspectives and concerns of young elected members are considered in decision-making processes. Her dual roles within both the YEM Committee and the National Council position her as a key advocate for youth engagement and representation in local government.

Invercargill City Councillor

Crackett was first elected to the Invercargill City Council in 2016 at the age of 26, becoming the youngest Councillor in the city's history. Crackett quickly established herself as an active Councillor and was re-elected for a second term in 2019 and a third term in 2022 . During her time on the council she has sat on key committees and contributed to a period of significant challenges and changes in Invercargill’s local government.

During her time on council, she chaired the “Chair of the Chairs” leadership group, a key role during a period in which Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt faced an external governance review and came under scrutiny from the Department of Internal Affairs. Her leadership throughout this governance review earned her recognition as a finalist for the Institute of Directors’ Emerging Director Award.

Crackett has also served as the council’s liaison to the Invercargill City Youth Council, actively working to foster youth participation in local democracy and community leadership.

WasteNet and Recycling Tender Controversy

Crackett served as chair of WasteNet Southland, the joint waste management collaboration between Invercargill City, Gore District, and Southland District Councils. In this capacity she oversaw the regional tender process for recycling services, which became a point of contention in 2019.

While both Southland and Gore district councils supported awarding the contract to Smart Environmental, Invercargill City Council opposed the move, resulting in the tender being abandoned without a new contract issued. The disagreement revealed significant tensions within the WasteNet governance structure and drew public attention to the complexities of shared service arrangements.

William “Nobby” Clark who at the time led a local ratepayers advocacy group emerged as a vocal critic of Crackett’s stance. In late 2018 Clark publicized private messages by Crackett regarding the SdE contract and accused her of having an “agenda” against the company and called for her to be shot, demanding for her to step aside from WasteNet mediation on the contract. Crackett defended her actions stating that her priority was to achieve a “win–win” solution that balanced fiscal responsibility with social outcomes.

In 2019 Nobby Clark himself was elected to the city council setting the stage for ongoing tensions. In early 2020 during WasteNet deliberations, Cr Clark dramatically requested that Invercargill City Council withdraw from the WasteNet arrangement due to his lack of confidence in Crackett’s leadership of the group. (At that time Crackett and Southland Mayor Gary Tong were leading the WasteNet negotiations.) This attempt to oust her from the waste committee was unprecedented and was noted with disappointment by the other WasteNet members.

In 2020 WasteNet made the controversial decision to end its longstanding recycling contract with Southland disAbility Enterprises (SdE), a social enterprise employing people with disabilities. Crackett acknowledged the emotional and political difficulty of the decision citing changes in global recycling markets and a need to base decisions on impartial specialist advice. The move sparked public debate about social procurement and the balancing of economic, environmental and community outcomes.

Role in the Nigel Skelt Investigation

In 2023, Crackett played a pivotal role in addressing the sexual harassment allegations against fellow Invercargill City Councillor and ILT Stadium Southland manager, Nigel Skelt. An 18-year-old female employee accused Skelt of making inappropriate comments, including suggesting she would enjoy jelly wrestling naked which lead to her resignation from the stadium. Crackett, alongside other councillors, publicly condemned Skelt's behaviour and called for his resignation. She also highlighted systemic issues within the council's code of conduct, pointing out the lack of effective mechanisms to address such misconduct by elected members.

By early May 2023, following Crackett’s and others’ outspokenness and a flood of negative attention, Skelt tendered his resignation as an Invercargill city councillor as well. His resignation triggered a by-election to fill his seat. Crackett welcomed the outcome saying it was the only acceptable resolution given the circumstances and expressed hope that it would lead to a healthier environment at council. Her stance during this episode bolstered her public image as a supporter of safe and respectful workplaces and demonstrated her willingness to challenge improper behavior by colleagues regardless of their seniority.

Advocacy Against Sexism in Local Government

Crackett has been an outspoken advocate for gender equity and respectful conduct in local government. In 2023, she revealed that she had been nicknamed “Twin Peaks”, a reference to her physical appearance, by a fellow Councillor early in her political career. Her decision to speak out brought national attention to the challenges faced by young women in local politics.

The issue prompted broader discussions about the culture within New Zealand’s local councils. One Councillor, Peter Kett, initially downplayed such remarks as “just part of life,” but later issued a formal apology after public backlash. Crackett has continued to call for higher standards of professionalism and inclusivity across the sector.

Mayoral Run (2025)

In December 2024, Crackett announced her candidacy for the Invercargill mayoralty in the upcoming 2025 local elections. Her campaign focuses on fiscal responsibility, urban rejuvenation, infrastructure development and strengthening community relationships. She emphasizes the importance of inter-generational decision making and inclusive leadership.

Crackett’s bid for the mayoralty came as the long-time incumbent mayor, Nobby Clark, announced he would not seek re-election in 2025. This created an open race and a potential generational shift in Invercargill’s leadership. Crackett was the second candidate to declare her candidacy (after Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell) and was considered one of the front runners early in the race.

The election is scheduled for October 2025 and Crackett has said she will decide closer to that time whether to concurrently run for re-election as a Councillor or to focus solely on the mayoral contest. If elected, she would be the first woman to serve as Mayor of Invercargill since 1992 and one of the youngest mayors in the city’s history.