The new faces are new Dunstan councillors Graeme Bell and Gary Kelliher, who join incumbent councillor Gerry Eckhoff to represent a district covering the Queenstown-Lakes area, the Maniototo and Central Otago.
They fill a seat left by the retirement of long-serving councillor Duncan Butcher and a new seat created for this election to meet the population growth of the constituency.
Mr Bell (62), the highest polling Dunstan candidate with 6789 votes, had spent 21 years in district politics and was looking forward to taking a more regional focus, he said.
He had a special interest in roading issues and had been a member of the regional council's Otago Regional Land Transport Committee representing Central Otago.
''I'm looking forward to Otago working together as a province.''
Springvale sheep and deer farmer Mr Kelliher (40) polled third with 5274, edging out Mt Pisa farmer Murray MacMillan (4875) and Queenstown emergency management officer Jon Mitchell (3270).
The ramifications of his election were just dawning on Mr Kelliher yesterday, but he hoped to be able ensure productivity and protecting the environment were balanced as Central Otago headed towards the end of deemed water permits in 2021.
''There is a huge amount of opportunity available in Central Otago as a whole and a lot of misunderstandings about agriculture, but if it is done well and not taken to the extreme, it will help Otago greatly.''
His involvement in irrigation and catchment water strategy groups also gave him a unique understanding of those issues, he said.
In the Dunedin constituency all incumbents - Louise Croot, Gretchen Robertson, Michael Deaker, Sam Neill, Bryan Scott and Trevor Kempton - stood again and faced down challenges by Otago Boys' High School rector Clive Rennie, Otago University scientist Marc Shallenberg, business adviser Austen Banks and mental health worker Graham Roper.
The longest-serving councillor on the council was now Mrs Croot, who also polled the highest with 16,567 votes followed by Mrs Robertson with 15,630.
With 10,353 votes Mr Rennie came in seventh, 2209 votes behind the lowest-polling councillor to be elected, Mr Kempton.
Mr Rennie said he was disappointed with the result but would continue to concentrate on his main priority, his school, and look at options for his future, although he intended to be leading the school next year.
''It's my No 1 priority,'' Mr Rennie said.
In the Molyneux constituency last term's chairman, Stephen Woodhead, and his deputy, David Shepherd, were re-elected ahead of the only other candidate, Brian Miller.
Mr Woodhead said he was pleased with the results as in 2010 both he and Mr Shepherd were elected unopposed.
''I'm very pleased to have a mandate and to see 26% more people voted in the constituency than in 2007.''
He knew the new Dunstan councillors and believed they had much to add to the council. Mr Woodhead was not concerned about the 2220 blank regional council voting papers returned in the Queenstown-Lakes district area (nearly the same as in Dunedin).
''We do quite a bit of work there which is not recognised as being done by the ORC like the bus trial, the [Shotover] training line and flood mitigation.
''We respond to the community need for environmental management ... It's not about lifting our profile.''
Overall, the new council looked like a good solid team, which would be able to settle quickly into the workload, he said. A new chairman would be elected at the council's next meeting.
''It's steady as she goes.''
Doug Brown was elected unopposed in the Moeraki constituency.