Civic awards recipients

This year four Civic Award recipients from left to right with Porirua City Mayor Anita Baker.

Colin Bleasdale

Colin Bleasdale has devoted many years of his life to educational and community organisations in Porirua City.

He was a teacher at Porirua College in the 1970s - 2000s, and went above and beyond his paid role as a coach, fundraiser for student trips overseas and trustee on school boards. He was a Justice of the Peace, Chairperson of the Plimmerton Residents Association and Partners Porirua and fundraised for WELLfed Porirua. Colin is the current Chair of the Porirua Committee for the Nikau Foundation.

Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele

Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele used her knowledge and skills as a software engineer to help bridge the digital divide for Pacific people during Covid.

She refurbished devices in her garage to redistribute to young learners and raised $164,000 towards purchasing new devices for those whose families could not afford to buy them. She also co-founded Fibre Fale, a social enterprise that has increased the number of Pacific people skilled in technology and has taught over 300 students in coding workshop, run seminars and brought the first Pasefika Tech Expo to Porirua in 2023.

Sala Nimarota

Sala Nimarota is well-known in her community for looking out for others and helping where she can. In 2003 Sala was one of the first volunteers for the Porirua Community Guardians, an initiative supported by the Police to help people feel safer in Porirua. She took her role seriously and never missed a shift. She worked as a volunteer for the Porirua College reunion in 2018 and for the Cannons Creek Community Police. Sala is active in the community and keeps others up to date with what’s going on.

Hermann Salzmann (absent on the night)

Hermann Salzmann has contributed to the improvement, enhancement and education of Māori culture and art in Porirua for more than 20 years.

He has mastered the art of traditional Māori carving, and his work can be seen at Takapuwahia Marae and across the city including the Pou Tangaroa a six-metre-high carving on the Pukerua Bay foreshore, and others in Te Manawa and outside Te Rauparaha Arena. Hermann is the go-to kaiwhakairo (carver), telling the community's historical and contemporary story, as well as retaining and passing on Mātauranga Māori, through carving.

This year 16 residents received Civic Awards for their outstanding voluntary service to the community.

Elizabeth & Tere French

Tere & Elizabeth have lived in and contributed to the Cannons Creek community for decades. They are members of the Cannons Creek Residents’ Association and they are regular helpers at the Cannons Creek community clean-up days.

Paula MacEwan

Paula has been an active member of the Cannons Creek community for many years. She recently set up a Community Café outside her house as a place for residents to discuss local issues. Paula volunteers at the Awatea Community Garden, the local school, the Porirua Green Bike Trust and Neighbourhood Watch and she is Chairperson of Creeksiders.

John Lyde

John is a dedicated and reliable volunteer for the Mary Potter Hospice. He drives patients to and from Porirua’s Mary Potter Hospice’s Day Service, Te Whare Rānui, and lifts everyone’s spirits with his unfailing jovial and thoughtful manner. John is Mr Fix-it and uses his practical skills to service the occupational therapy equipment and many other odd jobs.

Rosemary Patterson

Rosemary founded a group of volunteers in 1991 to clean up and maintain the Pāuatahanui Burial Ground which is the oldest cemetery in Porirua City. She and her team planted heritage roses in keeping with the historic site. Rosemary has volunteered time and care for the maintenance of the grave sites and her work on the garden is now nationally recognised.

Kim Livingstone

Kim has spent many hours each week maintaining 20 pest traps catching rates, mice, and stoats around Bothamley Park. It is estimated more than 2400 pests have been removed enabling the native bush and birdlife flourish. Kim volunteers for Forest & Bird and the Friends of Maara Roa groups propagating and planting across Porirua and Wellington.

Rendall Conwell

Rendall volunteers at Te Rito Gardens helping to restore and preserve the Porirua’s natural environment. He began volunteering at n 2012 and has been a Board member and Treasurer since around 2014. Rendall has mentored young volunteers, maintained funding applications, and ensured accounts remained in good order. H

Pania Houkamau-Ngaheu

Pania led the charge and devoted thousands of hours to completing the renovation of Uenuku at Horouta Marae almost 10 years ago. With zero budget her vision, determination, positivity, and influence drove the success of the renovation that has benefitted the whole community during times of need over the years.

Ngahiwi Meroiti

Ngahiwi has been a dedicated, active leader of Kapi Mana Netball for more than 30 years and is passionate about netball in the Porirua community. She has coached hundreds of netballers at all levels, ages and ethnic backgrounds, working hard to raise the standard of netball on and off the court, and through skilled administration and organisation.

Jenny Taotua

Jenny has given 25 years’ service to support Pacific youth in Porirua. She is a founding member of the inaugural Porirua Youth Council (2000) and from 1998-2000 provided support and pastoral care for youth in need by running youth programmes in Cannons Creek with Porirua Elim Church.

Diane Strugnell

Diane has been involved in local organisations for more than 30 years, helping with Pāuatahanui projects to improve pedestrian safety through the village and providing vital local knowledge and experience when working with the Council and other agencies. S

Merika Brown

Merika volunteers at WELLfed in Cannons Creek and has helped people in need navigate through to various other groups in her community to achieve a better life for themselves and their whānau. After Merika joined Mana Wāhine, she has encouraged others to join and become a better version of themselves.

Ian Hallum

Ian has been at the heart of the Hauora Kai fruit & vegetable co-op for more than eight years. During that time, he has helped to lift the spirits of all other volunteers while packing and distributing the fruit and vege packs.

Heniaka & Michael August

Heniaka and Michal August have been Ngāti Toa Māori wardens, giving voluntary service for the safety and wellbeing of the community for many years. They regularly attended community events at marae, sports games, Waitangi Day, Anzac Day, kai drop-offs and much more.

Soulivone Phonevilay

Soulivone is a refugee who moved to New Zealand when she was seven years old. Since then, she has dedicated her life to the service of the refugee migrant community. She is a passionate advocate for young people not only in her Laos community but also, for Porirua youth in general.

This year 13 residents received Civic Awards for their outstanding voluntary service to the community.

Danica Anderson – for over 20 years taking pride and care for the local environment by keeping her street and surrounding area litter-free, and for clearing gutters and drains of debris.

Colin Blakeley – for giving 20 years to clearing, planting and maintaining a walkway between Matatiro Street and Tireti Road, in Titahi Bay.

Eddie Ellison – for his mahi providing financial guidance to help whanau into home ownership, managing and coaching sports teams and supporting local shcools and the community.

Maria Klinac – for her work fostering and fundraising for the care of kittens and desexing of cats to ensure the best care is given and to reduce the nubmers of unwanted litters.

Paul Latham – for his work setting up sensory sessions to allow parents of children with intellectual, behavioural and/or physical disabilities to connect and support one another while their children enjoy supervised play and enjoyment.

Aroha Marsh – for her mahi on the Porirua College and Porirua East Boards of Trustees, and as President of Kapi Mana Netball Centre.

Roena McCarthy – for her many years of dedication and mahi upholding the mana of Ngāti Toa Rangatira, supporting the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Takapūwāhia Marae, leading church choirs and providing Sunday School classes for rangatahi.

Sue McMillan – for organising pyjama packs for children, menstrual care packs for young women, and elderly care gifts at Christmas to 50 elderly people.

Karanga Metekingi – for her long years of advocacy, participation and support to the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Takapūwāhia Marae, Te Roopu Awhina and church leadership benefitting tamariki, rangatahi and wāhine.

Gary Mitchell – for his work with Keep Porirua Beautiful, as an Honorary Fisheries Officer and Sustainable Coastlines.

Fiona Perenara – for her work during the Covid response. Fiona hs been a long-time committee member of Titahi Bay RSA, supporter of local rugby and helped the elderly and kaumatua during the Covid pandemic.

Simon Strombom – for dedicating hundreds of hours restoring military graves and supporting young people through the Titahi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club and the City of Porirua Cadet Unit.

Carolyn Williams – for her work during the Covid response through her involvement with the Plimmerton Residents’ Association.

This year seven residents received Civic Awards for their outstanding voluntary service to the community:

Judi Doornbos - for her extensive volunteer work over decades to a range of community groups, including the Paremata Residents' Association, Paremata Kindergarten, Paremata Boating Club, and her the Transmission Motorway Action Council.

John Hannan - for his decades of volunteer work as a support officer for the Returned Services Association caring for the needs of ex-servicemen and women, plus RSA projects such as the recent revamp of the Peace Memorial at Te Rauparaha Park.

Chrissy Leggott - for her tireless efforts in the community who need assistance with her Chrissy's All For Free donated goods charity.

Dr John McKoy - for his years of commitment to the work of the Pauatahanui Inlet Community Trust, Guardians of the Pauatahanui Inlet, Friends of Mana Island, Te Awarua-o Porirua  Whaitua Committee and the Friends of Taupo Swamp to help improve the health of our inlet and harbour and associated ecosystems.

Geoff Mowday - for his seven years of volunteer work as Chairman of the Whitby Residents' Association and success driving a wide range of local projects and activities in the community.

Kim Murray – for her years of volunteer work for Bellyful Porirua, Mary Potter Hospice, Wesley Fruit & Vege Co-op and WELLfed.

Tony Shaw – for more than a decade of volunteer work as a member of Guardians of Pauatahanui Inlet since 2005, and as Chairman since 2014, in support of the inlet’s ecological, historical and cultural values.