Horizons marks passing of former chairman Garrick Murfitt

Horizons Regional Council is saddened to hear of the passing of former chairman Garrick Murfitt.

Horizons chief executive Michael McCartney says Mr Murfitt, who passed away this past weekend, had a long involvement with Horizons.
 
“Garrick was a statutory-appointed member when he joined Council in 1992. He went on to be elected to represent the Tararua District before serving as chairman from 2006 until 2010.
 
“Garrick, a hill country farmer, guided the council through various challenges during his time as chairman, including recovery from the 2004 floods and the implementation of the One Plan.
 
“He was committed to working with Māori communities and was involved in a number of collaborative initiatives involving local government, iwi and hapū, and government agencies.
 
“He was also a key driver for improving the health of the Manawatū River, which led to the creation and signing of the Manawatū River Leaders’ Accord, an agreement between dozens of partners, including councils, iwi, hapū, industry groups and more, to enhance the health of the awa. The accord has been the catalyst for a range of projects and significant investment, all with the goal of improving water quality.
 
“Garrick also worked to improve access to the Manawatū River in Palmerston North through structures such as steps down to the awa.
 
“He was a larger-than-life character, an extreme extrovert, a joy to work with, and loved by everyone. He was a wonderful person and a man of real public service.”
 
Mr Murfitt was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to local body affairs, agriculture and the community, and also spent four years on the New Zealand Geographic Board.

Image kindly provided by Manawatū Standard for Horizons Regional Council use. Any reproduction of this image should first be cleared with the Manawatū Standard.