Party time in award-winning Paihia

Grant Harnish (left), Tania McInnes, Tiffany Holland (with the Community of the Year trophy) and Anne Corbett are celebrating Paihia's win. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Paihia's win in the New Zealander of the Year awards will give the town national exposure and pave the way for even bigger projects in future, community leaders say.

The Bay of Islands town was named Community of the Year in the prestigious awards in Auckland on Wednesday night.

While the town's 400-page nomination was organised by the community trust Focus Paihia, it encompassed dozens of volunteer organisations and clubs, myriad events and town improvement projects, and included Opua, Haruru Falls and Waitangi.

Focus Paihia chairman Grant Harnish said the town's transformation over the past six years showed what could be achieved when a community took responsibility for its own destiny.

The win put Paihia on a national stage as a town that was determined to help itself rather than sit back and wait to be helped. It would also pave the way for bigger projects that would need not just community and council backing, but central Government support as well.

Mr Harnish believed Paihia had won because so many different groups were pulling together and community spirit had improved so dramatically.

Focus Paihia treasurer Sarah Greener said the group was keen to share what it had learned and help create similar changes in other Far North towns.

"It's about reducing this Zombie town effect people are talking about. These places are people's homes and should be celebrated and developed, not lost," she said.

"We want to see more communities taking back ownership of their towns, not just sitting back and waiting for someone else to do it for them."

[See below for Paihia's top tips on creating a winning town]

More than 700 people attended the awards night including last year's New Zealander of the Year, Kaitaia GP Lance O'Sullivan, and many of the country's movers and shakers. Paihia's $5000 prize will go to a yet to be decided project.

A 'party in the park' celebration will be held at 5pm next Saturday, March 7, at the Paihia waterfront. Bring a plate of food to share.

Upcoming projects in Paihia include a mountain bike park in Waitangi Forest, a social survey, improved lighting on Williams Rd and expanded CCTV.

- Groups involved in Paihia's Community of the Year entry included the Cruise Ship Committee, Waitangi Golf Club, Bay of Islands Rotary Club, Paihia Community Patrol, Bay Bush Action, Fish Forever, Business Paihia, Friends of Williams House, Paihia Op Shop, Bay of Islands Yacht Club, Paihia Fire Brigade, St John Ambulance, Bay of Islands Special Olympics and the Paihia branch of the Motel Association of NZ.

Focus Paihia's tips for creating a great town

1. A community has to want to grow, then take responsibility for leading the charge.

2. A community requires a vision. You need to know where you are and where you are going. This helps build unity.

3. A community needs to identify and support its leaders to drive projects forward. Leaders need to always do what they say they will do and be open and transparent. Personal agendas need to be put aside.

4. Be inclusive and financially self-sufficient. It's no good having your hand out.

5. A community needs to encourage and acknowledge all levels of contribution, big or small. It all makes a difference.

6. When getting started a community needs to choose win-win projects that are realistic, do-able and will make an instant difference. This helps create buy-in. It's okay to bite off more than you can chew, then chew like hell. Just don't choke.

7. Celebrate your successes and have fun.