Mayoral Civic Awards to recognise outstanding individuals

The Mayoral Civic Awards are on again this year. The purpose of the awards is to recognise those individuals that make an enormous contribution to the community.

Mayor Rick Cooper wants to formally recognise these people who work hard behind the scenes, often doing unpaid voluntary work over long periods of time to improve community wellbeing.

“Our district has a lot of very special individuals that make huge contributions to their community and the people in it. It is a chance to recognise those who have done something extraordinary who normally go unrecognised” said Mayor Cooper.

Taupo District Council is asking for nominations from the public for anyone who is deserving of such recognition. The nomination criteria for the awards are as follows:

• Any person who has carried out meritorious voluntary service for the benefit of the district.
• Any resident of the district who has made a significant contribution to the welfare of others within New Zealand or overseas.
• Any person from the district whose personal achievements in their particular field are so outstanding as to deserve special recognition by way of a Civic Award.
• Preference will be given to people who have not received recognition in the form of New Year’s or Queen’s Birthday Honours.

If you have someone you would like to nominate, forms and further details can be found on the Taupo District Council website, or call into any council office, or district library for nomination forms and information.

The awards were originally introduced in 2004 as the Mayoral Citizens Awards, and were intended to recognise the community’s “unsung heroes”. Nominations were not invited from the public, and 59 awards were given to organisations as well as individuals. In 2007 it became the Taupo District Civil Awards, and a new structure was put in place to make the process more equitable and open, including calling for public nominations, having a limited number of awards each year, and having a select panel of judges to make final decisions. The awards were also then reserved for individuals only.

This year’s judging panel will include Mayor Rick Cooper, and previous mayors Joan Williamson-Orr and Clayton Stent.

Nominations and supporting information must be received at Council by Friday 28 August 2009. Nominations can be posted or delivered to any council office in Mangakino, Taupo or Turangi.

For more information go to the Taupo District Council’s website www.taupo.govt.nz