To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ALLAN, Ms Harriet Bennett
For services to the publishing industry
Ms Harriet Allan has worked as a publisher championing New Zealand literature and many of the country’s most recognised writers in a career spanning 35 years.
Ms Allan studied English Literature and Language at the University of Edinburgh before emigrating to New Zealand in 1986. She worked for a medical publisher, then Oxford University Press before joining Century Hutchinson in 1989, which later became Random House and subsequently Penguin Random House. She has dedicated her career to the publishing industry, developing and nurturing numerous New Zealand writers including Dame Fiona Kidman, Owen Marshall and Fiona Farrell, and supporting Māori writing including working with Patricia Grace and Tina Makereti. Since 2009 she has worked with Witi Ihimaera, publishing several of his works, including his memoirs, adult fiction, the non-fiction work ‘Navigating the Stars’ and his children’s book ‘The Astromancer’. In 2017 she championed the publication of ‘Black Marks on the White Page’, an Oceanic anthology edited by Witi Ihimaera and Tina Makereti, and followed it with several other significant anthologies of Māori writing, including ‘Pūrākau’. Dozens of the writers she has supported have been recognised with national and international literary awards. Ms Allan supports new writers through mentoring, giving talks and involvement in the Sunday Star Times short story competition and the Michael King Writers Centre.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BARRELL, Ms Margaret Louise (Marnie)
For services as a hymn writer
Ms Marnie Barrell has been contributing to hymn writing in New Zealand for more than 40 years.
Ms Barrell is a music teacher, a lay preacher and musician at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Christchurch and has been hymn writing since 1986. She has written many hymns, most of which have been published in ‘Alleluia Aotearoa’ (1993), ‘Carol our Christmas’ (1996), ‘Faith Forever Singing’ (2000), the ‘Church Hymnary’ (2005), and ‘Hope is our song’ (2009) and also posted on the United States-based Oremus Hymnal website. Her writing has reached countries including Canada, Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, as well as featured in the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology in the United Kingdom. She is a featured hymnodist and writer on both the Oremus and the Hymnary.org websites. She is a current board member of the New Zealand Hymnbook Trust. Ms Barrell’s music and writing is represented in the National Library of New Zealand and New Zealand Choirs have recorded her music to be played on Radio New Zealand’s Concert channel.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BOUSTRIDGE, Mr Luke
For services to the electrical industry and vocational training
Mr Luke Boustridge has encouraged youth into trades and strongly advocated for vocational training nationally and internationally.
Mr Boustridge is involved with World Skills, a global industry excellence organisation of 86 member countries that facilitate competition between technical experts and promote vocational education and training. He competed in the 2006 World Skills electrical category, winning a gold medal for New Zealand, and received a medallion of excellence competing in Japan in 2007. He represented New Zealand at the 2007 World Skills Youth Forum in Austria and has since volunteered with the World Skills New Zealand Team, training electrician candidates and holding leadership and administrative roles. He has been the National Skill Manager for Electrical Installations since 2010. He has been International Chief Expert in the Electrical Installation category for World Skills competitions between 2016 and 2018, for the first World Skills Africa competition in 2021, and Austria in 2022. He led the redesign of the competition rules for the Electrical Installation category. Following introduction of a world-wide standard for automation to World Skills, he became the first registered tutor in New Zealand and facilitated the KNX national training rollout. He was Vice President of the KNX National Group Board from 2017 to 2018. Mr Boustridge has trained around 500 apprentices with the Electrical Training Company.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRIGGS, Ms Monica Jacqueline
For services to women and governance
Ms Monica Briggs has contributed to the health and charity sectors focused on empowerment and social justice for 20 years.
Ms Briggs was Chief Executive of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Auckland between 2012 and 2018, re-establishing a mentoring programme for young women from low-decile schools in Auckland to improve their confidence and provide guidance on education and careers. She reviewed YWCA’s funding and assets to ensure the funds were used for maximum impact. She led the establishment of New Zealand’s Equal Pay Awards in 2014, a public campaign to discuss the issue of pay equity in the public domain. She created brand ambassadors to encourage big companies to start pay equity conversations. This led to the creation of Mind the Gap and Gender Tick, government initiatives to focus on the reduction of gender pay gaps. She was the Chief Executive of the Centre for Social Impact from 2019 to 2021, where she established and co-led Community Governance, an entity supporting community governance across New Zealand. She has been the Chief Executive of the Child Cancer Foundation since 2021 and has been supporting whānau advocating on Pharmac’s Rule 8.1B, regarding the potential to change accessibility for paediatric cancer medicines. Ms Briggs has held various governance roles and is a Trustee of The Grief Centre.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRONTE, Mr Patrick William
For services to military history
Mr Patrick Bronte has spent 21 years travelling New Zealand to capture and preserve more than 500 audio and video interviews with Returned Service men and women, many of whom have since died.
Mr Bronte has been a tetraplegic since an accident at age 16. Paralysed from the shoulders down, he uses a mouth stick and has produced the website ‘Nga Toa’, intending to make these interviews freely available to the public. His archive has expanded to include more recent conflicts in Africa, East Timor, Bosnia and Afghanistan. He founded the Nga Toa Charitable Trust in 2018, which has contributed to remembrance activities such as museum exhibitions, commemorating fallen soldiers, providing material for New Zealand authors and international publications, and is currently collaborating with historians to develop an app that utilises augmented reality to provide an immersive experience for children to learn about the service of New Zealand veterans. He maintains the majority of the financial responsibility for Nga Toa, making it the sole repository for this invaluable historical resource. Mr Bronte’s interviews have been used by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association to identify emerging issues for veterans to inform veteran services and policy, as well as providing digital material that has significantly increased awareness through digital resources for annual Poppy Day fundraising activities.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEWSON, Mrs Barbara Joan
For services to dental and oral health therapy
Mrs Barbara Dewson has contributed to dental therapy for more than 50 years.
Mrs Dewson served as the Supervising Dental Nurse for the Whanganui District between 1983 and 1994 before becoming the Dental Manager for Good Health Whanganui Hospital and Community. She initiated two community dental projects for free dental health care for adults at Rātana Pā and in Ohakune. She was Treasurer of the New Zealand Dental Therapists’ Association and their Journal editor for 12 years. In 2002, she contributed to developing the dental therapist competencies for dental therapist practice in preparation for the registration of Dental Therapists in 2003. Following registration, she was Chair of the Dental Council’s Dental Therapy Board for nine years and, more recently, has provided dental/oral health therapy professional advice. In 2009, she assisted in redesigning the Whanganui School Dental Service (now the Community Oral Health Service), in particular the mobile dental facilities offered in schools by the District Health Board. She was awarded Dental Therapist of the Year in 2016 and has been Treasurer of the New Zealand Community Oral Health Services Society for 13 years. Mrs Dewson received life membership of the New Zealand Dental and Oral Health Therapists’ Association.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DONSON, Ms Carla Elena
For services to women and the community
Ms Carla Donson has been employed as Manager of Whanganui Women’s Network since 2003 and has worked above and beyond her 30 paid hours a week to support and facilitate opportunities for local women.
In 2009 Ms Donson launched La Fiesta, an annual New Zealand women’s festival running from February until International Women’s Day in March. She began this as a fundraiser for the Women’s Network and has grown it to offer more than 100 activities over the month, all scheduled and coordinated by her. She established the similar Winter Wonderfest, which has run in August for eight years. She has engaged with organisations nationally to offer events and activities from legal rights education to health and fitness and various crafts and skills classes. She facilitated a group of rangatahi to make a proposal for a youth council to work with Whanganui District Council. She was on the Board of the Whanganui Regional Museum and has been a voluntary Board member of Life to the Max Trust since 2003, supporting at risk children aged five to 13. She is a member of Safer Whanganui, the Whanganui Violence Intervention Network and has served in various governance roles at Te Whatu Ora Whanganui since 2012. Ms Donson writes a regular newspaper column on issues affecting women.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FLEMING, Mr Aaron Murray
For services to the community and sport
Mr Aaron Fleming is a triathlete who has competed in 16 lronman competitions, leading several fundraising and community initiatives in the Waikato.
Mr Fleming was inspired to compete in lronman competitions in 2004 by a competitor raising funds and awareness for cystic fibrosis. Despite suffering from his own serious health condition, he trained for his first lronman in 2006, and has since raised $40,000 for charity, primarily the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand. He has been involved in several youth initiatives, including the Lowdown Project, a programme focused on suicide prevention in rangatahi. He authored the book ‘Purpose’ and has done motivational speaking in schools throughout New Zealand. He was an ambassador for Proud to Play, which promotes inclusivity and diversity in sport and recreation. He has advocated for greater awareness of environmental and sustainability issues, particularly in the Waikato region. For seven years he was a board member of Go Eco (Waikato Environment Centre), which established Kaivolution, Hamilton's food rescue service which has redistributed thousands of tonnes of food to families in need. In 2008 he co-founded the Trash to Fashion Charitable Trust and ReStyle, an annual wearable arts event. Mr Fleming received the Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award in 2017 as an early career senior public service leader.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FUNAKI, Mr Tevita Filisonu'u
For services to Pacific health
Mr Tevita Funaki has been CEO of The Fono Trust since 2010.
Mr Funaki has transformed The Fono from a primary health practice in Henderson with 30 staff and some limited public health contracts to the largest Pacific community-owned organisation with more than 150 staff, offering primary, oral and public health, social services and training and employment services. He is Chairperson of the Ministry for Social Development Pacific Steering Group, Oceania Career Academy, and ProCare Health (PHO). He is former Chair of the ProCare Community Engagement Committee, ProCare Pacific Board, and Unitec Council Fono Faufautua Pacific Board. He was a member of the Board and Chair from 2019 to 2022 of the Pacific Business Trust. He holds a range of Pacific Advisory roles with Auckland Council, New Zealand Police, and Northern Region District Health Boards. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led The Fono to set up drive-through testing, triage and vaccination marquees at clinics and in the community, and distribution of more than 3,000 support packages from Waiuku to Warkworth. He led his team to provide additional support and information to the Pacific community. Mr Funaki has promoted getting tested and vaccinated, addressed misinformation and set up vaccination events to help the Pacific community reach the 90 percent vaccination target.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GEMMELL, Mr Robert Lawrence
For services to martial arts and the community
Mr Robert Gemmell has been a pioneer in the study, practice, and teaching of martial arts for the past 60 years, often using his expertise to help the wider community with self-defence and rehabilitation.
Mr Gemmell founded Shaolin Kempo New Zealand in 1968 and remains the Senior Grandmaster. He co-founded the Union of New Zealand Karate-do Organisation (UNZKO) in 1976 and has been a Professor and Senior Master at the International Kempo Karate Association since 1979. He has been a Governor of the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame for the past 24 years and served one term as the New Zealand President of the Australasian World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. In 1997 he was inducted into the New Zealand Martial Arts, Australian Martial Arts, and World Karate Union Halls of Fame. He has delivered targeting training in women’s and nurses’ self-defence courses, corporate stress management courses, falls prevention programmes, and training for ambulance and police officers. He developed the Five Step Programme for the Accident Compensation Corporation’s Falls Prevention Programme, which has aided more than 30,000 seniors. Mr Gemmell has developed and written numerous training programmes and manuals, books, and other publications, and published New Zealand’s first martial arts magazine, ‘Karate and Martial Arts’.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HANNA, Ms Pamela Mary (Pam)
For services to the community and early childhood education
Ms Pam Hanna has been involved in New Zealand’s Playcentre movement for 20 years and has made a significant contribution to several community initiatives in Lower Hutt.
Ms Hanna was National President of the New Zealand Playcentre Federation for three years and was appointed inaugural Chief Executive of the Early Childhood Development Unit in 1989. Under her leadership, the unit played a pivotal role in supporting centres to serve a diversity of communities and in providing effective professional learning and development for practitioners. She authored the book ‘Thinking Together: Quality Adult-Child Interactions’, which continues to be used as a resource for early education practitioners today. She has been involved with Lower Hutt community initiatives, revitalising the Petone Planning Action Group and Petone Rotary Fair, an event which attracts 30,000 visitors annually to the Jackson Street heritage shopping area. She was Chair of the Petone Community Board from 2016 to 2022. During her tenure, she ensured residents were aware of the ramifications of local body plans and projects. As Chair, Ms Hanna advocated for the redevelopment of several amenities including Petone wharf and library and engaged with residents and business owners to raise awareness of historic buildings and precincts.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HIINI, Ms Roslyn Aileen
For services to women and the union movement
Ms Roslyn Hiini is a founding Member of the Working Women’s Resource Centre (WWRC), established in 1985 to encourage unions to be more responsive to the needs of working women and address gender discrimination.
Ms Hiini has been advocating for working women and their working conditions through WWRC. She became a Union Organiser in 1989 and successfully, as part of a Union negotiating team, negotiated a collective agreement for all retail workers of Deka and supported women to become Union members. She was actively involved in several equal pay and pay equity initiatives including the Care and Support Workers’ Settlement in 2017 and the amendment to the Equal Pay Act in 2018. She has been involved with the Hunger Project for more than 20 years as Board Secretary and has helped with several funding initiatives and events. She was involved in the campaigning for paid parental leave through petitioning Parliament, meetings and letters to relevant Ministers. The Hunger Project run programmes across Africa, South Asia and Latin America to tackle hunger at the source through women, mobilising communities and engaging with government. Ms Hiini helped archive the history of working women through WWRC by creating a poster series titled ‘What Working Women Have Done’ to ensure future generations are aware of the history of women’s working conditions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HUMPHREYS, Mr Phillip Terence (Phil)
For services to people with disabilities and sport
Mr Phil Humphreys has supported people with physical disabilities on a voluntary basis for 40 years, having become a quadriplegic in 1982.
Mr Humphreys was a Board member of ParaFed Canterbury from 1985 to 2012, serving several years as Chairperson. He used his background as a Navy physical training instructor to assist people with disabilities wanting to take up sport and recreational activities, as well as training disabled athletes nationwide, including Paralympics New Zealand athletes. He has volunteered for numerous roles at events and helped train officials. He was instrumental in helping bring wheelchair rugby to New Zealand in the early 1990s. He was Functional Manager Officials on the organising committee of the 2006 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships. He has actively visited schools to give talks and demonstrations on sport for those with physical disabilities and supported new patients at Burwood Spinal Unit with weekly visits. He was a Trustee and Chairperson of Paraloan between 2006 and 2018, an organisation assisting people with disabilities with low interest loans, overseeing software and standards changes. He was a member of Waimakariri Access Committee from 2011 to 2018, offering accessibility advice for parking and buildings and training for council staff. Mr Humphreys has received several awards, including the Order of Merit from Paralympics New Zealand in 2001.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HUNDLEBY, Ms Christine Mary (Kira)
For services to Pacific arts
Ms Kira Hundleby is a multifaceted artist, creative producer, and social justice advocate for Melanesian and Pacific Peoples.
Ms Hundleby is Co-Chair of the Melanesian Steering Group to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and has helped achieve national recognition of the Solomon Islands Pisin and Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin Language Weeks to be included in the Pacific Language Weeks 2024. She has been an elected member of Wellington City Council’s Pacific Advisory Group for six years. She co-founded Hundleby and Chalmers Productions in 2012 and has worked in creative production of community and national arts projects and festivals. This has included the annual Wellington Pasifika Festival, Waitangi Day, WOMAD and CubaDupa festivals. She is a member of the Public Programmes Team (Pacific) with Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand. She co-founded Melanesian Women and Friends and was instrumental in organising the Wellington organisation’s dinner with the New Zealand Police in 2018, to encourage more Melanesian people to be recruited to the Police. She was Co-Founder and creator of the World Peace Day Festival 2015, working in partnership with local iwi, government partners, community organisations and Pacific communities in Dunedin. Ms Hundleby has been active in promoting African, Melanesian, Māori and Pacific indigenous communities through music, dance and creative methodologies throughout New Zealand.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KEDDELL, Mr Richard Geoffrey
For services to orthopaedics
Mr Richard Keddell has contributed to orthopaedic practice and governance in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
Mr Keddell has been practicing as an orthopaedic surgeon in both public and private practice in the Bay of Plenty region since 1992. His landmark publication on the management of tibial fractures in 1991 influenced the standard of care world-wide. He was clinical director of Orthopaedics for the Bay of Plenty District Health Board from 2005 to 2015 and President of the New Zealand Knee Society from 2007 to 2008. He was a member of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association (NZOA) from 2014 to 2018 and served as the National President of NZOA from 2016 to 2017. He was the Specialty Orthopaedic Training Board Chair from 2017 to 2022. He has increased the diversity of surgeons practicing orthopaedics, with more female and Māori trainees being accepted into the training programme. He played a key role in the appointment of a Pou Tikanga/Cultural Advisor to the NZOA. He became the inaugural and only honorary member of the Ladies in Orthopaedics New Zealand (LIONZ) in 2017 in recognition of his mentorship, advocacy and fiscal support for female orthopaedic surgeons. Mr Keddell has been the Chair and a Trustee of the Wishbone Orthopaedic Research Foundation Trust since 1997.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KEMPTON, Mr Trevor John
For services to the arts and local government
Mr Trevor Kempton has contributed his business expertise to support the arts on a voluntary basis.
Mr Kempton has had a long-term involvement with Brass Bands as a player and held administrative and leadership roles with Kaikorai Metropolitan Brass and St Kilda Brass. He served as a National Executive Member of the Brass Bands Association of New Zealand, focusing on youth development and sustainability. He chaired the Southern Brass Academy from inception in 2007 until 2011, actively supporting the Allbrassclass learning initiative, and is a Trustee of the Ken Smith Players Trust. He joined the Board of Choirs New Zealand from 2004, serving as a trustee and Chair. He led the negotiation of long-term funding through the Creative New Zealand Kahikatea programme improving the financial sustainability of the organisation. He is currently a trustee of the Choir’s foundation, a key Committee member of the Dunedin Community Music centre from 1994, focusing on its financial stability. He served as a trustee and Chair of the Dunedin Arts Festival, guiding the organisation through a period of considerable change. Mr Kempton served as an Otago Regional Councillor from 2010 to 2019, chairing the regional Transport Committee and helped re-establish Engineering New Zealand’s Otago Heritage chapter as its Chair in 2016.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KING, Ms Julie Ann
For services to education
Ms Julie King was a teacher in England for 21 years before migrating to New Zealand in the early 2000s to continue contributing to education in New Zealand.
Ms King started working with Sommerville Special School in 2003, working with teachers in the classroom to introduce using interactive whiteboard technology. She created curriculum resources for teachers to use with their students and helped teach teachers how to create their own resources to meet the needs of their children. She organised groups of teachers and therapists from Auckland special schools to share practice and learn from one another. She has presented and held several workshops to share her resources throughout New Zealand and the world including presenting Two Touch Interactive Whiteboards at the International Whiteboard Conference in Auckland 2010. She co-founded Smart Artz in 2006, developing resources for students with severe and complex needs in DVD format, complete with detailed teaching notes. The resources were used across several schools in New Zealand titled ‘Maui and the Fingers of Fire’, ‘Holiday’ and ‘Body Works’. Ms King drove the establishment of Clickspecialednz, a community website for educators of learners with learning support needs and was used by 29 special schools, eight residential schools and many learning support units since launch in 2009.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KNIGHT, Mrs Joan (Jo)
For services to the environment
Mrs Jo Knight has been contributing to the environment in her community of Kaipātiki for 40 years.
Mrs Knight was instrumental in the establishment of the Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society (PFK) in 2016, serving as Chair and Board member until 2023. PFK work to restore the natural environment, remove pests and build awareness of the community’s natural heritage. She has researched viable methodology for environmental regeneration and implemented an evidence-based programme, Halo, an invisible fence around parks and reserves enabling communities into baiting and trapping pests. Halos have encouraged people of all ages to participate, create safe environments for birds, and plant natives to protect the remaining forest areas. Under her leadership PFK have planted more than 32,000 trees, controlled more than 4,000 pest weed locations and distributed 2,000 pest animal devices. She was instrumental in the fundraising and restoration of a building into the PFK headquarters in 2020, which was completed in 2021 which resulted in an estimated 55 tonnes of rubbish diverted from the landfill. She has been the Co-ordinator of the Odin/Hadfield Reserve since 1982, helping plant hundreds of plants and removal of pests to turn the reserve into the wetland it is now. Mrs Knight was CEO of Zero Waste New Zealand Trust Ltd from 2006 until 2023.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KNIGHT, Ms Patricia Jacqueline (Jacqui)
For services to Lepidoptera conservation and the community
Ms Jacqui Knight is a leading proponent of Lepidoptera conservation in New Zealand and played an active role in Russell’s community development.
Ms Knight established the Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust in 2005, which since 2013 has been known as The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust. Through her involvement in the Trust, she has promoted the importance of butterflies and moths to New Zealand’s biodiversity, environment and economy. She helped to curate a butterfly exhibition at the Canterbury Museum and has inspired many people to start butterfly gardens around the country. A former resident of Russell, she was actively involved in the community’s economic, environmental and social development. She led the Kiwi Recovery Programme on the Russell Peninsula, initiated the Russell Environmental Expo, launched the Russell Lights community newspaper and established the Enterprise Russell economic trust. She set up a Habitat for Humanity project for a Waikare family who lost their home in a fire. In 2004, Ms Knight was an integral part of a team that raised $10,000 to support UNICEF’s response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LAUFISO, Ms Philippa Agnes
For services to arts and the community
Ms Philippa Laufiso has been an Education Adviser for Priority Learners with the Ministry of Education for Southland/Otago since 2015 and has volunteered as a Committee member, Trustee and Co-Chair of the Otago Early Childhood and Schools’ Māori and Pacific Island Festival, also known as Otago Polyfest.
Ms Laufiso was Co-Chair for the 25th Otago Polyfest in 2018, one of the biggest volunteer-run community events in New Zealand. She was involved with a collaborative project with the Art and Design Schools at Otago Polytechnic to produce banners for Otago Polyfest in 2012. She was a Trustee on the Board of the Otago Community Trust from 2013 to 2021, supporting the Trust to fund charitable purposes and provide grants to not-for-profit community groups. Ms Laufiso is an adviser on the University of Otago’s Secondary to Tertiary Transitions Project team and is involved with Dunedin City Council’s Ōtepoti Creative Workshop Development Committee, which aims to simplify and strengthen vocational pathways for secondary and tertiary students who want to work in the arts in Dunedin and Otago.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LEE, Ms Vivien Lynette Heretaniwha (Heretaniwha)
For services to prisoner support and Māori
Ms Heretaniwha Lee has supported prisoners and their whānau through several roles with the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society of the Auckland District (now Te Pā Inc.) since 1983.
Ms Lee has worked to break down obstacles faced by prisoners on release and has built extensive networks and trust in the community, helping Te Pā and its predecessors gain access to hard-to-reach communities. She has connected significant numbers of inmates back to their tribal area and re-connected them with whānau on release, supporting a smooth transition back to hapū, iwi and community. She was instrumental in supporting the organisation through two large-scale changes, particularly the 2015 rebrand as PARS Inc. She has made herself available after hours to offer support, particularly during difficult and traumatic times. This has included supporting prisoners on special leave to attend tangihanga or to attend emergency call outs to supported homes for prisoners on release to de-escalate situations. She has supported the repatriation process for Māori remains buried at Mt Eden Prison to be returned to their respective iwi. Ms Lee contributed to the development of Te Pā’s Mana Ōrite constitution, setting the organisation’s future direction in 2020.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LUALUA, Ms Tupe
For services to the arts
Ms Tupe Lualua is a dancer, choreographer, actor, director, producer and arts educator.
Ms Lualua helped establish Waka Ura Cultural Dance Company, who were awarded the Emerging Artist Award at the 2007 Creative New Zealand (CNZ) Arts Pacific Awards. From 2009 to 2019 she taught Samoan Performing Arts at Whitireia New Zealand, creating live works for performances in New Zealand, Europe, Asia and North America. In 2013, she founded Le Moana and created works such as ‘Fatu Na Totō’, ‘1918’ and ‘Purple Onion’. These works toured internationally and won several awards at the San Diego International Fringe Festival. As a performer she featured in ‘PolyZygotic’ (2009), ‘The Factory’ (2011), Regine Chopinot’s ‘In Situ’ (2011 to 2013), ‘Marama’ (2014), ‘The White Guitar’ (2015) and ‘A Boy Called Piano’ (2022). From 2020 to 2022 she was the tutor for Movement and Creative Practice at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. In 2013 she established the ‘Measina Festival’, which today serves as an integral springboard for cutting edge theatre by emerging Artists. She produces for an award-winning artist and manages production for Te Kiwa Nui Festival for secondary schools in the Porirua region. Ms Lualua was awarded the CNZ Sāmoa Artist in Residence in 2019 and created a dance work on the importance of culture on Samoan ecology.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MANU, Ms Huhana Te Uru Naomi Anne (Naomi)
For services to STEM education and Māori
Ms Naomi Manu (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) has led New Zealand’s efforts to encourage Māori students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Ms Manu worked in the tertiary sector, founding Pūhoro STEM(M) Academy (Pūhoro) in 2015 while working at Massey University. Pūhoro provides mentorship and support to Māori students interested in STEM subjects. Under her leadership, Pūhoro has encouraged greater Māori participation in the science and innovation sectors, inspiring thousands of young people to pursue careers in STEM. The academy provides career networks of role models and mentors to students, promoting an intergenerational shift in the career choices of rangatahi, to create a more diverse and inclusive scientific community in New Zealand. She was Director of Māori Student Success at Massey University for two years. In 2022 she co-founded the Auraki Group Limited, an organisation which encourages Māori participation in STEM careers through its six-month Poipoia Data Apprenticeship programme, designed to build data analytics capability within the workforce in line with tirohanga Māori. She was recently appointed as a Director of Te Taumata and has advocated for increased Māori representation in global trade and commerce on a national and international scale. Ms Manu has been recognised with several national and international awards, including her appointment as an Obama Foundation Leader for the Asia-Pacific region in 2023.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCARDLE, Mx Aych Carlin
For services to the rainbow community
Mx Aych McArdle is a human rights activist, supporting the rainbow and disabled communities for 15 years.
Mx McArdle was an executive board member of RainbowYouth between 2012 and 2014 and was then Education Director for two years. They increased the number of schools that RainbowYouth delivered workshops to, to address homophobia and transphobia, and worked with groups to educate on becoming rainbow allies. They have designed programmes for Higher Ground, a drug rehabilitation service, to support people in recovery with a rainbow lens and supporting safe access to the service for transgender people. With RainbowYouth, they co-led the nationwide Inside Out project to support schools to talk about gender and sexuality and address bullying of rainbow youth. The project has been adopted by Manatū Hauora as a public health anti-bullying intervention and has won a global design award. They have been a member, executive board member and recent co-chair of OutLine Aotearoa, a national rainbow mental health organisation, and provided support during the COVID-19 pandemic to make services accessible remotely. They were OutLine’s governance lead for Spark’s ‘Beyond Binary Code’, helping co-design companies’ collection of gender data practices to be more appropriate and respectful. Mx McArdle supported the Intersex Trust of Aotearoa New Zealand for six years with their central government and United Nations engagement.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NAULDER, Mrs Pearl
For services to education
Mrs Pearl Naulder has advocated for gifted children in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
Mrs Naulder worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist and in mental health care in London, before retraining as a teacher and emigrating to New Zealand in 1988. She has held several teaching roles, including at Marotiri School and Taupō Intermediate School providing specialist support for children with additional needs and leading gifted programmes. From 2002 to 2006 she was a One Day School programme teacher at the George Parkyn National Centre for Gifted Education. She worked for the Ministry of Education as a Schools Advisor for Gifted Children for four years, generating resources and providing strategies for teachers, students and parents of gifted children. She was a founding member of the Taupō branch of the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children in 1996, later becoming National President from 2000 to 2003. During her tenure, she worked to secure the continuity of the organisation. Since 2010 she has worked for Aotearoa Gifted New Zealand as a tutor, delivering a NZQA accredited certificate which supports gifted learners in achieving their learning outcomes. Mrs Naulder is currently one of three coordinators of CenGATE, a Palmerston North-based regional association for teachers interested in supporting gifted children and has been an Area Coordinator for MENSA.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NICHOLSON, Mr Aaron Roger
For services to the New Zealand Police and Search and Rescue
Mr Aaron Nicholson joined the New Zealand Police in 1987 and became Officer in Charge and Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator in Wanaka from 2000 to 2018, servicing Mt Aspiring National Park, one of the most visited areas for climbers, trampers and adventure tourists nationally.
During his tenure Mr Nicholson has managed more than 600 SAR operations. Wanaka SAR went from operating out of the police station garage with volunteers called as needed with their own equipment, to now having 80 volunteers with a fully equipped incident management centre and specialist gear. He has volunteered with Wanaka SAR since his retirement from Police in 2018 and was Chair from 2020 to 2023. For the past seven years, he has been a New Zealand Land SAR Incident Management Tutor delivering training nationally. Under his leadership, Wanaka SAR has raised around $4 million to build their headquarters, ensure availability of clothing, communications and technical equipment, and provide volunteers with up-to-date training. He led Wanaka SAR to create specialist integrated teams for alpine/cliff rescue, swift/water canyon rescue, sub-alpine/bush and an incident management team. Wanaka SAR is the only group to have received the LandSAR New Zealand Supreme Award three times. Mr Nicholson helped found the Southern Alps Rescue Trust in 2020 and remains a Trustee.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
OKEBY, Ms Dinah Jane
For services to the Public Service
Ms Dinah Okeby has supported Prime Ministers, Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition in the New Zealand Parliament in a variety of roles over 37 years.
Ms Okeby began her career with the Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs in the early 1980s. She was private secretary for the inaugural Minister for Women’s Affairs in 1984, providing a principal source of support while the Ministry was being established. From 1989 she began drafting correspondence for Prime Minister David Lange, leading to a long career until the present managing and producing correspondence for Opposition Leaders and Prime Ministers including Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. As Manager of the Prime Minister’s Correspondence Unit from 2017, she has been at the forefront of receiving between 20,000 to 30,000 emails and letters annually, identifying and directing the level of response required. She is regarded for her well-written, personalised responses, particularly when faced with high-volumes of correspondence in relation to nationally significant events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 15 March 2019 terrorist attacks. She is noted for identifying genuine risks conveyed in correspondence and directing appropriate responses to policy concerns and other issues. Ms Okeby has demonstrated strong institutional knowledge and political awareness in addressing the diverse views expressed in correspondence to Prime Ministers.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
OLLEY, Mrs Kahira Rata Patricia
For services to women, youth and the prevention of family violence
Mrs Kahira Olley (Ngāti Rongomai, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Toa), after experiencing family violence for 25 years, initiated several programmes in Rotorua to support and empower victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Mrs Olley officially established the Save Our Babies Charitable Trust (the Trust) in 2019, though these programmes have been running since 2013. Her initiatives offer a safe space for women and young girls to talk about their experiences and receive guidance and support. The initiatives also promote mental and physical health through the ‘All About Me Wellness’ community fitness group and a free school lunch programme ‘Full Puku Full Potential’. Other initiatives aim to support the welfare of women and youth and include programmes such as ‘Serenity Sistaz’, ‘Cuppa and Kōrero’, women’s support group for survivors of abuse, the teenage girls support group ‘Sister Two Sister’, free clothing through ‘Boutique of Aroha’, and the ‘UnSilenced Photoshoot and Runway Event’, which features models who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Mrs Olley has organised long-distance running events to raise awareness of family violence internationally.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PERCIVAL, Ms Ria Dawn
For services to football
Ms Ria Percival is a midfielder for the Football Ferns and is New Zealand’s most capped player with 166 international appearances.
Ms Percival has been the first New Zealander to play in the Football Association’s Challenge (FA Cup) Cup final in 2019 with West Ham United. She represented New Zealand in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2006 and made her senior international debut later that year against China. Since 2006 she has played in five World Cups, including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, four Olympic Games including the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and has scored a total of 15 goals. During her time with Auckland club Lynn-Avon United, she won her first league and cup double and became the youngest-ever winner of the coveted National Knockout Cup Final MVP award. She has played professionally with several clubs including F.C Indiana in the United States, Ottawa Fury in Canada, FFC Frankfurt and FF USV Jena, making 77 appearances for the latter. She joined West Ham United in 2018, making 25 appearances including the 2019 FA Women’s Cup final. She was named in the International Federation of Football’s Oceania Dream Team in 2021. Ms Percival co-captained the Football Ferns during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PERERA, Dr Anne Doloras
For services to food science and nutrition
Dr Anne Perera is a specialist in food and nutrition and has worked in industry, research and academia in New Zealand since 1981.
Dr Perera has been a consultant for Hubbard’s, Kiwi Cooperative Dairies, Hansells, Cerebos Greggs, Dilmah and Weight Watchers, and won the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers’ Nutrition Writer of the Year award in 1994 for co-writing the book ‘Nutrition 2000’. She was elected as Chair of the Central Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST), through which she organised a Technical Tour for the Singapore Institute of Food Science and Technology members to New Zealand. She became New Zealand Crop and Food Research Institute’s Team Leader in Nutrition and Health in 2004, and co-authored ‘Hot Potatoes and Cool Bananas’ in 2007. She was a member of the New Zealand Food Standards Committee and the Editor of the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation. Following retirement in 2010, she has been a Food and Nutrition Advisor to Small Industries Development Organisation in Tanzania and helped rebrand the Tanzania Association of Food Scientists and Technologists. She provided counselling through the Prisoners’ Aid Rehabilitation programme and is a member of several Parish Councils. Dr Perera was awarded the NZIFST J.C. Andrews Award in 2022 in recognition of her contributions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RAMKUMAR, Mrs Anuradha
For services to Indian classical dance
Mrs Anuradha Ramkumar established Nrityabhinaya Anuradha’s School of Indian Dances in 1996, which has contributed to two classical styles of Indian dance forms in Auckland.
Mrs Ramkumar has been providing opportunities for future generations of New Zealand Indians to maintain links to their cultural heritage through dance. In the process, she has helped hundreds of youths and adults graduate every year through Arangetrams (graduation) ceremony. Her students feature in various community events across New Zealand and her annual dance productions. Through her dance school she has worked to preserve two classical forms of dance, Bharatha Natyam and Kuchipudi, and has been a Guru (teacher) to more than 500 students across 26 years. She has incorporated elements of Māori culture as an ode to recognising connections between Indians in New Zealand and tangata whenua. Mrs Ramkumar has directed several dance productions depicting Indian mythologies and social themes including Ramayan, Suryaputra Karna, Maha Yugas, and Krishna Leela amongst others.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RETI, Mr Paul William James
For services to ju-jitsu
Mr Paul Reti (Ngāpuhi) has contributed to Ju-Jitsu in New Zealand for 56 years.
Mr Reti co-established Fuji Ryu Goshindon New Zealand in 1972 and was an instructor holding a black belt, before becoming Head of Style in 1994. He opened three clubs in the Christchurch region, teaching at Christchurch Arts Centre and the Open Polytechnic. Between 1972 and 2020, he has been promoted from 1st dan to 9th dan, which was awarded by the New Zealand Ju-Jitsu Federation in 2020. He is regarded as one of the first generation of Fuji Ryu members to be graded black belt in New Zealand and has led the organisation for more than 20 years. Several Canterbury Ju-Jitsu schools evolved out of Fuji Ryu Goshindo, with participants aged from seven to 70. He has graded many well-regarded Cantabrian Ju-Jitsu enthusiasts with eight martial arts clubs tracing their teaching back to him. He has trained more than 35 black belts across New Zealand. He has taught at national seminars since 2012 and provides tuition and examiner services to several clubs. Mr Reti was inducted into the New Zealand Martial Arts Hall of Fame and received an Outstanding Service Award by the New Zealand Ju-Jitsu Federation in 2013.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RILEY, Ms Alexandra Lowe (Ali)
For services to football
Ms Ali Riley is captain of the Football Ferns and is the second player to earn 150 caps for New Zealand.
Ms Riley represented New Zealand in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2006 and made her debut for the Football Ferns in 2007 against Australia. She has represented New Zealand across five World Cups and four Olympic Games, including the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, she captained New Zealand to the country’s first World Cup victory ever in the opening game against Norway. She has been central in efforts that secured improved conditions and prize money for players at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, leading a player engagement project involving 150 players from 25 national teams, the largest collective action undertaken by women’s footballers. She is a current Board member of the New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association, representing players’ interests and helping evolve the professional game nationally. She has played for several clubs across various countries since 2010 and received national and international Player of the Year awards. She has been captain of Angel City FC in the USA National Women’s Soccer League since 2022. Ms Riley published her first book, a cookbook titled ‘Girls Gone Veg’ in 2023.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SEFO, Lemalu Silao Vaisola
For services to Pacific health
Lemalu Silao Sefo has been Chief Executive of South Seas since 2016, having joined the Executive in 2013 from the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
Mr Sefo’s ability to gather wide support from the community and Government has enabled the expansion of support for the Pacific community during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the affected South Auckland Pacific community. He established the first Pacific Community Based Assessment Centre (CBAC) at Otara shopping centre, which included a permanent doctor to assist those without access to a GP. The Otara CBAC has since grown to include a COVID-19 testing station, food bank, and later a vaccination centre. He helped establish a Pacific Hub for Flood and Cyclone Relief, providing essential support to families who were impacted by the adverse weather events through food parcels, Pacific partners and services. Through South Seas, Mr Sefo helped establish an 0800 Helpline with operators fluent in Pacific languages to remove communication barriers for families needing support and advice.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SINCLAIR, Ms Susan Jane (Jane)
For services to art and education
Ms Jane Sinclair is a professional wildlife and landscape artist who has also taught painting for more than 30 years.
Ms Sinclair began painting architectural watercolours while studying architecture at the University of Auckland. She began exhibiting at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 1991, with her first solo show held there in 1995. Her teaching began at Inverlochy Art School from 1992 to 1995. She taught at several adult education and art centres in the Wairarapa from 1996, and has provided adult art education classes at the Masterton Art Club and private tuition in the Wairarapa region since 2010. She has exhibited at many art shows and galleries in both the Wairarapa region and nationally, including Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts for 20 years, which includes six solo exhibitions. Ms Sinclair served as President of the Masterton Art Club Inc from 2016 to 2018 and was the founding Chair of the ConArt Gallery and Studios Inc in Masterton from 2016 to 2021, an arts collective for Wairarapa artists to showcase their work and engage with visitors.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SINGH, Mr Prem
For services to multicultural communities
Mr Prem Singh has been an advocate for the integration of migrant communities and former refugees into New Zealand society for more than 30 years.
Mr Singh joined the Wellington Regional Multicultural Council and the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils (Multicultural New Zealand) in 1989. He has held several roles for both Councils including Secretary and President and is current Treasurer. During his tenure as President of Multicultural New Zealand, he oversaw the implementation of projects designed to develop youth leadership capability and to support women from ethnic backgrounds to build greater family and community connections in New Zealand. In 2018 he contributed to the development of Multicultural New Zealand’s Huarahi Hou strategy, created with the purpose to provide a pathway for multicultural communities to gain a greater understanding of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and contemporary Māori culture. He was a founding member of the Wellington Fiji Association and President for three years. Under his leadership, the association was the first community organisation to celebrate Diwali at Parliament. He has received numerous awards, including the Ann Dysart Distinguished Service Award for community service in 2022. During the COVID 19 pandemic, Mr Singh organised vaccination drives for vulnerable members of the community and coordinated fundraising initiatives and donations for those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SPARK, Mr Harold Edgar (Edgar)
For services to railway unions
Mr Edgar Spark was involved in the unionisation of New Zealand Railways for more than 60 years as an advocate for improved railway workers’ rights and employment conditions.
Mr Spark joined New Zealand Railways in 1959, holding numerous roles on the New Zealand Railways Appeals Board including Appellant Advocate and Salaried Division Representative. In 1983 he was appointed General Secretary of the Railway Officers Institute. During his tenure, he led talks to amalgamate three railway unions into the Combined Union of Railway Employees in 1991 and the subsequent merger of the National Union of Railwaymen and the Harbour Workers Union to form the Rail and Maritime Union in 1995. Following his retirement from paid employment, he established Glimmer Business Services, a consultancy firm which was instrumental in modernising railway union membership administration. He has been a member of the New Zealand Railways Superannuitants Association on a voluntary basis since 2000 and was President for 13 years. He was awarded life membership of the Railways Officer Institute in 1991 and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union Inc. in 1988, the New Zealand Railway Superannuitants’ Association in 2008 and the Government Superannuitants Association in 2012. Mr Spark has been a member of the New Zealand Railway Welfare Trust Board since 2011.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
STREET, The Honourable Maryan
For services as a Member of Parliament and to human and democratic rights
The Honourable Maryan Street has been a long-term advocate for human and democratic rights and was a List Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2014, holding Ministerial portfolios for ACC and Housing from 2007 to 2008.
Ms Street commenced her involvement with workers’ rights as a Post-Primary Teachers’ Association officeholder early in her teaching career and has had a longstanding involvement in women’s rights as a feminist activist. She has promoted LGBTQI+ rights, including lobbying for the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in 1985/1986, promoting the Marriage Equality Act, and co-chairing the Alliance of Gays and Straights in Nelson from 2007 to 2014, a group building a supportive network for students in the Nelson region. From 2011 to 2021 she was involved in organising, lobbying for and promoting the passage of the End of Life Choice Act. She was President of the End of Life Choice Society from 2016 to 2019. She was Labour Party President from 1993 to 1995, during which time she guided the Party through the move to the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. Ms Street has contributed to multiple Commonwealth Election Observation missions in various countries between 2007 and 2023, including assisting Lesotho in the development of an MMP system and observing Parliamentary and Presidential elections in the Maldives.
HONOURS
New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SUAALII-SAUNI, Dr Tamasailau
For services to education
Dr Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni is a Samoan academic who has contributed to the New Zealand academic and wider Pacific research and evaluation community since 1994.
Dr Suaalii-Sauni is currently an Associate Professor in the Criminology Programme at the University of Auckland. She has held lecturing and senior research fellow positions within the University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), Otago University and the Waitemata District Health Board. She has held a number of university leadership roles, including as Deputy Director of Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland from 2007 to 2008, Programme director of Samoan Studies at VUW from 2014 to 2016, and Major Specialisation Leader in Criminology at the University of Auckland in 2023. She currently serves as a Commissioner in the New Zealand Criminal Cases Review Commission, as a kaitakawaenga for and member of the Pacific Reference Group of the New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, and as a member of the Peter McKenzie Project Committee of the JR McKenzie Trust. Dr Suaalii-Sauni has published widely in the areas of Pacific Indigenous research methodologies, Pacific cultural frameworks, Pacific mental health and addictions models, Pacific sexual violence research, Pacific jurisprudence, Pacific custom, and Pacific youth justice.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SUE, Mrs Yvonne Lenette (Bonnie)
For services to health and Māori
Mrs Bonnie Sue has advocated for the health of communities in the Whanganui region for more than 25 years, particularly hapori Māori.
Mrs Sue was one of three volunteers who formed the Ngāti Rangi Community Health Centre Inc (NRCHC) in 1996, an organisation she went on to manage until 2020. The NRCHC was a Whānau Ora organisation, supporting residents in the Waimarino, Ōhakune, Raetihi and Waiōuru areas, providing free services and health information, and addressing the clinical and cultural needs of whānau. It also delivered Well Child Tamariki Ora and kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services. Under her leadership, the NRCHC became one of the first health providers to receive Te Wana: Quality Accreditation, demonstrating a consistent, high level of quality across services. While adhering to tikanga Māori, she helped improve access to life-saving medical equipment, coordinate community health initiatives, and organise fitness/dance classes. Her responsiveness to the community also led her to organise Christmas meals for kaumatua. Before her retirement, Mrs Sue initiated the merging of the NRCHC and Ngā Waihua o Paerangi Trust into one, integrated hauora Māori wellness centre for the community.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
TALBOT, Ms Joyce Alma
For services to sailing administration
Ms Joyce Talbot has dedicated more than 30 years to the New Zealand Classic Yacht Association (CYANZ), Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta Executive, Coastal Classic Race organisation and New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club.
Ms Talbot has engaged with multiple yachting organisations to grow the sport for youth and adults, while helping maintain New Zealand’s heritage sailing fleet. She has been a go-to person for organising yachting events in Auckland, coordinating officials, equipment and other resources efficiently and within budget, working well beyond the hours she is remunerated for across her roles with these organisations. Since 2005, she has been Executive Officer coordinating the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, involving numerous fleets, multiple yacht classes, various clubs and Waka Ama groups, and liaising with harbour, Police and Navy authorities. She has supported the collection of pre-1945 vessels in the CYANZ yacht fleet, now more than 200, the largest collection of classic wooden boats internationally. She initially became involved with CYANZ in 1999 with the Millennium Cup Classic Yacht Regatta and has been Secretary/Treasurer from 2000 to 2012 and then 2016 to 2023. She helped grow the Coastal Classic Race as organiser between 1992 and 2002. Ms Talbot has been Secretary/Assistant Treasurer to the New Zealand Sailing Foundation since 2012, helping fund amateur sailors to compete in international competitions.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
UNDERHILL, Professor Yvonne Jasmine Te Ruki Rangi o Tangaroa
For services to tertiary education and Pacific development
Professor Yvonne Underhill is a Pacific development geographer, undertaking research and teaching Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, and was Director of Development Studies from 2007 to 2014.
Professor Underhill served as Deputy Chair of the Inaugural Pacific Performance Based Review Fund (PBRF) Panel from 2015 to 2018, and was appointed inaugural Deputy Moderator (Pacific) for PBRF 2026. Since 2016 she has led the establishment of ‘Tok Save’, the Pacific Gender Research Portal Reference Group, initially with the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University and now with SPC (The Pacific Community). She served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Research Group for Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development between 2017 and 2019. Since 2020 she has contributed to the establishment of the Pacific Feminist Fund, an innovative investment and grant-making initiative to address gender inequality in the Pacific. Professor Underhill has contributed to the establishment of Oxfam in the Pacific since 2015.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
URALE, Ms Makerita (Vaosa ole Tagaloa Makerita Urale)
For services to Pacific arts
Vaosa ole Tagaloa Makerita Urale has worked as a writer, documentary director and arts producer in New Zealand and internationally for more than 20 years.
Ms Urale’s play ‘Frangipani Perfume’ (1998) was the first Pacific play written by a woman with an all-female cast and was listed in the Top 10 Plays of the Decade by the New Zealand Listener. This play became a key text in theatre studies and toured nationally and internationally to Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. She directed ‘Children of the Revolution’, a political documentary which explored the 1970s and 1980s protest movement, following six key activists and their children. This documentary won the Best Māori Programme at the 2008 Qantas Awards. She directed and produced ‘Savage Symbols’ (2002), which looked at the traditional art of Samoan tattooing (pe’a) for men. A Fulbright New Zealand alumni, Ms Urale led the development of Creative New Zealand’s inaugural Pacific Arts Strategy.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WAIPARA, Mr Tama-o-Rangi (Tama)
For services to Māori music
Mr Tama Waipara (Ngāti Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou) is a cultural arts advocate, composer and performer and has been the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival since founding it in 2019.
Mr Waipara has been influencing the development of Māori music and young musicians through actively showcasing Māori musicians locally and internationally, particularly through Festivals such as Auckland Arts where he was Creative Associate. He is a Waiata Māori Music Awards Ambassador and has advocated for equitable Māori representation at the former Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards since 2015. He has been a member of Pūatatangi, the national committee of Māori musicians and has been supporting rangatahi in New Zealand through the ‘Pao! Pao! Pao! Tuakana-Teina Mentoring programme’. He is Deputy Chair of Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust and a Board Member of Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum. He composed the soundtrack for ‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised The Screen’ and the feature film ‘Mahana’. Mr Waipara received the Best Roots Album award for his album ‘Fill up the Silence’ at the 2014 New Zealand Music Awards.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WEST, Mr David John
For services to community development
Mr David West drove the development of Lake Hood and Aquatic Park near Ashburton for the benefit of the local community and national sport.
Mr West’s involvement with the Lake Hood development began in 1989 when he joined the Ashburton Aquatic Park Society. For 33 years he has served as a Committee Member and Chair of the Executive Committee and its successor, the Ashburton Aquatic Park Charitable Trust. Under his leadership the Trust opened Lake Hood in 2002, transforming marginal farmland into one of New Zealand’s largest man-made lakes along with wetlands, 350 houses, lifestyle blocks, walking tracks and a popular restaurant. He played a key role in working bees, concept meetings, resource consent hearings, publicity, fundraising drives and consultation with local body representatives. In 2010 he oversaw the transferral of Lake Hood to the Ashburton District Council, ensuring the lake stayed as a public amenity while bringing economic benefits to the local community. The lake hosts recreational and competitive rowing, water skiing and sailing events, along with water safety programmes for school children. In 2005 Mr West received the District of Ashburton Civic Award for Outstanding Community Service.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILSON, Mrs Diane Christine
For services to the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association
Mrs Diane Wilson (Maniapoto) has volunteered to support returned service personnel and their families for more than 45 years.
Mrs Wilson joined the New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association in 1976 through Ashhurst RSA and has since volunteered on committees and in officer positions simultaneously at local, district and national levels. She has served as President of three local RSA women’s sections, and District President of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty District Women’s Section. She has been involved in organising commemorative events and annual Poppy Day fundraisers. As Taupō RSA Women’s Section President since 2011, she has been proactive in ensuring that widows of former service personnel receive the assistance they require, often conducting welfare checks herself. When Taupō RSA was forced to close in 2017 due to financial difficulties, she joined the executive committee until 2022 to help transition Taupō RSA’s focus from a social club to support services, ensuring local veterans could continue to receive assistance. She has been a member of the RSA’s National Women’s Association since its formation in 2006, including as its National President since 2018, helping to coordinate local and district women’s sections, provide guidance, and representation at the national level. A strong advocate for the purple poppy, Mrs Wilson helps run the New Zealand Service Animals and Memorials welfare fund.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILSON, Senior Sergeant Karl Edwin Rostance
For services to the New Zealand Police, disaster victim identification and Search and Rescue
Senior Sergeant Karl Wilson leads the Forensic Imaging unit for the New Zealand Police in Auckland, having joined the Photography section in 1998 and since specialising in the field.
Senior Sergeant Wilson has been a member of the National Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team. He has responded to significant disaster sites including tsunamis in 2004 and 2009, Australian Bush Fires, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Malaysian Airline MH17 plane crash, and the 2019 Christchurch terror attack. He has developed national systems to record the last remains of the deceased and ensure the imagery is preserved and stored with integrity. He has delivered DVI training for Police and the New Zealand Defence Force. He was Forensic Imaging Consultant to the Pike River Re-entry. He worked with mining engineers to train and equip them to take high quality photographs in potentially explosive atmospheres. He developed new techniques to capture footage inside the mine workings where manned entry was impossible. He provided leadership for the scene and search phase following the 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption. He has been a member of Police Search and Rescue for 20 years and as an incident controller he has coordinated hundreds of successful rescues. Senior Sergeant Wilson developed Digital Search Management in Auckland and GPS track logging of teams in search areas.
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOOD, Mr Lindsay Macdonald
For services to environmental sustainability and climate change awareness
Mr Lindsay Wood is an advocate and campaigner for greater awareness of climate change and environmental sustainability on a regional and national level.
Mr Wood founded WoodCo Architects in 1976. He was the Managing Director of Harbour Homes Ltd. for nine years and held several educational leadership roles from 1977 to 2004, including UNITEC Acting Head of School of Architecture. Since 2015, he has been the Executive Director of Resilienz Ltd., a climate strategy company that undertakes extensive pro bono work including the development of low carbon construction systems and research into low-emission transport. He has propelled Nelson City Council toward mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change and, in 2019, played key roles in Nelson’s declaration of a climate emergency and in securing council funding to implement the council’s climate action plan, including the establishment of the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum. He has been involved in sustainable transport for many years, advocating for climate-responsible travel and expanded public transport in the Nelson-Tasman region. He has given public talks, hosted seminars and workshops about climate change at regional and national level, and has written widely about climate change for mainstream media and in submissions to government. Mr Wood writes ‘Climate Matters’, a newsletter published fortnightly since 2018 and broadcast weekly since 2021.
To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
KAŞDEMIR, Mr İsmail
For services to New Zealand-Türkiye relations
Mr İsmail Kaşdemir served as a Deputy of Çanakkale in the 24th term of the Turkish parliament between 2011 and 2015 and served as a member of the Presidency Council of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Mr Kaşdemir has been the Director of the Gallipoli Historic Site within the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism since 2016. He is the senior Turkish official responsible for the preservation and care of the Gallipoli Historic Site, where the New Zealand and Commonwealth War Graves are located, maintenance of safe access to the Gallipoli sites of national significance to New Zealand, and arrangement of the Turkish government’s contributions to the annual Anzac Day commemorations. Mr Kaşdemir has contributed to strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye and New Zealand.