A surprised and delighted Jim Boult says becoming a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit is recognition of the hard-working team behind him.
The former Queenstown Lakes district mayor was one of 19 southerners to receive honours on this King’s Birthday.
Nationwide, business leader Theresa Gattung was made a dame for services to women, governance and philanthropy,
as was former media executive Joan Withers for services to business, governance and women.
World-renowned Prof Peter Hunter was made a knight for services to medical science.
Locally, Invercargill-born and former Dunedin-based Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck was also made a knight for services to the aerospace industry, business and education.
Like Mr Boult, Cardrona champion Mary Lee was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to snowsports and tourism.
Mr Boult, 72, received his King’s Birthday honour for services to local government, tourism and the community.
He served two terms with the Queenstown Lakes District Council before standing down in 2022.
During his tenure, he led a series of projects to bolster the district, including an initiative to provide affordable homes, a localised bed tax, which was about to be introduced to Parliament when Covid arrived, the implementation of a government working party for freedom camping and the $2 Orbus public transport scheme.
On the bed tax, Mr Boult said he was "thoroughly disappointed it’s not already in place", but continued work behind the scenes to try to see it to fruition and while he was pleased with the work he led on housing, "the caveat on that is I wish we could have done more, quicker".
"I’ve got a strong belief that every Kiwi who puts a fair effort into it has a right to live in their own house, and we lost that ability a couple of decades ago," he said.
He also worked with the government on initiating shovel-ready projects and establishing the major events fund; chaired the Otago Lifelines Programme for natural disaster readiness and the Metro Mayors section of local government; and is patron of the Child Cancer Foundation (CCF), Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and Whakatipu Rowing Club and chairman of the Canterbury Museum Working Party.
In 2015 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tourism and the community — but this latest honour was a "complete surprise".
"I have no idea who put me up for this and, of course, you don’t find out.
"I’m enormously appreciative."
However, he believed it also recognised the "wonderful people" he worked with at the council, and, particularly, his family — wife Karen and children James and Victoria.
"It’s nice to be recognised, but there are a whole lot of people who make up the team that caused this to happen."
— Additional reporting Hamish MacLean
