Wanaka resident John Ombler, CNZM, QSO is appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the public service in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

John has had a 43-year career in the public service and was appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order in 2013 for his services to the state.

John’s career began close to his Wanaka home: in Makarora, as a park assistant. He became a ranger, and worked in national parks around the country before becoming a senior manager in the Department of Conservation.

He then moved to a role in the former State Services Commission (now Public Service Commission).

“One of the greatest things is actually being able to serve the public,” John told the Wanaka App. “I think we’re well blessed with a very dedicated public service in New Zealand, and being able to be a part of it is a privilege.”

John pointed out that much of the work the public service does is not in isolation, but working with Iwi, NGOs, and community groups, among others.

“A lot of these things are really a team effort,” he said. “I am working alongside some really amazing people, and that has been very, very rewarding.”

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The characterisation of New Zealand’s response to Covid-19 as the work of “a team of five million” sums up that team approach, he said.

John noted how well New Zealand consistently ranks in the global democracy index as one of the least corrupt public services, and said one of the great things about New Zealanders is that they care about their public services, and when they feel they aren’t being well-served “they don’t hesitate to say”.

Since his retirement in 2013, when he returned to his birthplace of Otago by moving to Wanaka, John has gone back twice to lead public service agencies in response to significant crises. 

He reprised his role as chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority from 2014 to 2016, the year CERA was disestablished. In 2020 he became All-of-Government Controller for the response to Covid-19, chairing the five-member National Response Leadership Team, made up of the Director-General of Health, Director of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, and the All-of-Government Operations and Strategy and Policy Leads. 

In this role, he had responsibility and oversight for coordinating the public service response at a strategic and operational level – from the National Crisis Management Centre, to cross-agency officials’ meetings, to on-the ground delivery. 

Meeting daily during the initial months of the pandemic outbreak, the team had a key role in advising the prime minister and cabinet on the complex breadth of Covid-19 matters, and

ensuring public service agencies were ready to turn executive decisions into practice. 

In November 2017 John was appointed to conduct an inquiry under the State Services Commissioner into financial irregularities at the Waikato District Health Board.

John is now on a five person panel, commissioned by Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, looking at the future of local government in NZ. 

He will be travelling a great deal, but always returning to Wanaka, and said while technology enables him to work remotely, “face to face is very important” in his role.

John and his wife have a large property in Wanaka and are avid gardeners, and in the spirit of public service which marks his career, he also volunteers for the Matukituki Restoration Trust.

“We are up the valley regularly clearing stoat traps, which we thoroughly enjoy contributing to,” he said.

As for how much change in the public service John has observed during his career, he said: “The public service has modernised hugely, we’re able to operate in different ways, but the core value of serving the community hasn’t changed and I hope it never does.”

John acknowledged his “supportive and accommodating” family during a time of “huge domestic disruption” during the past few years when he returned to the public service.

See the full list of Queen's Birthday Honours here.

PHOTO: Supplied