Mrs Elizabeth Cunningham, of Christchurch, KSO, for services to governance
Elizabeth Cunningham (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Irakehu, Ngāti Mutunga ki Wharekauri) was President of the Māori Women’s Welfare League Rāpaki branch and chaired Te Waipounamu Māori Women’s Welfare League steering committee. She was the first Māori elected to the Canterbury Area Health Board and the first Māori elected as Canterbury Councillor for the Environment. She chaired Environment Canterbury’s Māori Advisory Committee and was a Commissioner, leading Environment Canterbury’s climate change policy. She is the elected representative of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and chaired Te Awheawhe Rū Whenua, a subcommittee responding to the needs of the community. She was Chair of Kawawhakaruruhau at Ara Institute’s School of Nursing/Midwifery. She was the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority Governor. Mrs Cunningham is a regional member of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group.