New Year Honours 2016: Business, media and sporting join NZ Order of Merit

Dozens of people prominent in business, media and sport – and sometimes all of them – have been recognised in the New Year Honours. The higher honours are named as Officers, while others are Members, of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Other non-military honours are Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for the judiary and public servants, and the Queen's Service Medal for community work.

Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) include:

Business/industry
Jim Barker – chairman of the Barker Group, one of the country’s biggest locally owned and operated freight transport companies. Established Otorohanga Transport in 1963 and a founder of Strait Shipping, which operates the Blue Bridge passenger ferry service across Cook Strait. A significant donor to the Neurological Foundation, the Child Cancer Foundation, CCS Disability Action and the Kaipupu Sanctuary.

David Civil – pioneered a solution for using dairy by-products as a fertiliser replacement to tackle the environmental issues surrounding the disposal of whey waste. His company, Civil Whey Distributors, is now the industry’s largest disposal business,

Neil Craig – founder of sharebroker Craig Investment Partners, chairman of Comvita and backer of Priority One, Tauranga’s economic development agnency and investment group Enterprise Angels. A board member of Cricket New Zealand. trustee of Waipuna Hospice and an adviser to the philanthropic Acorn Foundation.

Rob Davison – a contributor to the sheep and beef industry for 40 years, including chief economist and executive director of the New Zealand Meat and Wool Board’s Economic Service, which he joined in 1973.

Roger France – a director and chairman of blue chip companies such as Air New Zealand, Fonterra, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Orion Health and Southern Cross Medical Care Society. From 1993-2000, a director of Team New Zealand during the America’s Cup challenge and defence under Sir Peter Blake. Chancellor of the University of Auckland from 2009-12 and a current trustee of the University of Auckland Foundation and the Dilworth Trust Board.

Kevin Hickman – co-founder of the Ryman Healthcare Group, joint managing director from 1984-2002 and sole managing director until 2006. Charitable activities include the Christchurch Medical Research Fund. An athletics coach for 25 years, he is also heavily involved in the racing industry.

Andrew McEwen – involved with the forestry since the 1960s, including the Forest Research Institute and the Forestry Corporation during its corporatisation and sale. President of the NZ Institute of Forestry from 2008-14and current chairman the NZ Institute of Forestry Foundation,

David Walker – deputy secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Lead negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation until 2011

John Waller – Insolvency specialist who managed the Chase Corporation and DFC bankruptcies. Also chairman of the Eden Park Redevopment Board for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and fundraiser for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand’s Shave for a Cure campaign

Media
Wellington-based journalist John Armstrong – The New Zealand Herald’s chief political correspondent for 30 years until his recent retirement. Started his career with the Christchurch Star in 1981 before moving to the Press Gallery. Joined the Herald in 1987.

Radio Broadcasters Association chief executive Bill Francis – in a career lasting 51 years, he ran the Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport networks for nearly 20 years. He has been a director of New Zealand Cricket and Auckland Cricket and is a trustee of the Auckland Cricket Development Fund. Author of nine books on cricket, sport and the media.

Oral historian Jane Tolerton – co-founded the World War I Oral History Archive in 1987, author of An Awfully Big Adventure and a biography of wartime nurse Ettie Rout

Arts/business/community
Victoria Carter – former Auckland City Councillor and chairwoman of the Auckland Arts Festival since 1999. Also deputy chairwoman of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and a director of the Auckland Racing Club from 2006-14. Business interests include director of Tax Management New Zealand and co-founder of Cityhop, President of Auckland Kindergarten Association for 10 years a director of KidiCorp Childcare from 2005-12. Patron of the Christie Marceau Charitable Trust,

Sport/racing
Brian Anderton – a jockey, trainer, breeder and administrator in the thoroughbred racing industry as for more than 60 years. He won 398 races as a jockey and has trained over 1,300 winners, Life member of the Otago Racing Club.

Stephen Boock – had a 17-year first class cricket career and one of only six New Zealanders to have taken more than 600 first-class wickets. Heavily involved in cricket administration and the Special Olympics. Former Dunedin City Councillor, chairman of the NZ Foundation for the Blind’s Life Without Sight appeal and chairman of Otago Life Education Trust. 

Dan Carter – first played for the All Blacks in 2003 and became the most capped All Blacks first five-eighth in 2012. A member of four World Cup teams. Highest scorer in test rugby history with1598 points.

Gilbert Enoka – a member of the All Blacks management team since 2000 in his role as mental skills coach and assistant manager.

John McDonnell – a cycling administrator since the late 1960s and who has officiated at 99 international events

Phillip Shatford – a voluntary boxing coach for more than 30 years in Christchurch and from out of his own boxing gym Riverside Boxing Club since 1998.

Waimarama Taumaunu ¬ captain of netball’s Silver Ferns from 1989-91, assistant coach in 1998 and again from 2008, later becoming head coach in 2011 until her retirement this year.

Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
These are too numerous to profile here (see the full list) but they include four members of the victorious All Blacks World Cup squad, Keven Mealamu, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Tony Woodcock; sports broadcaster John McBeth, accountants Peter Hays and Tim Livingstone, ceramic artist Peter Lange, innovator Jonathan Kirk, Ecostore founder Malcolm Rands and Yellow Brick Road founder Rachel Taulelei;, Pike River families campaigners Bernie Monk and Colin Smith; and former foreign correspondent, radio news chief and Kapiti community leader Chris Turner.

Japanese businessman Eichi Ishii, chairman of the Tokyo-based Too Corporation and main developer of the Millbrook resort and gold course near Queenstown, has been made an honorary member of the ONZM.

Companions of the Queen's Service Order (QSO)
District Court Judge Les Atkins, QC, who retired this after 18 years on the Bench; Sandi Beatie, deputy State Services Commissioner from 2013-15; retiring NZ Transport Agency chief executive Geoff Dangerfield, who was also a former chief executive of the Ministry of Economic Development (now MBIE), Heta Hingston, a former judge of the Cook Islands High Court and Court of Appeal, Chief Justice of the High Court of Niue as well as a former judge of the Maori Land Court; District Court Judge David Holderness, who retired in 2013; and District Court Judge John Strettell, who served for 24 years.

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