Mrs Sandra Hazlehurst, of Havelock North, ONZM for services to local government
Mrs Sandra Hazlehurst was the first woman to be Mayor of Hastings District. She led several transformational projects, including the championing of the previously under-served suburb of Flaxmere, spearheading a record $2.1 billion core infrastructure investment over the coming decade.
She has overseen a $102 million investment into Waiaroha, the innovative drinking water infrastructure in Havelock North. She guided Hastings to become the first North Island community to adopt a multicultural strategy, becoming part of Immigration New Zealand’s Welcoming Communities Programme. She has navigated Hastings through multiple crises, strengthened relationships with the Pacific community, and overseen a record reduction in young people not in employment, education or training in the area.
Under Mrs Hazlehurst’s leadership, Hastings District Council has become the most awarded local authority in New Zealand this decade.