Napier Pilot City Trust's annual Unity Awards acknowledge Covid response

Napier Pilot City Trust's annual Unity Awards for service recipient Ngaira Harker. Photo / Paul Taylor

People and organisations that have served Napier in the Covid epidemic response have been commended in a break from tradition at the Napier Pilot City Trust's annual Unity Awards for service towards making the city a kinder, fairer and safer place.

Among 10 recipients of the awards, which have a history dating back over 30 years and are timed to coincide with Anzac Day commemorations, were Napier iwi representative organisation Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui a Oroto, social service provider Te Roopu a Iwi, health serves provider Te Kupenga Hauora, and Napier Host Lions club.

Among others were Hawke's Bay District Health Board Covid response team members Ngaira Harker, Georgette Cunningham and 1995-1999 Bay Hawks basketballer Tofilau Talalelei ("T") Taufale, now a DHB Pacifica health manager.

Former basketball star Tofilau Talalelei ("T") Taufale, recognised in the Napier Pilot City Trust Unity Awards for service during the Covid response. Photo / Paul Taylor

Other recipients were Tangiora Bartlett, Joan Plowman and Kare Wiki.

Trust secretary Mark Cleary said it was decided that recognition should be given to organisations because of the way they "collaborated so well" in dealing with the response while trying to run "business as usual".

The awards afternoon also featured the annual Robson Lecture, named in honour of late Secretary for Justice John Robson, best known for a decade of criminal justice reform in the 1960s, notably abolition of the death penalty and in 1962 introduction of such alternative sentences as periodic detention.

Dr Carwyn Jones (Ngāti Kahungunu and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki).

A governor-general, a chief justice, other judges, a commissioner for children, a race relations conciliator and other senior officers have delivered the address in the past. This year the honour went to one of Hawke's Bay's own, academic Dr Carwyn Jones (Ngāti Kahungunu and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki).

Jones grew up and went to school in Napier and is now Pūkenga Matua (Lead Academic) in the Ahunga Tikanga (Māori Laws and Philosophy) programme at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and remains Kairuruku – Honorary Adjunct Professor, Te Kawa a Māui, at the School of Māori Studies, at Victoria University of Wellington.