New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East) Regulations 2016

2016/166

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East) Regulations 2016

Jerry Mateparae, Governor-General

At Wellington this 6th day of July 2016

These regulations are made in accordance with the Royal Warrant (SR 2002/226) dated 23 July 2002 instituting and creating the New Zealand General Service Medal and on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Regulations

1 Title

These regulations are the New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East) Regulations 2016.

2 Commencement

These regulations come into force on the 28th day after the date of their notification in the Gazette.

3 Award of New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East)

(1)

The medal known as the New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East) (the medal) may be awarded.

(2)

The award of the medal is subject to the Royal Warrant and these regulations.

4 Ribbon

The ribbon for the medal is 32 mm in width, of blue, with narrow white, green, and yellow stripes on either side.

5 Operational area

In these regulations, operational area—

(a)

means all the area enclosed by a line—

(i)

commencing at a point at 42°41′N 23°39′E; then

(ii)

proceeding due east in a straight line to a point at 42°41′N 78°24′E; then

(iii)

proceeding due south in a straight line to a point at 15°19′S 78°24′E; then

(iv)

proceeding due west in a straight line to a point at 15°19′S 40°43′E; then

(v)

proceeding in a generally northerly direction along the baseline of the eastern coast of Africa to a point at 21°58′N 37°01′E; then

(vi)

proceeding in a generally westerly direction in a straight line to a point at 21°50′N 25°02′E; then

(vii)

proceeding in a generally northerly direction in a straight line to the point of commencement; but

(b)

excludes any area of Madagascar (out to the outer limits of the territorial sea of Madagascar) that falls within the area described in paragraph (a).

6 Eligibility

A person is eligible for the medal if he or she—

(a)

served in the operational area on or after 7 December 2014 as a member of, or in connection with, a New Zealand Government contribution to general regional security operations; and

(b)

was, at that time,—

(i)

a member of the Defence Force (within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Defence Act 1990); or

(ii)

a Police employee (within the meaning of section 4 of the Policing Act 2008); or

(iii)

an employee or a contractor of a department (within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Public Finance Act 1989) who is—

(A)

a New Zealand citizen (within the meaning of section 4 of the Immigration Act 2009); or

(B)

a permanent resident of New Zealand (within the meaning of section 73 of the Electoral Act 1993); or

(iv)

any other person who the Minister of Defence, on the advice of the Chief of Defence Force, determines is eligible for the medal.

7 Qualification for award

(1)

An eligible person qualifies for the award of the medal if he or she—

(a)

was engaged in service described in regulation 6(a) for 30 days or more, continuous or aggregated; or

(b)

was engaged in service described in regulation 6(a) for less than 30 days, but—

(i)

the service was terminated due to the person’s death or evacuation owing to wounds or disability caused to the person by that service; or

(ii)

the person has been given a New Zealand Royal Honour for gallantry or bravery for acts while engaged in that service; or

(iii)

an operational order, a fragmentary order, or an operational instruction stated that the person was to serve for 30 days or more in service as described in regulation 6(a), but the person had his or her period of service terminated after less than 30 days at the direction of the New Zealand Government department or agency that deployed the person, and the termination was for official reasons rather than for personal, compassionate, or disciplinary reasons; or

(c)

completed 7 sorties or more, on or after 7 December 2014, into the operational area as aircrew, supernumerary aircrew, or supernumerary crew, while a member of a unit allocated for direct support of a New Zealand Government contribution to general regional security operations.

(2)

To avoid doubt, time spent in the operational area on official visits in connection with the service described in regulation 6(a) counts towards time engaged in service for the purpose of subclause (1).

(3)

Service for which the medal is awarded is not qualifying service for any other New Zealand General Service Medal.

(4)

Service for which any other New Zealand General Service Medal is awarded is not qualifying service for the medal.

(5)

Service for which the United Nations Medal for service with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is awarded is not qualifying service for the medal.

8 Delegation

The Chief of Defence Force, or a member of the New Zealand Defence Force authorised by the Chief of Defence Force, may—

(a)

award the medal to any eligible person who qualifies for the award of the medal; and

(b)

cancel an award of the medal; and

(c)

if the medal is awarded or an award of the medal is cancelled, alter the register maintained under the Royal Warrant accordingly.

9 Forfeiture and restoration

The Chief of Defence Force may—

(a)

order the forfeiture of the medal awarded to a person; and

(b)

order the restoration of the medal to a person whose medal was forfeited; and

(c)

if the medal is forfeited or restored, alter the register maintained under the Royal Warrant accordingly.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on the 28th day after the date of their notification in the Gazette, provide for the award of the New Zealand General Service Medal (Greater Middle East) for service, rendered on or after 7 December 2014, in general regional security operations in an area centred on the Middle East.

These regulations specify—

  • who is an eligible person for the medal; and

  • what service qualifies an eligible person for the medal.

The regulations are made under a Royal Warrant, The New Zealand General Service Medal (SR 2002/226), which instituted the New Zealand General Service Medal to be awarded to members of the New Zealand Defence Force and certain civilians for “services rendered during war, and both warlike and non-warlike (including peacekeeping) operations commenced since 1 January 2000”.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.

Date of notification in Gazette: 14 July 2016.

These regulations are administered by the New Zealand Defence Force.