Trigger man honoured

CRACK SHOT: Sylvia and Neil Hayes at Taumata Lagoon, near Carterton.

A Carterton man has been awarded a Pistol NZ 40-year badge recognising his continuous involvement in the sport of pistol shooting.

Neil Hayes was presented with the badge on November 10 at the Haywards Pistol Club range in Lower Hutt.

Mr Hayes is a foundation member of the NZ Pistol Association - now Pistol NZ - having joined in 1969 and was the association's first secretary and editor of its magazine. He went on to become the association's national president and as a sportsman represented New Zealand for over 10 years, holding numerous national titles and national records during those years.

Neil and his wife Sylvia are members of the Haywards Pistol Club and the Greater Wellington Muzzle Loading Club.

Mr Hayes is widely known for his conservation work, particularly in regard to his contribution towards saving the endemic NZ Brown Teal from extinction.

For his work with brown teal he was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in the 2005 New Year Honours.

Along with his wife, Mr Hayes is well known for environmental work at Taumata Lagoon, where the couple have planted over 7000 totara and kahikatea, creating new wetlands and establishing a QEII National Trust Open Space Covenant over 10.5 hectares.

Mr and Mrs Hayes, with support from the Greater Wellington Regional Council, have eliminated well over 4500 predators - feral cats, ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats, hedgehogs and possums, since 1990.