David Parker congratulates New Year 2021 Honours recipients

Attorney-General Environment

Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment David Parker has congratulated two retired judges who have had their contributions to the country and their communities recognised in the New Year 2021 Honours list.

The Hon Tony Randerson QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to judiciary. The Hon Lyn Stevens QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the judiciary and the community.

David Parker singled out for special mention their work undertaken on separate reviews that set the groundwork for important and far-reaching change benefitting all New Zealanders.

Hon Tony Randerson chaired the Government’s review of the Resource Management Bill in 1991. More recently he chaired an independent panel conducting the most comprehensive review of New Zealand's resource management system since 1991, delivering the panel's report to the Government in June 2020.

“The panel, chaired by Hon Tony Randerson, designed a plan for tomorrow’s resource management system to deliver better outcomes for the environment, people and the economy,” David Parker said.

Hon Lyn Stevens headed the Government’s 2016/17 inquiry into the Havelock North water contamination, which recommended the mandatory treatment of all public drinking water supplies in New Zealand, and called for the establishment of a dedicated drinking water regulator.

“Drinking water is the most basic determinant of health. The report led by Hon Lyn Stevens highlighted the failures in our system and recommended changes to substantially improve the safety of drinking water across the country,” David Parker said.

“We owe both a debt of gratitude for their achievements and their outstanding contributions.”