Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown recognised the work of three outstanding local volunteers at the 2024 Community Civic Awards ceremony today.

Peter Lowe

Mayor's Award for Public Service 

Nominated by Dr Brett Painter and Rab McDowell

Numerous people in this district have benefited from the volunteer work of Peter Lowe, who receives the Mayor’s Award for Public Service.

If you have played rugby in the Hinds area, farmed anywhere in the district, or attended Ashburton College, then the chances are very high that he has worked hard on your behalf.

Peter’s volunteer work has been about people, and also the environment, and it has spanned more than 40 years. And all this while running a high-performing farming business with wife Diane.

Peter has been described as loyal, honest, and a sound thinker. Whatever the role, he has been in it for the right reasons and never for his own ego.

He has served and led committees for the Hinds and Southern Rugby Clubs and last year was made a life member. He chaired the board of trustees at Hinds School and Ashburton College, and he has been a member of the Hinds and District Lions for at least 10 years.

Peter’s voluntary work with farmers and the environment began with the modestly-named Hinds Drains Working Party. Following this work he was presented with an Environment Canterbury outstanding contribution award titled ‘Leading Mid Canterbury into a new more sustainable era of water management’.

He has since overseen important and groundbreaking work, like the development of Managed Aquifer Recharge in our district, and the establishment of the Hekeao Hinds Water Enhancement Trust. He also chaired the Independent Irrigators’ Society.

His work in this water space is hugely important, as it shows farmers the tools and science now available to reduce the impact of things like nitrate leaching.

All these groups and organisations are much richer for his contributions and he has never sought the limelight, despite the huge number of hours given.

Below: Peter Lowe and his supporters.

Robert Maxwell

Civic Award

Nominated by Annie Jacobs and Antony McElwain

Robert Maxwell receives a Civic Award for cleaning down nearly every single headstone in the Methven Cemetery over the past two to three years.

The retired farmer once lived at the base of Mt Hutt, but he now lives at Methven House. He has been a member of the Methven Lions since 1986 and when the club began talking about a project to clean up old gravestones at the cemetery, Robert led the charge.

He has spent 12 to 15 hours a week at the cemetery, in all weathers, completing the work, and paid for many of the cleaning materials himself. He had to clean up 100 years of moss, lichen, dirt and dust on some of the headstones and that involved a lot of physical scrubbing, using wire brushes, the occasional toothbrush and not to mention a lot of bending and kneeling.

Robert has polished and cleaned up every headstone where possible and the standard of workmanship has been described as excellent. Cemeteries are special places and family are not always close by to keep headstones in good condition, so he has helped preserve an important slice of the district’s history and brought respect to the memory of those who have gone before us.

It is noted that earlier this year the Methven Lions Club presented Robert with a privileged member award.

Robert is known for being a man who likes to get things done, even in his twilight years. He is also described as humble, gracious, kind and thoughtful - one of the Methven community's unsung heroes.

Below: Robert Maxwell with Mayor Neil Brown and Deputy Mayor Liz McMillan.

Ashburton RSA

Ashburton Medal

Nominated by Cezarne Rogers and Dellwyn Moylan

The Ashburton RSA receives the Ashburton Medal for supporting war veterans in our community over the past 108 years.
Like many other small towns in New Zealand, Ashburton’s RSA was established after World War One and has had to reinvent itself in modern times. Today, it is proudly amongst the few RSAs remaining with a physical location.

Over the past seven years, a small and committed team led by president Merv Brenton and vice-president Allan Johnstone has worked hard to keep the place open, as well as support serving and returned members of the Armed Forces, and non-service members.

The fact that Ashburton has continued to stay open and as busy as it is, is a testament to the hard work of Merv and Allan and a series of presidents and committees, who have all worked to increase and diversify membership and make the RSA a venue for everyone.

There is no paid general manager, and all the work in this role is done by volunteers, who manage a small number of paid staff. The ability of the committee to keep the hospitality side of the business afloat during covid and now during a cost-of-living crisis is to be commended.

For some in our community, the RSA is where they go for support and to connect with others. Currently, the RSA supports 144 returned service people and veterans, as well as assisting the Ashburton Cadet Unit. Members now range from teenagers, right through to those in their 90s.

Alongside the pastoral care work the RSA does for veterans and members, they visit schools on Anzac Day and Armistice Day, and run services at rest homes. The RSA also organises services for the community on Anzac Day.

The Ashburton RSA today is a hub of the community being used by many groups and people.

Below:  The Ashburton RSA team and supporters.