Former Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott wins city's highest civic honour

Former Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott has been awarded Freedom of the City. Photo / Paul Taylor

You are unlikely to see a former Napier mayor walking through the streets with her sword drawn, but for Barbara Arnott, QSO, being able to take her grandchildren to the Faraday Centre for free is a little more practical.

Arnott was awarded Freedom of the City on Wednesday night, an award which in the days of yore would have allowed her to walk through the streets with her sword drawn.

Now, she is allowed free access to Napier City Council-owned facilities.

"It's the 21st century equivalent of a drawn sword, so it's probably safer for them to give me a card rather than a sword."

Arnott, who was mayor from 2001-2013, said she was humbled by the award, which she understood was given to her due to her volunteer work.

"I always worked as a member of either a small or a large organisation, so it was all about team.

"So it is pretty humbling to be singled out for the Freedom of the City honour."

She said she never in a million years thought she would be given the award.

"It never entered my head, even though I've conferred it on other people."

She said much of her volunteer work focused on education, working on school boards for Napier Central School, Napier Boys High School, EIT, the Napier Community High School, as well as doing work with the teachers council.

"I'm not a teacher but I do think that education is the most important cornerstone in a good country and a good city."

During her time as a councillor, and later as mayor, she helped establish the Rotary Pathways around Napier.

She said other accomplishments include McLean Park, the sewerage system and the MTG projects.

"Those three project were huge projects and they all stand out."

She also felt she ran a fiscally prudent council, saying she wanted to make sure rates were kept low for those could not afford it.

She also felt she ran a harmonious council, saying while there was strong debate councillors did not let ego get in the way.

With an election coming up, Arnott's advice to candidates was to just be themselves.

"My golden rule was, if you give people good information, they will make good decisions."

She acknowledged that being in local government has new challenges in the age of social media, but her advice was to not put much stock in what is said via the internet.

"Be honest and make sure your integrity is not impugned."

She is currently a sitting member of the Hawke's Bay District Health Board and Hawke's Bay Power Consumers Trust, chairwoman of the Historic Places Trust and patron of the Napier Sailing Club, as well as volunteering on multiple school boards.

Three other residents were honoured at the awards ceremony on Wednesday.

Robert (Bob) Morrison, and Tom and Margie McGuire were awarded Citizens' Civic Awards.

Morrison is a former principal of Arthur Miller School, as well as having an extensive background as a hockey coach and with Camp Kaitawa.

The McGuires have a background as environmentalists, including being founding members of ongoing environmental education programmes, as well as helping establish the Te Kōhanga Reo o Whakatū in the early 1980s.