New Otago Regional Council chair Hilary Calvert acknowledged that extra representation from the Dunstan ward would reduce the tendency of the ORC being Dunedin-focused.

The Dunedin-based businesswoman and former lawyer was nominated for the chair by her Vision Otago counterpart Michael Laws, and will be backed by Moeraki ward councillor Kevin Malcolm who was voted in as deputy.

There were no other nominations for either role at the inaugural ORC meeting in Dunedin this morning, and Cr Malcolm said he was looking forward to working with Cr Calvert again - having both served on the ORC from 2019-2022.  

Cr Calvert was also a former member of the ACT Party, and served on the Dunedin City Council from 2013-2016 after an unsuccessful attempt for Mayor.

Dunedin businesswoman Hilary Calvert has been named the new Otago Regional Council chair. PHOTO: Supplied

She teamed up with Cr Laws and Cr Gary Kelliher, along with unsuccessful Wānaka-based candidate Nicky Rhodes, under the Vision Otago banner at this year’s election.

Former Central Otago deputy Mayor Neil Gillespie was one of the new faces around the council table, along with Matt Hollyer from Queenstown, making up the four Dunstan ward councillors.

Cr Hollyer works in conservation spaces after years in tourism management.

The Dunstan constituency gained an additional seat this year following a representation review in 2024, which saw Dunedin lose a seat in favour of rapidly growing inland Otago.

Describing the extra councillor as a “wonderful opportunity” to add a new geographical portfolio to the mix, Cr Calvert said Dunstan would now be better represented, “considering the majority of our rates are from there and half of our rates are spent there.”

Dunstan's councillors have been joined by Cr Malcolm (Moeraki), Cr Robbie Byars and Cr Kate Wilson, (Molyneux), Cr Calvert, Cr Andrew Noone, and former ORC chair Gretchen Robertson, along with Alan Somerville and new Cr Chanel Gardner, (Dunedin).

While Cr Calvert and Vision Otago have strong policies on reducing rates, she acknowledged hers was only one voice among the 12, and said there were other views around the table she would expect to be part of deliberations going forward.

“Thank you for putting your trust in me,” she told the council, and said a major challenge going forward was to work better with the community.

“It’s time to focus on value for money for our ratepayers, and reduce the rates burden while maintaining the impetus of our environmental journey.

“The community has shown that they are keen to be involved, and we need to work better with them to achieve results neither of us could achieve on our own.”

Cr Calvert intended to appoint portfolios to each councillor, and expected them to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of those.