Mark Harris has been elected chair of the Maniototo Community Board, moving up from his previous role as deputy after the board’s inaugural meeting on Tuesday afternoon (November 4) at the Ranfurly Service Centre.  

With three terms under his belt – one of them as chair - Mark replaces former chair Rob Hazlett, who narrowly missed out on re-election in October. 

Long-term local and board newcomer Logan Dowling, who topped the polls with 639 votes, was elected deputy chair. 

Returning to the board alongside Mark and Logan are Duncan Helm and Becky McCauley, while sole ward councillor Stu Duncan rounds out the team. 

Central Otago district mayor Tamah Alley officiated the start of the meeting, where elected members made their declarations. 

The meeting was largely procedural, with a break for official photos once the chair and deputy chair were confirmed. 

On returning to business, the new chair light-heartedly remarked his team was probably “the best-looking bunch” in the district. 

The board moved quickly to appoint liaisons to community groups, rather than deferring as other boards in the district have done.

Appointments were: Mark to the Patearoa Recreation Reserve committee, Logan to the Taieri Lake Recreation Reserve committee, Becky to the Maniototo Community Arts Council, and Stu to the Maniototo Ice Rink committee.  

The board’s next meeting will be held on November 27, the final one for the year.

In 2026, meetings are scheduled approximately every six weeks on Thursdays. 

If October’s elections were anything to go by, Maniatoto residents remain highly engaged in local body politics, with voter turnout approaching 70 percent. 

Seven candidates contested the four community board positions. 

After Logan, Duncan received 590 votes, Becky 577, and Mark 503. Rob, the most recent chair, received 497 votes – just short of returning him to the board.