Ministry recipient of Inaugural Public Service Day Award
Noel Harris from the Ministry’s Waitangi Tribunal Unit has received a State Services Commissioner Commendation for Frontline Excellence from Minister of State Services, Hon Chris Hipkins.
Noel received the award as part of the inaugural Public Service Day ceremony held in the Parliament Banquet Hall, during which the Government celebrated the achievements of our Public
Service.
Noel, a long-serving member of Waitangi Tribunal Unit, works as a Mapping Officer and is responsible for providing mapping expertise for the Tribunal’s District inquiries.
“Why me?” said Noel when asked what was the first thing he thought when he found out about the award.
“It is a privilege to receive this award, but it has been a greater privilege to work with teams of dedicated, public servants with a common goal. My mapping is simply a reflection of the efforts and contributions of many colleagues over the years.”
Noel (3rd from right) with other recipients at the awards ceremony
According to his Manager, Andrew Francis, that comment is typical of Noel who is a pretty humble person.
“Noel sets the standard for customer service for us all to follow. He is attentive, taking great care with detail and always strives for accuracy.”
“The breadth of Noel's mapping knowledge means he respects the complex relationships claimants have within and across different tribal boundaries. His care and kaitiakitanga of the material he works with is well recognised by his team and claimants.”
“We are all very proud of Noel receiving this well-deserved acknowledgment of his skills, knowledge and dedication.”
On attending the ceremony on Monday evening, Noel felt 'humbled'. "I hadn't realised the scale of it, there were people from all over New Zealand - all just doing their bit for the public."
Read more about the Public Service Day Honours(external link).