Miss Katareina Kaiwai, of Tokomaru Bay, KSM, for services to women and the civil construction industry
Miss Katareina Kaiwai (Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) founded Tairāwhiti Contractors on the East Coast.
A third of the company’s 38 staff are women, and she has provided training to build capability in local staff over recruiting experienced workers.
She has been involved with Te Puni Kōkiri’s Cadetship programme, supporting development of permanent Māori staff into higher-skilled roles.
She is an ambassador for women in infrastructure for Connexis and ran a Girls with Hi-vis event in Ruatoria. Her company supported recovery following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. Miss Kaiwai leads an initiative that provides 490 healthy school lunches daily.