Rod Anderson

Lifelong local resident Rod Anderson has received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the New Year’s Honours list for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community.

Rod has lived in Luggate, on the same property, since 1972, and his service to the Luggate community spans more than 40 years.

He has been Luggate’s chief fire officer, is a life member of both the Luggate-Albion Cricket Club and the Wanaka Rodeo Club, and is a local Civil Defence coordinator and deputy chairman of the Luggate Community Association.

Rod told the Wanaka App he hadn’t "got my head around” the award, even though he’s known about it for a while.

"It’s an odd sort of feeling. I am humbled by it but also quite proud of my family”

Typically, Rod’s pleasure in the award relates to how it may help Luggate.

"It also raises the profile of Luggate in a positive manner. We’ve had so much negative stuff recently with the hall and water chlorination. You never know what might come out of it - maybe more positive action such as getting the hall back in action.”

Rod said he feels he’s been doing his thing in the Luggate community for so long that he’s "a bit of a bloody dinosaur”, but there are still things that need to be done, such as the hall, development of the Red Bridge historic reserve, and keeping the fire brigade operating.

Rod has been an advocate for the restoration of Luggate’s town hall since it was closed in August after being assessed as an earthquake risk. He is concerned about the hall particularly from the point of view of civil defence. "If we have an emergency now where the hell do people go [in Luggate].”

Rising property values in Luggate make it hard to keep volunteer fire fighters in town when they have to leave to afford to buy a house for their family, Rod said. He is committed to recruiting more members for the fire service.

Rod is also a key member of the group developing the Red Bridge historic reserve, a project "which is very personal for me”, he said.

Rod’s history to this area goes back generations, and his great-grandfather ran the punt at Albert Town.

PHOTO: Wanaka App