Massey student nominated for New Zealander of the Year

Tuesday 5 December 2017

Massey University Masters' student Ms Marnie Prickett has been selected as one of ten nominees for New Zealander of the Year.

Massey student nominated for New Zealander of the Year - image1

Marnie Prickett speaking up for waterways.

Last updated: Wednesday 29 June 2022

Massey University Masters’ student Ms Marnie Prickett has been selected as one of ten nominees for New Zealander of the Year.

The competition honours those who have made the country a better place, and is run by the New Zealand Herald.

Ms Prickett, who was recently named New Zealand’s ‘River Voice’ at this year's New Zealand River Awards, has proven a powerful voice for New Zealand waterways.

She received the New Zealander of the Year nomination predominately for her work with Choose Clean Water NZ, which involved spearheading a campaign that delivered a 13,000-strong petition to Parliament demanding tougher laws to make all waterways swimmable and have the country’s freshwater policy prioritise the health of people, wildlife and the environment.

“This nomination and the ‘River Voice’ award are important to me because they show that New Zealanders care deeply about their rivers, lakes and streams. The people absolutely choose clean water for their country – they have suffered as their awa have suffered, and the public is clear that New Zealand’s waterways must be respected, protected and restored.”

The 33-year-old is also a shining example of someone who has revisited higher education in later life.

“Returning to study was a hard decision but the right one. I’m so glad now that I did and, after the Bachelor of AgriScience, I’m very lucky to have ended up with a Masters project that is exactly the work I hoped I would be doing.”

Voting is open for the People’s Choice Award, which was introduced last year and closes on December 9.