Conservation trust a winner in Civic Awards

A conservation trust that’s created a mini national park on Banks Peninsula has been recognised in the annual Christchurch Civic Awards.

The 12 recipients have been announced and the Christchurch City Council awards will be presented by Mayor Lianne Dalziel at a private ceremony on Wednesday 12 December.

Hugh Wilson by a waterfall in the Hinewai Reserve, near Akaroa.

The Maurice White Native Forest Trust is recognised in the 2018 awards for its services to conservation.

Maurice White, who is 94, set up a fund in 1977 to purchase land on Banks Peninsula and in 1987 the first 109 hectares were bought as an ecological project and named the Hinewai Reserve. Following several other additions, the reserve now occupies 1250 hectares near Akaroa and is highly valued as a resource of indigenous flora and fauna, including geckos, skinks, native eels and fish.

For more than 30 years the trust has worked to conserve and restore regenerating native bush that is open to public access through an extensive network of 32 km of walking tracks, including a section that makes up part of the Banks Peninsula Walk.

Well-known botanist Hugh Wilson, 73, who is a member of the Trust and manages the reserve, says even though it is privately owned it is freely open to the public and attracts between 6000 and 8000 visitors each year, including about 2500 people walking the Banks Peninsula Track.

“The award is a lovely recognition of Maurice. I’m very proud of what we have achieved, although nature has done most of it, we’ve just been helping on the side,” says Mr Wilson, who wants to see the reserve grow further in the future so it extends down to the sea.

The other Civic Award winners this year are all individuals:

• Pauline Mohi for services to public health
• Robert (Bob) Shearing for community service
• Pat Duggan QSM JP and Paul O’Connor MBE for their community service to the annual Anzac Day Dawn Service
• Stephen Phillips for community service
• Ken Clearwater for services to mental health and for male survivors of sexual abuse
• Katherine Peet for services to education
• Professor Maan Alkaisi for community service and public advocacy
• Jillian Lord for services to social history
• Ruth Gardner for community service
• Coleen Dunlop for community service