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Bridge of navy vessel - Source: ONE News -
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The Royal New Zealand Navy has sailed to victory in this year's Business Excellence Awards, winning its highest accolade, the Gold Award.
Only two other gold level awards have been presented in New Zealand in the past 13 years, the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation says. The awards, which are based on international criteria, gives gold winners official world class status.
The awards' judges highlighted the navy's many world class systems and commitment to its goal of being the best small-nation navy in the world.
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Tony Parr, says the navy's small-nation goal is about delivering operation excellence, and delivering against its mission, in full, on time and when it is asked.
"To do that we need to be organisationally excellent. We need to have people who are fit, resilient, trained, educated and motivated to get out there and do that business," he says.
The navy has been a finalist in the awards before. Parr says clinching the top spot reflects the force's continuous improvements to understand the business inside out and where its resources - its money, people and time - are spent and used throughout.
It is a complex business, he says, operating 12 ships, and managing, administering, feeding, training, educating and employing its 2,000 personnel.
Parr says the award is recognition that the navy has achieved the organisational excellence component of being the best small-nation navy in the world.
"We're up there and doing it," he says.
The public sector dominated the winners' podium, with the New
Zealand Fire Service and the Western Bay of Plenty District
Council placed second and third respectively.
