Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon acknowledged those from the district who were recognised and offered his congratulations on behalf of the Council to all those honoured.

“Congratulations to the amazing Kiwis who received King’s Birthday Honours today, and in particular, those from the Waimakariri District – former Deputy Mayor, Mr Neville Thomas Atkinson, JP; Mr Charles Robert (Bob) Norrish and Ms Jennifer Margaret (Jenny) Hughey - who although doesn’t live in our District has a long history of working with our Council in her role as Chair of Environment Canterbury.

"It’s a privilege to have witnessed first-hand the passion and dedication of our local recipients over many years, and to be able to celebrate them and this much deserved accolade."

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The King's Service Medal (KSM)

ATKINSON, Mr Neville Thomas, JP

For services to local government and the community.

Mr Neville Atkinson has contributed to the community of Kaiapoi for more than 50 years.

Mr Atkinson was elected to the Kaiapoi Community Board in 2001 and the Waimakariri District Council in 2004, serving seven elected terms. He was Deputy Mayor of Waimakariri from 2019 until retiring in 2025. He has supported a wide range of community organisations covering education, the environment, sport, youth, heritage preservation, and social programmes. Following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, he was heavily involved in Kaiapoi’s earthquake recovery programme and rebuild to address extensive damage. He advocated for the saving and relocation of the historic Kaiapoi Railway Station, and for a second time following earthquake damage. Between 2012 and 2021, he was a Trustee and Chair of Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Coastal Park, supporting biodiversity restoration efforts for the 700-hectare park in Waimakariri, co-managed with Ngāi Tahu. He was a founding member of the Waimakariri Lifeboat Association, now Coastguard North Canterbury, where he held several roles including Board member, crew member, and boating safety educator. He has been President and Secretary of the Kaiapoi Promotion Association. He has organised community events including the Kaiapoi Santa Parade, River Carnival, water safety education in schools, and Market Day. Mr Atkinson has been a Justice of the Peace since 2007.

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Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)

NORRISH, Mr Charles Robert (Bob)

For services to education.

Mr Bob Norrish was a principal for numerous remote schools over a teaching career of more than 55 years, specialising in helping schools experiencing difficult leadership situations.

From 2016 to 2025, Mr Norrish returned from retirement to become Acting Principal for 14 schools in remote areas that are particularly difficult to staff, including in Karamea, Lochiel, Murchison and the Chatham Islands. He mentors incoming staff to ensure the effective operation of the school. He has undertaken principal roles for distressed schools under the appointment of a statutory manager, helping rapidly assess situations and implementing policies to bring them back to stability. He has worked alongside new principals to develop leadership capability and confidence, and provides advice on the effective leadership of small and rural schools. He was Principal of Oxford Area School for 15 years, growing student achievement and progress rates for NZQA qualifications in numeracy and literacy. Mr Norrish was heavily involved in the improvement of school infrastructure, including the library, administration block and school observatory.

Mr Norrish also served for many years on the Oxford Arts Trust and with several community groups in his local area.

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Photo: ECan

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)

HUGHEY, Ms Jennifer Margaret (Jenny)

For services to community law and governance.

Ms Jenny Hughey has supported community law around New Zealand in several governance leadership roles since 2006.

Ms Hughey served as national Co-Chair of Community Law Centres Aotearoa (CLCA) from 2018 to 2026, having been a national board member since 2011. Having joined during a period of financial constraint, she was key in developing a new funding basis, which was successfully adopted. Her subsequent leadership at CLCA has shaped the national strategy for community legal services and strengthened coordination amongst the 24 community law centres across New Zealand, to ensure free legal assistance remains available to those who need it most. Under her guidance, CLCA has built enduring partnerships with a range of groups across government, the legal profession, and the community, which has helped the organisation to deliver services that are culturally responsive and community driven. She was a board member of Marlborough Community Law and is currently Co-Chair of Community Law Canterbury, having joined the board in 2015. Her contributions have strengthened the governance of community law and advanced equitable access to justice nationally. In addition to her service to community law, Ms Hughey has provided her leadership and governance experience to local government, where she was elected to Canterbury Regional Council and was the elected Chairperson from 2019 to 2022.

A full list of recipients can be viewed here.