Two Far North District Council employees who have each clocked up 20 years of work for the organisation have been formally recognised for their long service.
Contact centre team leader Donna Smith and rating officer Wiremu Matene, both of Kaikohe, received certificates of appreciation at a council meeting in Kerikeri.
Mayor John Carter said their contribution had been over and above the line of duty.
"It's people like you who make the wheels of society turn," he said.
Mr Matene said he had started with the council shortly after his 21st birthday, intending to stay for just three months. The council had given him the opportunity to become Kaikohe's deputy chief fire officer, which had in turn benefited the council, and had also given him a wife, he added.
