Long-serving Whakatane District councillor Christine Chambers has been awarded the Queen's Service Medal in the New Year's Honours List.
Mrs Chambers is being recognised for her services to the community.
She had been on the council for 24 years, spent two terms as deputy mayor and served on numerous committees.
She had also chaired the Project and Services Committee and was a member of the Ohiwa Harbour Implementation Forum, the Pride Whakatane Committee, the Young Achievers Awards, and the Annual Grants Special Committee.
With a passion for helping those with hepatitis, Mrs Chambers has been on the Board of Trustees of the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand for 16 years, and was chairwoman for 12 years.
She helped the organisation obtain international recognition as a world leader in the management of chronic hepatitis.
She is the Commodore of Port Ohope Yacht Club, of which she has been a member for more than 25 years and has been the Patron of Theatre Whakatane for 20 years while serving on the local Creative New Zealand Funding Committee.
She is also the Patron of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Model Engineers Society.
