 On 26 February 2016, Mayor Cull announced the dissolution of the Greater Dunedin group and that he and the other members would be contesting the upcoming local body elections in October 2016 as independent candidates.Cull's assertion that the dissolution was not caused by any "split within the ranks" was contested by fellow councillor Mike Lord, who disagreed with the Dunedin City Council's ethical investment policy and other unspecified issues.However, he praised the Greater Dunedin group for focusing on council efficiency and debt reduction.