All roads lead to Buckingham Palace for Russell civil engineer

Russell man Derek Michael Jepson, better known as Mick, has been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Russell man has been awarded one of the Commonwealth's highest honours in recognition of decades of road building in Papua New Guinea.

Derek Michael Jepson, better known as Mick, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours announced by the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, Grand Chief Bob Dadae, for service to commerce and the community.

Mr Jepson was born in Derbyshire, UK, and moved to New Zealand in 1982. He has lived in the Russell area for the past 25 years while travelling back and forth to Papua New Guinea, where he founded the civil contracting company Global Construction in 1994.

The firm started with half a dozen machines but is now biggest roading company in Papua New Guinea with about 300 machines and up to 1000 employees and $300 million in contracts at any one time. The company does everything from quarrying and rock crushing to road building, tarsealing and aerodrome construction.

Mr Jepson said the firm was committed to educating and promoting the local workforce, and its 1000 workers meant its wages fed about 7000 people.

"They're good hard-working people, as good as anybody."

He was optimistic about the country's prospects, saying it had "turned the corner" and had a good government that was building a lot of infrastructure.

These days Mr Jepson spends most of his time in Russell while his three Far North-based sons - Ian in Russell, David in Kerikeri and James at Puketona - run the company. He keeps a low profile, donates to local causes and enjoys the odd pint at the Duke of Marlborough on the Russell waterfront.

He will have to collect his award from Buckingham Palace.

The CBE is the third highest honour in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, above the Officer (OBE) and the Member (MBE), but below the Knight Grand Cross and Knight Commander. The order was established in 1917 by King George V to recognise contributions to the arts and sciences, charity, and public service outside the Civil Service.

Appointments to the Order are made by the British government and Commonwealth countries that don't have their own honours system. Other notable CBE holders include rugby player Jonny Wilkinson, naturalist David Attenborough, musicians Eric Clapton and Elton John, and comedian Billy Connolly.