Despite claiming to be not much of a songwriter himself, he and his Play It Strange Trust have for more than 11 years motivated thousands of young New Zealanders to channel their imaginations into words and music through an annual competition for secondary school students.
"We want to fill New Zealand up with songs written by New Zealanders," says Chunn, 62, whose trust provided a creative platform for the likes of Kimbra and Annah Mac -- both aged 14 when they stormed through the competition.
Chunn formed the trust to address what he saw as a woeful gap in the education curriculum.
"It was an advocacy effort," he says. "People should understand that writing a three-minute pop song isn't a facile waste of time -- it is actually an honourable pursuit."
Now, in receipt of one of the country's top honours, he feels "justified in all the noises I've made".
"When I read Sir Jerry Mateparae's letter, I thought, this means Let's Play it Strange can go on forever."
Agoraphobia plagued Chunn's time in both Split Enz and Citizen Band, until he overcame it in the 1990s. Now with that demon behind him, he has been keen to help others not so fortunate and his honour is partly in recognition of his efforts to raise mental health awareness such as through his collaboration with songwriter Ryan Edwards in the Whirlwind Stories project.
- Mathew Dearnaley
Tony Ryall, CNZM
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for service as an MP
More than two decades of work in Parliament has earned former Cabinet minister Tony Ryall a high accolade in the New Year Honours.
Mr Ryall, who retired earlier this year, has been made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services as an MP.
Speaking on the phone from his Ohope home, the former Health Minister said he had not seen the honour coming. "It is surprising. I'm quite humbled by it," he said. "It has been a great privilege to represent the Bay of Plenty in Parliament for the past 20 years," he said.
He said he was pleased about the Government's decision to fund Herceptin for women with breast cancer.
"The health system is on par with Fonterra in that it employs 75,000 people. To have the opportunity to lead that is something that you don't get very often."
He was first elected into Parliament as a member for what was then the East Cape electorate in 1990. He was one of 32 new MPs at the time and would go on to represent the National Party for 24 years.
Mr Ryall was one of a few MPs in the party who organised former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's coup of then Prime Minister Jim Bolger, in 1997. He once said he was proud to have played a part in delivering the country's first woman Prime Minister.
Between 1997 and 1999 he held the portfolios for State-Owned Enterprises, Local Government, Youth Affairs and Justice.
His role as the Minister of Health, from 2008, saw him give a big focus on elective surgery, emergency departments, cancer treatment waiting times and preventative health areas including immunisation.
Mr Ryall has also been the Minister of State Services and Finance.
He is also the minister who oversaw the partial sale of three state-owned electricity generators and Air NZ through National's government share offer initiative.
- Staff reporter, NZME.
Murray McCully, CNZM
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, service to foreign policy
Foreign Minister Murray McCully has received one of the high New Year Honours for leading New Zealand's successful campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
He has been made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, one down from a knighthood.
Mr McCully said he accepted it on the basis that it was a recognition of a team effort.
He said Prime Minister John Key called him into his office one day and he thought he was in some sort of trouble.
Then he informed Mr McCully what he wanted to do. "You could have knocked me over with a feather," he said. "He said some very generous things about the campaign and my role in it and on that basis there wasn't much choice."
New Zealand was in a contest with Spain and Turkey for two seats over two years, beginning on January 1.
The bid was launched in 2004 by Helen Clark and Mr Key continued the drive when he became Prime Minister in 2008.
- Audrey Young
