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This year’s Hastings Civic Honours Awards were held last week [Thursday, August 15] to recognise individuals and groups in the community who have made a positive difference to the lives of others.
Held annually for more than 30 years, the awards are an opportunity to highlight people’s efforts that may normally go unnoticed by the wider community, and this year’s awards were extended to include a special category recognising those involved in the response to and recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the cyclone highlighted the importance of community, especially in times of crisis, and thanked all the recipients for their service to the community.
“From volunteer firefighters to passionate community advocates supporting everyone from young people to seniors, to people who tirelessly helped in the clean-up after the cyclone, all our recipients demonstrated exemplary community spirit.
“These awards are a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the people who through their leadership, commitment and dedication to others and our environment inspire us all; they make a significant and immensely positive difference to the wellbeing of our beautiful Hastings district.”
This year’s recipients are:
Jarnail Singh – A respected leader in his community, Jarnail Singh is passionately dedicated, giving his time and expertise to a wide range of voluntary initiatives over many years. One of the first Punjabi-speaking JP’s in Hawke’s Bay, he has helped many people who were unable to speak English, and others, to access JP services. He was there for people in times of crisis such as COVID and the cyclone, and organises and facilitates the annual Sikh Parade.
Nadine Gaunt – As the general manager of Re-Source, Nadine is at the forefront of waste minimisation and repurposing initiatives. Re-Source has rehomed or diverted (from landfill) over 285,000 items in the four years it’s been running. She provides work experience opportunities for rangatahi with special needs and has integrated 35 participants from Corrections, fostering rehabilitation and community integration.
Norman Brown – A stalwart supporter of the Te Pōhue community, Norman is chairman of the Te Pōhue & Districts Community Charitable Trust, and is a volunteer rural firefighter for Te Pōhue Fire Brigade. In the brigade he is on call 24/7 without pay, but his commitment and contribution to his community extends well beyond this role, including advocating to maintain local school bus runs.
Albert James Gray (Alby) – Alby Gray has contributed more than 40 years of his time and assistance to the Waiohiki community and beyond. Among other things, he campaigned to re-engineer the Waiohiki Rd corner after two fatal accidents, and also campaigned for a pedestrian walkway to be fitted to the side of Redclyffe Bridge to improve safety. A past chairman of Waiohiki Marae, he’s also the founding chairman of the Waiohiki community charitable trust, and paved the way to welcome artists to the arts village.
Rotary Club of Hastings – Karamu Incorporated – Rotary Club of Hastings Karamu was founded in 1976 and is committed to service in the community, supporting a wide range of medical, charitable, youth and educational programmes within our region – donating over $100,000 each year back into the community.
Heretaunga Seniors – Heretaunga Seniors plays an integral role in the lives of many elderly people - providing companionship, meals, activities and more to assist with their overall health and wellbeing. This group of volunteers works over seven days, among other things transporting clients to and from Heretaunga Seniors, phoning people when they are unwell or struggling, and visiting people who are in hospital.
Cyclone Gabrielle awards
Patricia Nuku – Before, during and after Cyclone Gabrielle Patricia Nuku has been a vital source of information for her community. She co-ordinated communications between whānau and Māori wardens who were working alongside Civil Defence. She also checked on the addresses of unaccounted for whānau, and organised for vulnerable whānau to be rescued.
Rev Zhane Tāhau Whelan – A dedicated church minister, Zhane has been a steadfast source of support not only within his immediate community but also across the wider Heretaunga region. He also played a pivotal role in aiding the hapū with the respectful reinterment of koiwi that were displaced from Lake Oingo and the Ōmāhu urupā.
Brendan O’Sullivan – Brendan led the cyclone recovery response for Evergreen Foundation, through which over $2.5m was deployed, much of which was ready to go in the first critical days after the cyclone. Through Evergreen Foundation, Brendan has also provided opportunities for impacted communities to come together and enhance their recovery, and collaborated with industry groups, the Rapid Relief Team and Rural Support, to bring support days for growers and farmers.
Matt Holden - Matt Holden is behind the local Mates of Mates for Mates initiative aimed at supporting men in rural communities doing it tough. The initiative saw him putting together an event in November last year, attracting about 300 Hawke’s Bay locals facing the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. Every dollar raised at the event was gifted to Hawke’s Bay Rural Support Trust.
Matthew Stone - Faced with weeks of isolation following Cyclone Gabrielle, Matt swung into gear quickly after the event to set up the Waikoau Hall at Tūtira as a community/emergency hub. This included assigning people to roles and readying the hub to be the collection point for Civil Defence supplies of food, fuel and essentials. In the recovery he has volunteered his time and efforts to make the hall hub a robust and well-equipped space for the community.
Linda Paterson – Linda was instrumental in establishing the Eskdale community hub at Valley D’Vine winery and gave continuous support to affected people in Esk valley including; visiting people, providing food and care, referring people to specialists as needed, advocating for people, and communicating with councils and other agencies. Linda also arranged and led the one-year memorial service for families who lost loved ones in the cyclone, visited local schools and provided morning tea at community gatherings.
Troy Duncan – After rescuing neighbours and livestock from the cyclone at Pakowhai, Troy continued to provide leadership, support and advocacy for the community, tirelessly navigating complex and at times emotional issues with and for the community. He has tenaciously lobbied politicians and decision makers and advocated for communities, and as an active member of the Pakowhai community’s fundraising committee has raised vital funds for homeowners and security cameras.
Cameron Taylor - Along with pilot Geoff Keighley, Cameron heroically rescued more than 100 people from roofs and roof cavities during the Cyclone Gabrielle flooding. This included rescuing 50 of his own RSE workers and involved risky landings and battling with poor visibility and supporting exhausted and frightened people. He then assisted on flights to drop off generators and supplies to isolated farmers.
Martha Taonui - Since March 2023, Martha has led volunteer group the Hawke's Bay Clean Up team in de-silting, stripping, clearing and preparing cyclone-affected homes for rebuild or demolition. She has also worked tirelessly to generate funding and overseen a loyal network of volunteers from across the country clearing silt from about 150 homes to date.
Haumoana Volunteer Fire Brigade – This brigade has 25 volunteers and before and during the Cyclone they were ready to assist the most at-risk members of their community. While FENZ respond in times of emergency, these Haumoana volunteers went above and beyond, working 24/7 in shifts to make sure there was always someone there while the bridge was closed and the community was isolated.
The Dinner Club Hawke’s Bay - Every Friday, for over a year, the Dinner Club has made and served a home-cooked, three-course meal for Cyclone Gabrielle survivors living in makeshift housing such as sheds or caravans. In addition the hard-working team has provided counselling services, presented guest speakers, held birthday celebrations, given Christmas gifts and helped people who needed to relocate.
Hawke’s Bay Clean Up Team - Since March 2023, the Hawke's Bay Clean Up Team has voluntarily cleaned up more than 150 flood-affected homes and properties following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle. Volunteers have come from all over the country and even overseas to support the team who salvage what they can to return to the owners, or if possible recycle for others to use.
Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri me ōna Piringa Hapū Authority Trust – After the whole Ōmāhu community was flooded the hapu authority set up a hub for all whānau and community to connect and use for anything from silt removal to rubbish collection and showers. Meals were distributed to isolated communities, tools were provided to help clean up, donated groceries and clothing distributed, and pastoral care was provided. People in need were also connected to health services, and the community was uplifted through the provision of events for all to attend.
Hawke’s Bay East Coast Aero Club - This rural flying service base at Bridge Pa provided invaluable support during the response to Cyclone Gabrielle. This included being used by the Blackhawk helicopter “KAHU” flying food and water supply missions and the Skyline Aviation air ambulance conducting patient transfers. Over 20 helicopters, as well as fuel tankers, road freight trucks and fixed wing aircraft used the aerodrome during their emergency and relief efforts.
New Zealand Guru Ravidas Sabha Hastings Inc - Hard-working members of the NZ Guru Ravidas Sabha Hastings cooked and delivered more than 10,000 meals to people left hungry, displaced and evacuated in the wake of the cyclone.
Bay View Community Charitable Trust - Within days of Cyclone Gabrielle, the trust ramped up their support, resources and aid to those in affected communities. They sourced more than $1m in funding that they distributed, while also co-ordinating volunteer work, organising projects and events, providing welfare support, distributing information, linking into agencies and advocating for affected communities.
29 August 2024
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