An embattled Southland community board is set for yet another shake-up after booting out its chair earlier in the week.

Councillor Darren Frazer has now requested he be removed from being an appointee to the board, a position he has held since 2019.

It comes in the wake of a fiery Monday night meeting which saw four of the board’s seven members turn on chair Colin Smith, ousting him from the top role in front of an agitated crowd.

Frazer said he believed everyone on the board had good intentions for serving the community, but conceded there was “quite a bit of tension”.

“I’m allowing the board to have a fresh start with a different councillor, in the hope that will generate some positive change,” he said.

“In the meantime, I think it’s best for me to use my time and energy to focus on council issues and put all my energy into that.”

A report prepared for a Southland District Council meeting on August 26 showed mayor Rob Scott had accepted Frazer’s resignation, with deputy mayor Christine Menzies recommended as a replacement.

On Monday a special board meeting was held after four members wrote to the council stating their intention to remove Smith as chair.

Those members — Katie Allan, Dave Diack, Chris Herud and Tracy Kennedy — did not believe Smith was the person to take the board forward.

But the community let its voice be heard during public forum, backing the now-former chair to stay on.

Frazer was one of three members who backed Smith, but the vote was ultimately lost four to three.

Mayor Rob Scott also joined the chorus of support, saying he had only seen good leadership from Smith.

Smith said he was “very disappointed” by the actions of his fellow members this week, and has been replaced as chair by Katie Allan.

The board’s dysfunction was highlighted in June when members voted against CCTV upgrades in the small town of Winton, despite strong support from the community and Police.

That project was stymied five votes to three, with Smith, Frazer and deputy chair Philip Dobson outnumbered.

An upcoming by-election will be held for the replacement of member Karen Maw, who resigned suddenly in July.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air