Last updated:
Friday, 31 December 2021
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROUGHTON, Mr Peter David (Rāwiri Paratene), ONZM
For services to Māori, film and theatre
Mr Rāwiri Paratene is an acclaimed actor, writer and director for stage and screen, who has been active over five decades and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 for his contributions.
Mr Paratene has been a long-time advocate for the use of te reo Māori and is a member of the Ngā Tamatoa movement campaigning for the teaching of Māori in schools, having founded the Wellington branch. He has directed on language learning shows ‘Kōrero Mai’ and ‘Whānau’. He is a Trustee of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium and of Te Paepae Ataata, which funds the development of Māori cinema. He returned after a number of years off screen in the 2019 Cook Islands feature ‘Stranded Pearl’ and television comedy series ‘Golden Boy’. Mr Paratene’s most recent live performance was ‘Peter Paka Paratene’ in 2021 at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland and the Kia Mau Festival in Wellington.
HONOURS
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2013
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRUNSDON, Mr David Ronald
For services to engineering and emergency management
Mr David Brunsdon has been active with Engineering New Zealand and the emergency management community in improving New Zealand’s resilience to natural disasters.
Mr Brunsdon has led many initiatives for the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) and the Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand (SESOC), including the development of technical guidance and regulatory provisions for the seismic assessment of existing buildings. He led the development and implementation of national procedures for managing buildings in an emergency, which have been applied following various natural disasters since 2007, several under his operational leadership. He played a key role during the development of New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue capability and was the USAR engineering leader following the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes. He was pivotal in the development of lifelines engineering in New Zealand, including the recognition of interdependent infrastructure such as water, energy, transport and communications in New Zealand’s statutes. He led the Wellington Lifelines Group from 1993 to 2012 and helped establish Lifelines Groups in all other regions of New Zealand. He chaired the New Zealand Lifelines Council from 1999 to 2016 and continues as Principal Advisor. Mr Brunsdon has maintained a strong link with the research sector through various project roles and authoring of papers.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BUTLER, Professor Philip Howard (Phil)
For services to science, education and health
Professor Phil Butler has contributed more than 50 years to science, education, health and business in New Zealand and internationally, spending most of his career with the Physics Department of the University of Canterbury.
Professor Butler has led the New Zealand team engaged with ground-breaking particle physics research at CERN through the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. He has worked collaboratively since 2005 on the company MARS Bioimaging Ltd, applying CERN’s Medipix detector technology to create a colour x-ray scanner for human medical imaging. He has had significant input with CERN into the design of the next generation Medipix chip. His efforts have strengthened New Zealand’s scientific reputation and relationships internationally. He wrote a textbook on his PhD research interest, Racah’s algebra of many particle systems, to make the subject more accessible to researchers in other disciplines, which has been applied practically by physics and chemistry researchers for more than 40 years. He led his company Medical Laster Developments in the invention of a copper vapour laser for treatment of port wine stain birthmarks in the 1980s, which remained the state-of-the-art treatment for 20 years. He co-founded the National Science Technology Roadshow Trust and the Science Alive Charitable Trust in 1991, both promoting learning and careers in science and technology. Professor Butler helped establish the Tekapo Dark Sky Reserve.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DUNBIER, Dr Michael William
For services to agricultural science
Dr Michael Dunbier has been a leading figure in plant breeding and agricultural science in New Zealand.
Dr Dunbier was Director of DSIR Crop Research from 1983 to 1992 before being appointed as the foundation CEO of the New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Ltd until 2001. He has had a lead role in shaping much of the development of research in New Zealand’s arable vegetable, floriculture and food industries. His contributions have led the scientific community to develop a range of new crops and improved varieties with desirable traits such as improved disease resistance and requiring fewer external inputs. He was the first overseas Board member of the Australian Grain Research Development Corporation and played a key role in major joint Australasian research projects with Crop and Food such as Quality Wheat Cooperative Research Centre, ‘Vital Veges’ and ‘HRZ Wheat’. He was an initial Board member of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and Chairman of the Arable Food Industry Council. Since 2001 Dr Dunbier has continued involvement in research through governance roles including with Dairy InSight, AgResearch, SunPrime Seeds, Pastoral Genomics, the Foundation for Arable Research, the Centre of Research Excellence in Bio-Protection at Lincoln University, and Food Standards New Zealand.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
FOX, Mr Rodger Denis, ONZM
For services to music
Mr Rodger Fox is a leading jazz trombonist, big band leader, jazz educator, arranger, producer, musical director and lecturer.
Mr Fox established New Zealand’s pre-eminent big band, the Rodger Fox Big Band. He has been an active performer to the present day, with a broad range of nationally and internationally renowned names from the jazz and entertainment worlds. He has performed concerts in the United States, London, Singapore, Australia and Poland, at numerous music festivals including hallmarks Monterey and Montreux, and iconic venues such as Ronnie Scotts and the Sydney Basement Club. He has recorded 44 albums over the course of his career. His work has seen him awarded the New Zealand Jazz Recording of the Year five times. He has been artistic director of the Queen’s Birthday Jazz Festival since 2006, the 3-day Napier Jazz Festival since 2014, and the 10-day Manawatu International Jazz and Blues Festival since 2000. He has organised the judging panel and test music for Tauranga Jazz Festival since 2006. He is a key driver of jazz nationally, making significant contributions to encourage young people, touring the country to deliver workshops and promote music. He has delivered numerous international workshops and masterclasses. Mr Fox was senior tutor at Massey University from 2000 to 2011 and senior lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington from 2011.
HONOURS
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday 2003
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAWKE, Dr Michèle Margaret
For services to gymnastics
Dr Michèle Hawke has been committed to gymnastics nationally and internationally for nearly 50 years.
Dr Hawke gained her Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) international brevet judging qualification for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) in 1980 and has judged at World Championships, Pacific Rim Championships, Junior Commonwealth Cup and Australian Youth Olympics. She was New Zealand WAG National Technical Committee Chairperson for the periods 1981 to 1984 and 1994 to 2001, and was reappointed in 2018. Between 2001 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 she held the positions of Coaching Liaison and Judging Liaison on the committee. She has been an international Tour Team Official covering judging, coaching and team management for 18 Gymnastics New Zealand (GNZ) tours, including to Australia, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Since 1980 she has been a GNZ Coaching and Judging course presenter. In 1982 she established the New Zealand Junior Development Training Squad with squad members going on to represent New Zealand at the 1987 and 1989 World Championships and 1990 Commonwealth Games. She oversaw the review and upgrade of the WAG STEPs programme in 2016, which has resulted in increased participation and performance standards. Dr Hawke has been a Board member of the Christchurch School of Gymnastics for 20 years, undertaking judge education and mentoring for the club.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAYNE, Professor Harlene, ONZM
For services to health and wellbeing
Professor Harlene Hayne is an academic recognised for her research in memory development and adolescent risk-taking, becoming the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago in 2011.
Professor Hayne formerly chaired Universities New Zealand, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, and the Universities New Zealand Research Committee. She was President of the International Society of Developmental Psychobiology in 2010, having been a Board member since 2001. She co-chaired the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee on Reducing Social and Psychological Morbidity during Adolescence, was a member of the Innovation Board of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (now MBIE), and a member of the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Treasury. She is an Associate Editor of Memory, and serves on the Editorial Boards of Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Infant Behavior and Development, and Developmental Psychobiology. She chaired Fulbright New Zealand from 2013 to 2019. With ten years as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago, she has showed commitment in the promotion of the health, wellbeing and safety of students. Following the tragic death of a student in 2019, Professor Hayne worked with the University’s Student Association, Dunedin City Council, Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and the Otago Property Investors Association to establish the Sophia Charter in 2020 to enhance student wellbeing and safety in North Dunedin.
HONOURS
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2009
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LAKE, Mrs Helen Christine (Christine)
For services to Plunket
Mrs Christine Lake was inaugural Chairperson of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust from November 2017 to 2020, leading the organisation during a time of significant change with a particular focus on pro-equity and a re-branding to Whānau Āwhina Plunket in 2020.
Mrs Lake was elected to Plunket’s National Board in 2010 and was soon appointed to the Risk, Audit and Assurance Committee. She was elected Deputy President of the Board in 2014 and became Acting President in 2016. She led the Board through the recruitment of a new Chief Executive and navigated the organisation through the transition from the federated structure to a single Charitable Trust in 2017. This involved meeting with the Area Societies across the country to seek consensus on the proposed governance structure, and in late 2016, the membership approved the governance changes. She initially joined the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society in 2000 and was Treasurer of Fendalton sub-branch, then President of the North West Christchurch branch. She was elected President of the Canterbury Area Society in 2005 and led the new build project to create the Canterbury Plunket Centre in Twigger Street in 2008. Mrs Lake strongly advocated for the introduction of Plunket’s electronic health record, a leading-edge IT project, used daily by Whānau Āwhina Plunket nurses.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LORIGAN, Dr Geoffrey Bevan (Geoff)
For services to business and leadership development
Dr Geoff Lorigan is founder and director of the Institute for Strategic Leadership, a world-class provider of leadership development programmes.
In 1979 Dr Lorigan began his CEO career by transforming Canterbury Dairy Farmers, a commodity milk company, into South Island Dairy Farmers, a nationwide provider of consumer foods and beverages. In the United Kingdom he led Associated New Zealand Farmers Ltd. to become the largest and most profitable New Zealand importer group, increasing its market share of the New Zealand Lamb market from 13 percent to 55 percent. He chaired the New Zealand Lamb Promotional Council, enhancing the reputation of New Zealand’s primary exports in the UK in the 1980s. He returned to New Zealand to begin a career enabling other leaders to succeed across the public, private, and not for profit sectors. He was Professor of Strategy and directed the MBA and Executive Programmes at University of Otago from 1996. In 2001 he was appointed Professor of Strategy, Director of MBA and Executive Programmes, and Associate Dean for the development of the Business School at the University of Auckland. He subsequently founded the Institute for Strategic Leadership in 2001. The Strategic Leadership Programme now numbers many international company leaders amongst its 2,200 alumni. In 2008 Dr Lorigan developed Smart Leader Diagnostics, which provides evidenced-based team leadership tools for monitoring organisational performance.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MIDDLETON, Professor Emeritus Stuart Alan, ONZM, JP
For services to education
Professor Emeritus Stuart Middleton has contributed to secondary and tertiary education for more than 45 years.
Professor Middleton became Head of the Centre for Studies in Multiple Pathways at the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010. He was instrumental in the development of the Tertiary High School to lift barriers to higher education, which opened at the MIT Otara campus in 2010. Around 2,000 students have since attended, with high NCEA pass rates at levels 1, 2 and 3. He has been significantly involved in Pasifika development programmes via MIT, including a special curriculum for school leavers in Tonga in 2013/2014. He chaired the establishment committee of the Auckland Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative (MPTT) from 2014 to 2017. He has worked with IBM to introduce P-Tech to New Zealand, aimed at getting more Māori and Pacific learners into the technology sector, which launched at MIT in 2020. He chaired the Community Education Trust Auckland (COMET) through its transition from a council-controlled organisation from 2010 to 2014. He has been on the Board of Te Aho o Te Kura since 2014 and served on several government advisory groups since 2010. Professor Middleton Co-Chaired the Youth Guarantee Advisory Group from 2010 to 2012 to support disengaged young persons to gain NCEA Level 2 and prepare them for further education.
HONOURS
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday 2010
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RICHARDSON, Mr Neil Andrew
For services to business and philanthropy
Mr Neil Richardson has contributed to business leadership and enterprise governance in New Zealand, particularly in the Waikato region over the past 30 years.
Mr Richardson was independent Chair of the Kiwifruit Industry Strategy Project (KISP) from 2013 to 2015, facilitating consensus on major industry reforms. He is a member of Te Puna Whakaaronui Thought Leaders Forum and on the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Advisors Board. He chaired AgResearch from 1994 to 1999, overseeing its transition into a standalone Crown entity. He chaired the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology from 1999 to 2004 and is a past Director of WEL Energy. He was Group Managing Director of the Gallagher Group from 1990 to 1996. He co-owned and chaired New Zealand Home Loans from 2003 to 2017 and negotiated its sale to Kiwibank. He is active philanthropically, has had a long involvement with the not-for-profit sector, and has been a long-term investor, director and mentor to entrepreneurs in the technology/start-up sector. He is Chair of Momentum Foundation Waikato, a Trustee of Te Awa River Ride Trust, and was Chair and funder of Child Matters until stepping down in 2017. Mr Richardson is an Adjunct Professor at Waikato Management School, is past Chair of its Advisory Board and Chair on the University of Waikato Fundraising Committee for building the Performing Arts Centre.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROSSER, Mr John David
For services to choral music
Mr John Rosser has been involved with choral music nationally and internationally as a singer, conductor, artistic director and governor since 1979.
Mr Rosser founded chamber choir Viva Voce in 1985 and remains its conductor. He was Associate Conductor and Chorus Director for New Zealand Opera and its predecessor between 1996 and 2018, preparing more than 60 operas and conducting five. He chaired the New Zealand Choral Federation (NZCF) for ten years between 2006 and 2020, as well as holding Vice Chair and Board member positions. Through NZCF he has contributed to numerous events and projects including as National Director and adjudicator of the annual Big Sing secondary schools’ choral festival, which now attracts more than 10,000 students nationwide. He devised and was Artistic Director of the Anthems Project at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, conducting at 13 games including the final. He organised the Tallis Project in 2013 in conjunction with renowned British ensemble The Tallis Scholars. He has contributed to NZCF’s reputation and strength, enabling them to prepare to host the World Symposium on Choral Music in 2020, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Rosser was appointed to the Board of the International Federation for Choral Music in 2020.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROYAL TANGAERE, Dr Arapera
For services to Māori and education
Dr Arapera Royal Tangaere has been championing Māori education and early childhood education for more than 40 years.
Dr Royal Tangaere has been the voice of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust since 1982. As a National Advisor and Manager with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust for 26 years, she has enhanced learning for children, providing quality oversight of both the curriculum and teaching qualifications. With the Trust she has been instrumental in the growth of the Te Kōhanga Reo movement, the total immersion in Māori language and values for preschool children, from fewer than ten early childhood centres in 1982 to more than 463 across New Zealand and Australia today. She has helped the Trust work with the Ministry of Education, without compromising the kaupapa of Te Kōhanga Reo. She has been a key contributor to the Te Kōhanga Reo curriculum, with some South Pacific nations adopting the curriculum model and other international representatives visiting to learn more. As a Representative of the Trust, Dr Royal Tangaere has been appointed to various government early childhood education working groups to encourage all families to utilise Te Kōhanga Reo.
To be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SOPOAGA, Faumuina Professor Fa'afetai
For services to Pacific health and tertiary education
Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga has championed medical and public health education for Pacific communities since the 1990s.
Professor Sopoaga was the inaugural Pacific Associate Dean, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago between 2009 and 2020. She led the development of the Division of Health Sciences’ first strategic plan 2011-2015 and contributed to the University’s Pacific Strategic Plan 2013-2020. She advocated for the establishment of additional senior Pacific leadership roles in Health Sciences. There are seven new Pacific Associate Dean roles today. She led the development of several evidence-based programmes including the Pacific Opportunities and Programmes at Otago (POPO) in 2011, which saw a shift in performance and success of Pacific students in health professional and biomedical sciences programmes. She led the establishment of the Division of Health Sciences Pacific Reference and Strategic Groups from 2013 to 2018, engaging Otago University leaders with Pacific leaders throughout New Zealand and the Pacific region. She has supported developments for medical schools within the Fiji National University medical school programme and the National University of Samoa. As Director of Va’a o Tautai Centre for Pacific Health, led the mobilisation of Samoa Doctors Worldwide volunteers to support relief efforts for Samoa’s 2019/2020 measles epidemic. Professor Sopoaga was the first female medical doctor of Pacific descent in Australasia to become a Professor in 2020.
