Bravery Awards for 15 Kiwis 

Fifteen people have been conferred with bravery awards in a special honours list, including the west Auckland man, who tackled a knife wielding man in Henderson last year.

On November 28 last year Kevan Bruce Newman, 65, was stabbed to death after a 31-year-old Massey man initially attacked two store workers in a fishing tackle shop.

The suspect was shot at as he advanced on a police officer in the street, but he was not brought down until Pes Fa'aui tackled him from behind.

At the time of the attack Fa'aui's said he was no hero and was just doing what anyone would do.

"Situations like that you have to think fast and I just saw the opportunity to tackle him, just like an upper body tackle from behind," Fa'aui said.

But now Fa'aui, an environmental officer for the Waitakere City Council, is one of five people honoured with the New Zealand Bravery Decoration (NZBD) for his actions on that tragic day.

The other recipients of the NZBD are:

Constable Craig Bennett (NZ Police), who saved two children and their mother from a burning house in Dunedin.

Sergeant Ngakina Bertrand (NZ Police), for her actions during days of violent unrest in an industrial dispute in the Solomon Islands - including protecting children at risk to her own safety.

Sergeant David Templeton (NZ Police), for pursuing an armed offender, who had attacked two women and killed a man, despite the man firing at him. The man was later apprehended and Templeton was unhurt.

Sergeant George White (NZ Police), for his actions during days of violent unrest in an industrial dispute in the Solomon Islands.

Ten more people have been honoured with the New Zealand Bravery Medal (NZBM).

One of the acts of bravery came out of a horrific incident where a man set alight a woman at a Shell service station in Otahuhu.

Kali Fungkava, who had been passing by the station, took his jumper off, wet it and tried to extinguish the flames enveloping the woman. When that was unsuccessful he entered the shop to get a fire extinguisher, which was beside a burning gas cylinder that had been used to set the woman alight. Fungkava used the extinguisher to put the flames out on the woman then returned to the shop to extinguish the fire in there. The woman later died of her injuries.

The other eight people to receive the NZBM are:

Keran Durrant (Royal NZ Navy) and Able Chef Tyson Job (Royal NZ Navy), for their actions the HMNZS Endeavour lifeboat accident in 2004. Durrant and Job both suffered significant injuries in the accident, but nevertheless made sure that all occupants managed to escape and no-one had been left behind before making their own escape.

Sergeant Philip Blakeman (Royal NZ Air Force), for his part as a winchperson in the rescue of a seriously injured Australian Navy seaman, who had fallen down a ravine in the Solomon Islands. The rescue took place in low cloud and torrential rain.

Bruce Campbell, Kerry Palmer and Hugo Verhagen, for their rescue of two lost trampers in the Kaimanawa Ranges in weather that was later reported as a 50-year storm.

Squadron Leader Shaun Sexton (Royal NZ Air Force), for his part as the pilot in the rescue of a seriously injured Australian Navy seaman, who had fallen down a ravine in the Solomon Islands. The rescue took place in low cloud and torrential rain.

Joan Taylor, for her actions in helping save a young woman from being abducted. She confronted the offender as he was dragging the woman into his car. The woman escaped and with Taylor's husband ran to their house. As Joan, 62, turned to follow the offender struck her head, knocking her to the ground. The offender was later apprehended.

Staff Sergeant Dion Palmer (Royal NZ Army Education Corps), for his rescue of a seven-year-old boy at Himatangi Beach and his attempted rescue of a man, who unfortunately drowned. The pair were about one kilometre away from the flagged area when they got into trouble and Palmer went to their rescue in a strong undertow.

The New Zealand Bravery Awards are designed to recognise the actions of people who save, or attempt to save the life of another person, and in the course of which they put their own lives at risk.