New Year Honours list: Ian Noble

Ian Noble.

Being a Bay of Plenty Regional councillor for 24 years was a privilege, not a chore, for Katikati farmer Ian Noble.

Mr Noble, 77, has been awarded the Queen's Service Medal for services to farming and the community as part of the New Year 2015 New Zealand Royal Honours.

"I've been very lucky. I've done lots of things, met some very interesting people and worked together on lots of things. It's been an interesting journey," he said.

"I guess it's recognition of the different things I've been involved with over a long time."

Mr Noble was a regional councillor for 24 years but chose not to stand again at the last election.

Between 1989 and 1992 he was a Western Bay of Plenty District councillor and he has been heavily involved with Federated Farmers.

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s Mr Noble served Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers as Katikati branch chairman, a dairy company suppliers representative and provincial president.

He was also made a Federated Farmers life member for the province.

"That was quite an honour because they don't have a lot of those," Mr Noble said.

As a Bay of Plenty Regional councillor Mr Noble played a leading role in SmartGrowth which he negotiated between councils, the public and the Regional Policy Statement. He has served on a range of council committees and was a founding member of the Bay of Plenty agricultural advisory committee.

Mr Noble said one of the most significant changes he was part of was setting up the code of practice for trees and powerlines. For 23 years he served as a New Zealand arbitrator on hazardous trees and power lines legislation.

The system aimed to prevent power being lost to rural properties because of trees growing up through the powerlines, he said.

He continues to be a member of the Katikati Rotary Club and supports the Katikati Adult Riding Club by opening his hill farms for members' use.

"I guess I'm proud that the community supported me and enabled me to be involved over a long time across a lot of things," Mr Noble said.

"It's an honour to be recognised ... without the support of Joyce, we've been married for some 56 years, and my four children, I'd never have started my community involvement."

Having retired from council work he continues to be involved in the running of his farm. "It's a privilege to have land and make it available to people so they can enjoy themselves," he said.