Motorsport and cycling advocates honoured

Transport planning consultant and Bike Auckland chair Barbara Cuthbert along with New Plymouth motorsport volunteer Don O’Connor have been recognised in the latest New Year’s honours.

Cuthbert gets the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for more than 30 years’ work at a transport planner and being instrumental in getting central and local government to work together on cycling projects.

Since 2008 she has been chair and spokesperson for Bike Auckland which is a key stakeholder with Auckland Transport and the NZ Transport Agency, providing feedback on design initiatives and transport strategies.

Her citation says Bike Auckland has encouraged planners and engineers to cater for the needs of a range of bike users (including electric bikes) in road design, transport decisions and urban planning.

“She has been a significant advocate for implementing cycling projects around the city, including securing funding and communicating the importance of relevant planning projects.”

Don O’Connor becomes a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his services to motorsport, holding various key positions in the Taranaki Motorcycle Club and the Taranaki Car Club.

In the 1990s he ran the NZ Ducati Dealers Race Team which won several national championships and also had international success.

O’Connor supported racers at Daytona USA and the Isle of Man TT, was secretary/treasurer of the New Zealand Speedway Board in the 1980s and made 10 junior speedway bikes for school pupils to practice on.