For services to Māori and conservation
The Queen has been pleased, on the occasion of the celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to make the following appointment to be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Citation: ELLISON, Mr Edward Weller.
Mr Edward Ellison has contributed to a range of organisations, particularly organisations dealing with Māori and environmental matters in the Otago region.
Mr Ellison served on the Otago Conservation Board, the New Zealand Conservation Authority, and QEII National Trust. He was a member of the University of Otago’s Council and Treaty of Waitangi Committee, and a member of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group.
He was the Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou representative and inaugural Deputy Kaiwhakahaere to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and a member of the Ngāi Tahu negotiating team for the Ngāi Tahu Treaty Settlement with the Crown. He was inaugural Chair of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Law Centre and a driving force behind the development of the Kāi Tahu ki Otago Natural Resource Management Plan 1995 and its second iteration in 2005, one of the first comprehensive Iwi Management Plans under the Resource Management Act 1991.
He was a driving force behind and is currently Chairman of a Papatipu Rūnanga owned Resource Management Company. Mr Ellison has been on a number of central and local government advisory groups and boards in relation to biosecurity, the Emissions Trading Scheme, human remains repatriation, cultural matters, water management and as a hearings commissioner.
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou offer our warmest congratulations to Edward and express our sincere gratitude for his contribution to our hapū, to Ngāi Tahu and the Otago region, to Te Waipounamu and to the nation over many years. As a people we are fortunate that Edward is so passionate and willing to dedicate his time and expertise to the advancement of our hapū and iwi. We tautoko the Queen for recognising Edward’s contribution by making this prestigious appointment. Ka mau te wehi – awesome.
Edward Ellison.