Winners of the New Zealand Road Safety, Emergency Response and Healthcare Awards were recognised at a ceremony in Christchurch on March 26, highlighting contributions from individuals and organisations working across road safety, emergency response and healthcare.
The awards, run by the National Road Trauma Centre, recognise those working in emergency services, hospital and primary care, and community road safety initiatives.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger opened the event, which brought together leaders from across the sector and marked the programme’s expansion into a nationally recognised initiative.
Chair of the awards executive committee John Barr says the awards play an important role in recognising contributions that often go unseen.
“The annual Awards for New Zealand Road Safety, Emergency Response and Healthcare are an excellent way to recognise the people and organisations across New Zealand who are making country-wide and regionally important and significant contributes to improving the safety on our roads including in emergency situations when accidents occur,” Barr says.
“The Awards are important for New Zealand as an effective way of recognising and celebrating these brilliant individuals and organisations that, without the Awards, would fly under the radar,” he says.
This year’s awards also included the first Australasian recipient and introduced a one-off regional road safety category.
The National Award for Emergency Response and Healthcare was awarded to the Twizel Medical Centre team for its response to a multi-casualty bus crash near Lake Pukaki in July 2024, where around 100 tourists were involved.
The team treated 46 patients in challenging conditions, including icy roads, poor visibility and communication barriers, as part of New Zealand’s rural PRIME emergency response network.
Chairman of High Country Health Ltd, trading as Twizel Medical Centre, Simon Williamson says the award reflects the role of rural responders.
“Through collaboration between primary care teams, ambulance services, and the wider health system, the PRIME program continues to enhance the safety and resilience of rural communities by bringing skilled emergency care closer to home,” Williamson says.
“It’s a real privilege to accept this award recognising the work of the Twizel Medical Centre PRIME emergency team,” he says.
The National Award for Road Safety was jointly awarded to Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd and New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for delivering a nationwide training programme to improve road safety capability.
The programme has trained more than 600 road safety auditors and influenced more than 10,000 infrastructure projects.
Principal engineer Kenn Beer says the programme reflects a collaborative approach.
“We are proud to have worked alongside the NZTA Road Safety Team to design and deliver training that strengthens technical understanding and helps practitioners apply Safe System principles in real world decisions,” Beer says.
Strategy director safety at NZTA Fabian Marsh says the programme has strengthened capability across the sector.
“This collaborative effort between the NZTA Road Safety Team and Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd stands out as a model of innovation, leadership, and excellence in building national road safety expertise,” Marsh says.
Regional awards were also presented, including recognition for the South Canterbury Road Safety Team for its community-based safety programme, and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora for its WAVE initiative focused on improving safety outcomes for young people.
The awards were first launched in 2021 and have grown from a regional initiative in Canterbury into a national programme recognising contributions across the country.
