New Oreti Community Board Member Undeterred by Recent Turmoil

• Jamie Winsloe joins the Oreti Community Board after being elected unopposed in a by-election.
• His election follows a period of upheaval, including the ousting of former chairman Colin Smith.
• Winsloe is focused on moving forward and using his background to resolve community issues.

Jamie Winsloe has been elected unopposed to the Oreti Community Board following a recent by-election, replacing Karen Maw, who resigned suddenly in July. Despite the board’s recent internal strife, Winsloe remains positive about his new role and looks forward to serving the community.

Winsloe, based in Wallacetown and running a small engineering business, brings with him project management experience and a background in design. He also volunteers as a firefighter. Winsloe said his main goal is to ensure that the needs of the community are put first, and he was eager to “get stuff done.” After being encouraged by a few locals to run for the vacant seat, he decided to give it a shot following some research.

He acknowledged the board’s recent controversies but believes that looking back won’t help. Winsloe enters the board as the representative of the Makarewa subdivision and plans to use his problem-solving skills to address community concerns.

The Oreti Community Board has seen significant tension in recent months. On June 24, it voted against a proposed CCTV upgrade for Winton, despite strong community support and police recommendations. The decision divided the board, with then-chairman Colin Smith backing the upgrades, along with the deputy chairman and a council appointee. However, they were outvoted by other board members.

Following Maw’s resignation on July 12, four board members called for a meeting to remove Smith as chairman. Their efforts were successful, and Smith was ousted during a highly charged meeting on August 19, despite strong public support in his favour. Shortly after, councillor Darren Frazer also stepped down from his role on the board, and he was replaced by deputy mayor Christine Menzies on August 26.