Aotearoa New Zealand’s Te Hāpai Hapori/Spirit of Service awards celebrate how public services can change lives

Agencies and public servants involved with programs as diverse as improving driver licence uptake, better health outcomes for Māori, and overseeing logistics for expeditions to Antarctica, have been recognised at New Zealand’s Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards. 

The 2024 Awards were held in Wellington on 26 September, with ANZSOG one of the sponsors as part of our commitment to supporting public service excellence. 

Acting Public Service Commissioner, Heather Baggott, said it was a real privilege speak at the Awards which ‘honour the heart and the soul of the public service – our people’. 

“My journey in the public service has certainly been shaped by the belief that when we work together, we can achieve remarkable things, which is exactly what tonight’s celebration is all about, our individual and collective drive to make a difference for our communities,” she said 

“Every day in New Zealand, public service are changing lives in big and in small ways, and often it’s the smallest actions that can have a profound impact, whether it’s a kind word, solving an immediate problem, or guiding someone through a difficult situation, these moments matter. And it’s these moments, which may seem small, that can have an enormous impact on the people we serve.” 

The Te Tohu a te Pirimia | The Prime Minister’s Award is selected from the winners of the Better Outcomes Award, Innovation Award and Whai Ratonga Māori Crown Award. 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon awarded this year’s Prime Minister’s Award to the Driver Licensing Improvement Programme (DLIP), which was also the winner of Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana | Better Outcomes Award. 

“The winner is exactly what public service is all about. It has everything. It’s a new initiative. It’s delivering great results. It’s great value for money. And it’s a collaborative effort between agencies.” Mr Luxon said. 

The Driver Licensing Improvement Programme (DLIP), a cross-government and community organisations partnership involving six agencies: Waka Kotahi | NZ Transport Agency, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa | New Zealand Police, Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development, Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport and ACC. 

It supports communities with low licence rates who experience significant impacts from not having a licence and the initiative has opened doors to many opportunities that a driver licence provides including employment, education, support for whānau and healthcare, and enabling more people to become safe licenced drivers. 

Other award winners were: 

Te Tohu Auaha Hou | Innovation Award: Love Better, a primary prevention campaign by Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development (MSD) aimed at fostering safe and positive romantic and sexual relationships amongst young people. The campaign took a radical new approach to disrupt and/or shift harmful discourses and behaviours around relationships that affect young people and successfully created a shift in knowledge and attitudes. 

Te Tohu mō Whai Ratonga|  Māori Crown Award: The Accident Compensation Commission’s rongoā Māori service. Through their commitment to increasing equitable access to services and experiences that lead to better health outcomes for Māori, ACC has made rongoā Māori accessible as a form of social rehabilitation for kiritaki (clients). The initiative involved developing guidance for funding rongoā Māori within legislative criteria, building strategic partnerships and establishing a panel of mātanga rongoā (experts). Over 11,000 kiritaki and whānau have accessed rongoā Māori through ACC since the service began in 2020 and the value of the service has also spread beyond Māori, with non-Māori making up 42% of clients accessing rongoā services. 

Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | The Young Leader of the Year Award: Tayla Yandall. Tayla is a strong, intelligent and empathetic leader. As General Manager of Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility with Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections, she strives to provide a supportive environment and better pathways for both staff and the people in prison. Giving back and connecting through people has always played a large part in Tayla’s work; she shows great empathy and emotional intelligence and always acts with an open heart. 

Te Tohu Oranga Angitū | The Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul “Woody” Woodgate, Logistics Manager at Antarctica New Zealand. For over 40 years, no-one and nothing – Lorde, Sir Edmund Hillary, Princess Anne, Prime Ministers, bulldozers, helicopters, ice cores, avocados and buildings – has travelled between New Zealand and Antarctica without passing by Paul. No matter how big, awkward, fragile or famous, Paul can get it safely to and from the remotest place on earth. Described by his colleagues as humble man with a heart of gold he greets dignitaries and everyday Kiwis alike with the same genuine warmth and care. While it’s not in his job description, Paul personally sees off every visitor and texts loved ones to let them know they arrived safely.  

Ms Baggott said thanked all finalists for their dedication, passion, commitment, hard work and service. 

“I have the enormous privilege to thank all of you for what you do for our communities every day. You represent the best of us. Thank you for your New Zealand and New Zealanders are very lucky to have you in our public service,” she said.