Your new Councillors

Roger has a strong focus on family and is deeply rooted in the Southland landscape – professionally and recreationally.

He and his wife Gemma and their two school-age children live on their Invercargill property in Ōtātara, where they’ve created abundant flower and food gardens.

Roger’s career has included teaching outdoor education, glaciology and ski guiding, with the past two decades dedicated to freshwater science. He is undertaking a fish monitoring survey for the Waiau Fisheries and Wildlife Enhancement Trust at its large, highly successful and well-established habitat restoration wetland complexes.

Roger is also involved with the Conservation Board, and Guardians of Lakes Monowai, Manapōuri and Te Anau.

He is a member of the Bluff Yacht Club, New Zealand Alpine Club, and Ōreti Surf Lifesaving Club with his children.

“We want to give them opportunities to experience the wonderful outdoors and wild places of Southland that need to be preserved.”

As a Councillor, Roger’s focus is on finding collaborative, constructive solutions that enable both economic productivity and environmental wellbeing.

“When the environment is healthy, the people are healthy and Southland’s economy can thrive”.

Family, community and farming are what’s most important to Ewen.

He and his wife, Diane, live on their self-contained dairy block near Riverton, which has been in Ewen’s family for three generations. Three of their four grown children and five grandchildren also live on the 560ha farm.

Ewen was a shearer for 20 years, farming sheep and beef before they converted to dairy 17 years ago. Being highly productive created pressure for people, animals and the environment, leading them to reflect and work towards a more sustainable model they continue to improve, in line with their values. “Working towards the least amount of footprint we can possibly operate with.”

Ewen is in Lions, has chaired the Community House in Riverton, and the local medical trust for 15 years. He was a founding member on the board of Thriving Southland and has had extensive involvement with the Dairy Environment Leader Programme and Aparima Catchment Environment Project.

On Council, Ewen wants to get settings right so the community engages to achieve positive environmental and economic outcomes for Southland’s future.

“I think that direction of travel is quite achievable.”

David is a third generation sheep and beef farmer, farming a total of 206ha at Northope, near Winton.

“I’d like to think it would carry on in the family. I believe in family farming as one of the strongest ways to look after the environment, and in leaving the land in as good condition as you started with, or better.”

David and his late wife, Helen, have two grown sons and one grandchild. The couple enjoyed tramping together and David is a keen photographer and likes to travel.

He has always had a passion for the community, evident in his involvement over the years: Young Farmers, SIT Councillor, Telford Farm Board, Trustee of Southland Power Trust, and Federated Farmers of which he is a Southland life member, former Southland president and former national board member.

David has been actively involved in river and flood management for some decades and was the co-chair of the Environment Southland Ōreti Catchment Liaison Committee up until the 2025 elections.

On Council, David’s focus is on transparency and accountability, especially around flood improvement projects.