Grace Street Project Launches Public Fundraising Campaign

Adrenalised, goofy start to public push for the Grace Street Project

By Southland Times Jul 18 2025

“It’s simple. It’s just not easy.’’

That was the encouragement Six60 band member Chris Mac gave during the launch of the public fundraising campaign to get the ambitious Grace Street Project in south Invercargill over the line.

He was talking about the benefits and challenges of a community truly supporting itself, especially its young people.

But his words also proved appropriate for the newly minted rallying cry for the project, at least as far as the MC for the Tuesday event, city councillor Steve Broad, was concerned.

The new slogan could itself hardly be simpler: Let’s Build This. But the host contrived to encourage the audience to repeat after him: “Let’s! Do! This!’’

It was only when Broad was stepping off the stage to implosions of merriment that he realised he’d got it only 66.6% right.

Which proved to be a cue for Mac to tap into the sense of humour that from that point on infused much of the event.

“The only reason I’m involved in this is because, without my permission, Steve gave away my phone number to Janette,’’ Mac said, looking to Invercargill Community Connections Charitable Trust chairperson Janette Malcolm.

“You think you know a guy ... and you do. It’s exactly the kind of thing he pulls.”

Mac allowed himself a short foray into his own Southland experiences and how, having come from “the tropics” of Darwin to “the tundra” of Southland, he’d fallen in love with Invercargill and a Wallacetown girl – his wife, Mel. “My wife comes down every morning for duck hunting. I come down and just go shopping,” he said.

“I helped put the decoys out this year, though. Got yelled at by my father-in-law. That’s the first and last time I help that man.”

But with his audience engaged, he referred to his time working in alternative education in the city and how, after talking to the proponents of The Grace Street Project, he became excited by its potential.

Mac contrasted it to other well-intentioned undertakings. “We’ve seen it before: build a building, chuck in a PlayStation in, job well done, pat yourself on the back and [expect] no Adrenalised, goofy start to public push for the Grace Street Project The Southland Times · 18 Jul 2025 · Michael Fallow more problems!”

Entranced by the commitment and holistic vision of those undaunted by the seeming “impossibleness” of their ambition, he had found himself declaring he was on board. “Which I was surprised to say out loud,” he admitted. “But do think it’s an incredible venture. I love the audacity of it.

“I can’t wait to see this come fruition, and it’s getting closer and closer.”

The public campaign launch was held at the former church building where the new hub will stand, by the South City Mall.

The trust has already raised more than $3.6 million for the project, more than half its target.

The result will be a multi-purpose community centre of spaces designed to elevate every aspect of community wellbeing – physical, mental, social and emotional.

It would provide access to technology, creative tools and learning opportunities and would have meeting areas, a dedicated youth space and a communal kitchen.

Mac acknowledged that the new centre would be important across the generations of the community, but he particularly saw value in its scope to help rangatahi.

”Without being a little cringey, I do believe that young people will change the world. It’s just fact. It’s what kind of change they are going to make – that’s the difference.”

Among the speakers, senior students from Aurora College and Southland Boys’ High School spoke of the value they saw in the project and of commitments to join in the fundraising initiatives.

Malcolm said having drawn much support from local and national funders, it was “time that we step this up a notch and really brought this to the community with public fundraising to get the job done”.

And the “Let’s build this” catchcry was intended a “strong statement of intent ... a call to action”.

While Broad good-naturedly accepted all due teasing for his memory lapse, including a fresh wave of derision when he insisted with giddying implausibility that he had just been testing the audience, it was fair to say that nobody left the launch in any doubt of what the rallying cry actually is.

“It’s simple. It’s just not easy.’’

That was the encouragement Six60 band member Chris Mac gave during the launch of the public fundraising campaign to get the ambitious Grace Street Project in south Invercargill over the line.