Last updated:
Monday, 31 December 2018
To be a Companion of the said Order:
BODGER, Ms Eleanor Anne
For services to seniors
Mrs Eleanor Bodger co-established Eldernet in 1997, an online database and directory of services for older people, their families, and those working in the aged-care sector.
Eldernet provides directories of rest home and retirement villages, home help services, and lifestyle information broadly covering travel, technology, and financial assistance. Eldernet’s industry blog and newsletter links readers to news, events, and insights affecting health, retirement and aged-care choices, while encouraging participation in local communities. In 2007 Mrs Bodger purchased Care Publications and published a series of handbooks ‘Where from Here’ for older people preferring to receive information in printed form, which are available in five regionalised editions and updated every 20 months. Eldernet and Care Publication’s information services are available free of charge to ensure older people have access to the information they need. Following the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes Eldernet commissioned a report into the aged-care sector response to the emergency. She helped establish the Linwood Community Resource Centre and co-created the annual LYFE (Linwood Youth Festival Experience), a not-for-profit event celebrating youth diversity, achievement and pride within the Linwood community. She is a volunteer with the New Brighton Pier and Foreshore Society Association. Mrs Bodger is a panel member of ACC’s Customer Advisory Panel for Older People.
To be a Companion of the said Order:
DUNNE, Mr Martin John (Martyn), CNZM
For services to the State
Mr Martyn Dunne was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2000 for his service in East Timor with the New Zealand Army.
From 2004 to 2011 Mr Dunne was the Comptroller of Customs and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service. During this time he oversaw the initiation and implementation of Free Trade Agreement negotiations regarding Customs aspects, the launch of the new Joint Border Management System by the Joint Border Agreement Group, and the creation of the Intelligence, Targeting and Operations Centre. He was appointed as Chair of the World Customs Organisation from 2009 to 2011. As New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia from 2011 to 2013, during which time he facilitated various trade negotiations, including a position allowing New Zealand apples to be sold in Australia. From 2013 to 2018 he was Director-General for Primary Industries, during which time he led the Ministry for Primary Industries through the process of modernising and integrating the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Fisheries, and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. He introduced and embedded MPI’s new strategy of Growing and Protecting New Zealand. As Director-General of MPI Mr Dunne chaired the Border Sector Governance Group.
HONOURS
Additional Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday 2000
To be a Companion of the said Order:
FAULKNER, Ms Sonia Ann
For services to Girl Guiding
Mrs Sonia Faulkner has been a leader in the New Zealand Girl Guiding movement since 1968.
Mrs Faulkner has led Guiding units for all ages for more than 47 years, working initially with girls in Northland, Auckland and Reporoa, and since 1990 training adults assessing and mentoring new leaders in Guiding. In 1994 she was appointed as the National Guide Adviser, responsible for supporting the programme for Guiding activities in New Zealand. Under her leadership the programme and the associated resources were completely revised. She became National President of New Zealand Girl Guiding in 2010. In this role she led the response to the destruction of their national offices following the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. As President she has created opportunities for young leaders to mobilise, engage, lead in their own way and have a voice in running Guiding at a local and national level. This culminated in the launch in 2016 of a new programme to position the organisation for another 100 years of growth and maintain relevance for the girls of today and tomorrow. Mrs Faulkner has been involved in the Zonta Club of South Auckland since 2005, serving a term as club President, during which she encouraged support for two teen parenting units in South Auckland schools, a relationship which continues today.
To be a Companion of the said Order:
MACDONALD, Mr Colin Archibald
For services to the State
Mr Colin MacDonald has contributed to New Zealand’s public service in critical system roles for 17 years and was Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) from 2012 to 2018.
Mr MacDonald was appointed Government Chief Information Officer in 2012 and DIA assumed responsibility for functional leadership of Government information communication technology. He has led the transformation of government’s approach to ICT systems and citizen-centric services. Sixty percent of the most common transactions with government are now completed digitally, from a base figure of thirty percent in June 2012. He has progressed service innovations such as SmartStart for the birth of a child and 100 percent online passport services. He led New Zealand’s involvement as a founding member of Digital 7, a cluster of countries advanced in digital government, and has represented New Zealand at the officials’ level. He overseen several machinery of government changes including the integration of the functions of the National Library and Archives New Zealand into DIA, and the establishment of Fire and Emergency New Zealand in 2017. He led the creation of He Tohu in 2017, undertaking careful planning and strong partnerships with Iwi to relocate the country’s most iconic constitutional document. Previously as Deputy Commissioner at Inland Revenue Mr MacDonald was responsible for the implementation of KiwiSaver.
