Tēnā koutou katoa, Nau mai Haere mai

As your Mayor and on behalf of Manawatū District Council, it is my priviledge to welcome you all to today’s ANZAC Day service. Just a few short weeks ago, it did not seem possible that we would be able to meet here today, to honour those who have served in the military for New Zealand. But now hopefully with the peak of Omicron behind us, we are very pleased to be holding the District’s first major civic gathering for many months.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Feilding RSA, for their adaptability and resilience in what has been an incredibly challenging time for us all. Originally the plan was to commemorate this ANZAC Day, with the Stand at Dawn, like we did in 2020, during the first COVID-19 lockdown. But now with the changes to the rules around outdoor gatherings and the move to Orange Setting, the Feilding RSA have worked hard to provide us with a community service that is more in line with our tradition.

Your desire and efforts to provide a commemoration that is befitting of those who have served in our armed services is something that us gathering here today are incredibly grateful for.

ANZAC Day is a special time for many families, not least here in the Manawatū. The New Zealand Defence Force is engrained in the culture of our District and our region, with many military staff and whanau based here.

It’s a time for us to reflect on friendships that we form through adversity, and I take this opportunity to acknowledge our Australian brothers and sisters, who served shoulder to shoulder with New Zealanders during many battles over the past 107 years, since the Gallipoli campaign began. There is much commentary about the rivalry between New Zealand and Australia over the years, but our two nations respect each other and we share experiences that means we are forever connected.

This year’s commemorations are more poignant, given the current atrosities taking place in Ukraine. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the brave men and women in Ukraine, fighting with their lives to hold their country.

Unfortunately we have yet another reminder of the devastating impact that war has on people and its seems we still have not learnt the lessons from the past.

In the First World War, over 100,000 New Zealanders , young men and women, served in the armed forces, equating to roughly 10 percent of our population at that time. Nearly 17,000 of these 100,000 New Zealanders never returned home from the battlefields of Europe. And there have been many more New Zealanders since then, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in war.

ANZAC Day at first, gave people a chance to honour the original Anzacs – the New Zealanders and Australians who fought on Gallipoli. Then it became a day for all those who had served in the First World War. Then with New Zealanders experiencing the Second World War, and following wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations, Anzac Day has become an occasion to honour all who have worn and today wear our country's uniform in service with pride.

We reflect on that service across all past and current generations. We recognise the service men and women who have lost their lives in all military operations carried out in our country's name. The families who lost loved ones, and those who are impacted daily by mental trauma and physical injuries from war.

Today we also thank and remember those who serve our country and continue to honour the values that have been invested in the original Anzacs – loyalty, selflessness and courage.

Commemorations like these, honour those who have sacrificed so much for the free society that we live in. It is a chance for us all to reflect and ask ourselves “are we making the most of the freedom that others have fought and died for.

As we face many challenges in today’s world, our efforts may not seem much, but it is valuable to reflect on practical ways we can contribute to a better community and country .

Do we respect and contribute in a meaningful way to our community and country? Do we behave as suitable leaders and role models for our youth? Do we learn from history and uphold the ANZAC values of loyalty, selflessness, and courage.

These are just some of the ways that you and I can fight on, to be worthy of the wartime efforts that we commemorate today.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

To see the ANZAC Day message by the Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, please visit this link.