Queen's Birthday

Queen's Birthday honours: Pacific recognised

Tanya Muagututi'a and her husband, Posenai Mavaega, have been made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Pacific performing arts.

Since the 1990s, Mavaega and Muagututi'a have provided numerous performing arts platforms for the Christchurch Pacific community to tell their stories

From 2001 to 2010, they delivered 10 Christchurch Pacific Arts festivals where local and international guests shared performance and exhibition spaces.

Pasifika should have education curated for them - Queen's Birthday Honouree

South Auckland primary school principal, Barbara Ala'alatoa, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education.

She said she was shocked to hear she was being recognised in such a way.

"It was a bolt from the blue but after my initial absolute excitement I feel, and it sounds like such a cliche, but it's incredibly humbling.

"But I take it...because education deserved to have the kudos attached to it that many other professions have and that all too often education doesn't," Ms Ala'alatoa said.