Allan Cook called on in local and national emergencies

The Balgownie stopbank is the biggest flood protection barrier Horizons engineer Allan Cook was involved with in Whanganui. PHOTO/ FILE

There were long hours and sleepless nights as Horizons Regional Council river manager Allan Cook and his team responded to the 2004 floods in Whanganui and Manawatu.

It's that commitment and dedication that has won Mr Cook the title of Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for public services to river and drainage engineering.

"I feel very honoured, obviously, but also very conscious that anything I've achieved has been hugely contributed to by others, and the staff I was fortunate enough to lead," he said.

He makes light of the long hours spent during the floods and during the recovery afterward.

"I don't want to make a big play of that.

"I had a contract to serve the needs of the community. When the fundamental safety and wellbeing of that community is at risk it's only what could be expected of me. It's just something that you accept when going into public service."

Mr Cook retired last year. He spent 52 years in public service, the last 45 of them for the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council. For the final 15 years he commuted from his home in Marton to Palmerston North for his role as river manager.

The 2004 flood was his biggest test.

"It was pretty hard seeing the devastation and impact on people's lives and livelihoods," he said.

Millions of dollars were spent to improve flood protection afterward. The work went on for more than 10 years.

"I didn't see it finished."

He's convinced the benefits of that work will increase and be felt for a long time. There have been some rewards - he's met appreciative people and had a sense of achievement from seeing work completed.

Mr Cook's expertise has been called on in other emergency situations, including the erection of temporary flood barriers after the Christchurch earthquakes.

Now retired, he's in a new phase of life but still occasionally called on "especially around emergency events and other specific issues where institutional knowledge has some value".

A long-term Marton resident, Mr Cook has also been elected to its local council, first to Marton Borough Council from 1980-89 and then to Rangitikei District Council from 1989 to 1992.