Queen's Birthday Honours: Richard Jeffery 'humbled' by ONZM

CHB resident Richard Jeffery has been honoured for his work for the community in South Auckland.

"Humbled" was the reaction of newly welcomed Central Hawke's Bay resident Richard Jeffery , who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in today's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Recently relocated from the north, Jeffery was honoured for services to governance and the community in South Auckland over the past 18 years.

As the former chief executive of the Second Nature Charitable Trust, he raised about $50 million for the Vodafone Events Centre as well as the Vector Wero Whitewater Park.

"We quickly established that Manukau needed a heart and a focal point, so we went ahead and developed and raised $50 million to build the Vodafone Events Centre which is the performing arts and Māori Events Centre. It's got a 700-seat performing arts theatre and a 3000-seat arena.

"Once that was successful we looked at what other projects could achieve something of national and international significance that could still be used by the South Auckland community, and that was the Vector Wero Whitewater Park."

Thanks to an upbringing in the country, Jeffery wanted to give children in Auckland opportunities to take risks in a controlled environment.

"There are so many kids who grow up in an urban environment that don't have the same opportunities as others, so we wanted to create something that let them take risks and enjoy themselves. If you don't take risks in life, then you don't learn.

"We realised that there wasn't really a lot of opportunity around Auckland for kids to get out and about and if they did want to do something that involved the outdoors, they needed to get out of the city, book a venue, book accommodation and then it just becomes too much. So we wanted to create something which gave them opportunities close to home."

Recently retired, Jeffery still intends to keep busy around the Hawke's Bay region.

"I can't really sit still for long, I've recently taken up a directorship with Hastings-founded micro-brewery manufacturer Williams Warn. They're really innovative and I'm really excited to be on board with that."

With a soft spot for Hawke's Bay, Jeffery is now happy to call it home.

"We've had a bach at Bayview for a number of years and that's always been our escape from insanity. We fell in love with a house in Central Hawke's Bay and now we're calling it home."

In terms of the ONZM Jeffery said he was extremely humbled.

"It doesn't just reflect the work that I've done, but the work that everyone in the trust has done. Everyone has worked really had to make a difference."