Revelations this week that the incoming Southern District Health Board will be overseen by a "Crown monitor" has met with mixed reactions from those seeking a place at the board table.

The Southern District Health Board (DHB), which has been managed by a commissioner for the past four years, is returning to elected representation this October and Southerners have come out in spades to run for the three seats available for the board's Southland constituency. 

However, it appears the return to democracy will come with caveat, with Health Minister David Clark saying on Sunday he intended to appoint a Crown monitor to oversee the newly elected board.

The Crown monitor would create a "line of sight" to the DHB beyond normal expectations, he said. 

Since July, Advocate South has been requesting to speak with Dr Clark about the DHB's return to an elected board after four years under a commissioner structure. However, we have not been granted an interview to date, nor did we receive further comment from Dr Clark about what power or influence a Crown monitor might hold.

The 11 candidates running for the Southland constituency had mixed feelings on the matter, but all said they only found out about the intended appointment this week, well after nominations closed.

Almost all said they would have run regardless of the news, and many were not surprised by the decision given the SDHB's ongoing deficit troubles. 

The last elected board was sacked by then-Health Minister Jonathan Coleman in 2015 in an effort to rein in a deficit forecast at $27 million for that financial year.

Latest figures show that deficit has blown out to $40 million for the year to May 2019.

Candidate Leanne Samuel said the move wasn't surprising since there was so much concern about the DHB's "failing" performance both clinically and fiscally. 

However, opinions diverged on whether the appointment of a Crown monitor meant an additional resource in the transition to an elected board, or an unfair oversight before the board was even elected. 

Candidates like Dr Marion Poore, Terry King, Benje Patterson, Neville Cook, and Pania Coote supported the appointment.

"A crown monitor is someone who has experience with large complex organisations. I think this will help at Southern as it transitions from a Commissioner-led organisation to an elected board. There are significant issues for the new board to address so a Crown monitor will be an asset," Dr Poore said.

Mr Patterson said the monitor would increase transparency of the SDHB's operations and help build trust in the financial management of the organisation. 

Mr Cook, who was on the previous board when it was sacked, said he supported the appointment if the Crown monitor provided advice and support to the board. 

"The appointment does indicate a concern about the ability of the board to be effective even before the membership is known, including the four ministerial appointments," he said. "Perhaps it reinforces the belief that the board will continue to be under resourced. The commissioners have obviously not managed within their budget, any better than the previous board."

Others, like Lesley Soper saw it as unnecessary. She said she would have preferred that Dr Clark give the new board a fair chance "to show their mettle" before considering the appointment of a Crown monitor. 

"After all, the Commissioner team was given a fair chance to show what they could deliver, and to my mind failed to do so."

Ben Nettleton said it was "unfortunate" the Minister was unwilling to see the make-up of the new board before making the call. They both said, however, they would be willing to work with anyone to get the job done. 

Candidates Roland Meyer and John MacDonald did not directly state whether he supported the measure, only to say it wasn't unexpected.

"Seeing the challenges which the new board is likely to face, a Crown monitor hopefully will enhance the work to move our region's health services forward," Mr Meyer said.