Mark Jessop was named as the new Teviot Valley Community Board chair at the inaugural meeting in Roxburgh yesterday.

Mark was nominated by Gill Booth and he then proposed Curtis Pannett as his deputy, which was accepted by the board members.

Curtis was also the new Teviot Valley ward representative on the Central Otago District Council - replacing former councillor Sally Feinerman, who did not seek re-election this year.

He joined the TVCB in mid-2024 and farms Hill Springs with his wife, while two new members - Hayden Smith and Becky Sladen were also sworn in yesterday.

Becky has lived in the Teviot since 1989, and has more than 20 years experience as a legal executive working in a local law firm.

Hayden grew up in the Teviot Valley, returning after his OE in 2002, and owns a transport company.

Mark acknowledged former chair Norman Dalley for his time on the board, and also the nine years that Sally had given the community, having served three terms.

Second term board member Gill Booth was also nominated for the Vincent ward as a councillor but was unsuccessful.

Mark said the last term had been difficult for the Teviot, and in particular the last year, “due to a number of internal council-led priorities and initiatives,” such as districtisation, delegations, representation

review, the Long Term Plan and Spatial Plan.

He said there were some interesting discussions on building divestment that affected the Teviot quite passionately, as well as the Roxburgh Pool that was handed back over to council.

He said the board will be looking forward to making its own agenda and decisions on those things that mattered to the community.

“We have some challenges ahead of us in terms of rating and that’s a very interesting thing to us as a community.”

He said the board’s role is one of advocacy and making decisions that the community will benefit from in 100 years time.

“We are having to think a long way ahead. We are the voice of the valley and unashamedly parochial for the valley. I think we need to speak out, and a bit more loudly about what we don’t and can’t do."