Joe Harawira, Whakatane, QSM, for services to sawmillers' health
Mr Joe Harawira has spent the last 30 years seeking recognition for the health needs of workers at the Whakatane Sawmill who may have been poisoned by chemicals. He has been a spokesperson for Sawmill Workers Against Poisons, which produced a survey of former sawmill workers and their families. The survey was used to bring together the Ministry of Health, the Health Research Centre, the Ministry for the Environment and Te Puni Kokiri. This led to research into the health of ex-sawmill workers, which in turn led to the establishment of special health services and a clinic. Mr Harawira is highly respected for his work ethic, his organisational skills, and his drive in having sawmill workers' health needs recognised.