Dr Les Molloy, of Lower Hutt, QSO, for services to conservation and outdoor recreation
Dr Les Molloy led New Zealand’s first wilderness conference, drafted the first national wilderness policy, and was instrumental in advocating for wilderness areas to be identified and gazetted. He pioneered the use of the Recreational Opportunities Spectrum for New Zealand’s protected areas and advocated for ending the logging of native timber on crown land. He played a key role in the addition of Olivine Wilderness Area of 83,000 hectares being added to Mount Aspiring National Park. He was Director of Advocacy for the Department of Conservation. He has been appointed to a range of government advisory groups. For more than 20 years, he travelled internationally, assessing areas for addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Dr Molloy has published seven books and 35 papers on natural history and landforms.