JASANZ General Manager Accreditation, Simon Bannock, recently attended the Standards New Zealand Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at Government House Wellington, joining almost 200 standards committee volunteers and stakeholders in celebrating the people whose expertise helps shape New Zealand’s standards system.

Hosted by Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, the event recognised the invaluable contribution of standards development committee volunteers who dedicate their time, knowledge, and experience to developing and maintaining standards across a diverse range of sectors.

As New Zealand’s accreditation body, JASANZ works closely with the broader quality infrastructure, where standards provide the foundation for conformity assessment and accreditation activities. The luncheon highlighted the important connection between standards and accreditation, and the role both play in supporting confidence and trust across industries, communities, and economies.

During the event, Dame Cindy reflected on the vital role standards play in everyday life and the contribution they make to safety, quality, innovation, and economic confidence. She also highlighted the importance of the experts who voluntarily contribute their knowledge and experience to the standards development process, helping ensure standards remain relevant, practical, and responsive to the needs of New Zealand’s communities, industries, and future challenges.

The event served as a powerful reminder that trust is built through collaboration. JASANZ is proud to work alongside standards development organisations and the volunteers who help create the framework that gives accreditation its strength. Their expertise helps turn good practice into recognised standards, and recognised standards into trusted outcomes.