NZ Transport Agency — Manawatu Gorge Team
Winner: Plain English Champion — Best Individual or Team 2012
The NZTA Manawatu Gorge Team with judge Danni Williams of Statistics New Zealand
Judges' comment
The documents submitted in this entry were so well written that every judge commented on how they read as if they were a page-turner novel. The fact that two of the judges were from the US and could easily understand the complexities of a situation that is not familiar to them speaks to how clearly the team wrote the emails.
Media statement
The NZTA Manawatu Gorge team is thrilled to win the Best Individual or Team award. The Manawatu Gorge slip affected the lives of thousands of people for more than a year. It was important to keep these people informed throughout. Our approach involved being upfront about the challenges and explaining the engineering operation in simple terms. We gave the public a virtual all-access pass to our recovery effort. We used plain language that was lively, resonant and informative.
David McGonigal
NZTA Palmerston North state highways manager
2012 Awards winners and finalists