Wairarapa dark sky champion Viv Napier's lifetime of civic service has been recognised in this year's New Year honours. Photo: LDR/SUPPLIED
A former Wairarapa mayor has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her decades of civic service to the community.
Viv Napier, former South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) mayor, said the honour came as a complete surprise to her.
"I couldn't believe it," she said, adding she double checked to make sure she had read the email correctly.
"I saw the email and thought 'this is pretty amazing'," she said.
"It's quite exciting."
The honour recognises her substantial contribution to the region and its organisations, most recently championing the establishment of its Dark Sky Reserve.
Napier's contribution to the region and its community dates back to the 1990s.
Her involvement spans volunteer work with Plunket, SWDC, serving on Wairarapa DHB and most recently chairperson of the Wairarapa Dark Sky association.
Following extensive work by Napier and her team, Wairarapa is now one of a small number of international Dark Sky Reserves.
It received the designation from DarkSky International in January 2023.
Lonely Planet named the North Island as one of the top 25 best places to visit in the world next year, with Wairarapa one of the top experiences for stargazing, wine and food.
Viv Napier MNZM is chairperson of the group responsible for Wairarapa getting dark sky reserve status. Photo: LDR/SUPPLIED
Napier started work on the project more than eight years ago, when she was mayor.
"We had to go through the whole process of accreditation, which is huge. You have to do an inventory of all of the public lights in the whole district. That was mammoth.
"You have to go out in the day, and take photos of them - and then at night, with a light meter, you have to take readings of each individual light.
"It took months and months, and it was only four or five of us doing it.
"Luckily we have some amazing people."
In addition to her Dark Sky work, Napier has volunteered with a wide range of organisations.
She served as vice-president and president of Plunket Wairarapa between 2007 and 2016, and has also served on the national Plunket board.
She was first elected to SWDC in 1995, serving a total of 24 years, including four terms as deputy-mayor and one term as mayor.
She was an active member of the Wairarapa district health board for four terms, sitting on several sub-committees including serving as chairperson for the Wairarapa DHB hospital advisory committee.
As chairperson of the Waiohine river floodplain advisory committee, she spearheaded a ground-breaking flood management strategy, protecting hundreds of homes, businesses, and farms from future climate risks.
Gaining certification for Wairarapa as one of only 21 international Dark Sky Reserves worldwide has helped establish the region as a top-tier destination for astro-tourism.
In 2023, Napier won the Business Wairarapa Tribute Award and the Bright Star Award from the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand.
She lives in Greytown with her husband, and their cat called Bob. She has been a South Wairarapa resident for more than 50 years.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.