Waitakere City has a unique natural environment, a diverse population and a rich historic, artistic and cultural legacy.
Name of the Community: WAITAKERE CITY
Country: NEW ZEALAND
Number of inhabitants: 167,400
Programme started year: Late 1994
‘WHO-designation’ year: 1997 (Application), 1999 (Accreditation)

THE PROGRAMME COVERS THE FOLLOWING SAFETY PROMOTION ACTIVITIES:
  
"Kidsafe Week" is an example of a community safety project in Waitakere City. This annual week-long event is aimed at reducing child injuries.

For the age group:

Children 0 - 14 years:
Specific projects e.g. child restraints, safer homes, school safety, cycle safety, playground safety and many others.

Youth 15 - 24 years:
Winter sports, especially rugby / rugby league & youth suicide.

Adults 25 - 64 years:
Safer homes, fire safety, safe public places etc.

Elderly 65+ years:
Falls prevention trial & other falls initiatives, home safety, pedestrian safety, and general advocacy.

AT THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTS:

Home:
Several projects promoting various aspects of home safety especially for children and older adults.

Traffic:
Numerous projects rail, motor vehicle, cycle, pedestrian etc. all age groups.

Occupational:
Covered by government department – Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

School:
Projects promoting injury treatment, curriculum safety, safe environments. Safe policies in both schools and pre-schools.

Sports:
Touch rugby, rugby league, rugby, netball, tai chi.

Leisure:
Water Safety, sports.

Other:
- Alcohol related - advocacy around development of better local information, especially re non-road injuries, a range of specific projects.

-Maori Community - comprehensive programme developed and managed by Maori - includes taitamariki (young children) kaumatua (elders) and sports injury - as well as a major focus on environmental safety.

- Pacific Islands - Pacific Islands programme developed by and for the several different island communities (with their own languages). Mainly pre-school children focus.

Violence prevention:
Associated project - Safer Community Council and wide range of community agency projects eg.
Zero Tolerance to Violence.

Suicide prevention:
Inter Agency Project initiated by Safe Waitakere resulting in community wide plan of action.

Programmes aiming at ‘high risk groups’:
High risk populations:
- Maori
- Pacific Islands people

SURVEILLANCE OF INJURIES:
National level only. No gathering of data at local level. No local hospital. Multiple private A & E clinics not funded to do this. Meetings held with purchasers of health care but no national policy to date.

Statistics
Mortality and hospitalisation data annually for Waitakere City residents.

Numbers per year:
Fatal injuries 1989 – 1994 numbered 336 an average of 56 per year. Hospitalisations 1989 – 1996 numbered 17431 an approximate average of 2179 per year.

Population Base:
1991 census 136,000
1996 census 155,000
1998 (estimate) 167,400 (Statistics NZ)
2000 (projected) 173,000 (Statistics NZ)

Started year: 1995
Monitoring of injuries for the purposes of this project began in 1989.

NB: The following document is available from the Injury Prevention Research Centre, University of Auckland.
Injuries in Waitakere City 1989 – 1996
Data from the Waitakere Injury Monitoring System

PUBLICATIONS (SCIENTIFIC)
The project has not produced scientific publications itself, although programmes arising have had some publications.

Extensive external evaluation by the Injury Prevention Research Centre (University of Auckland) has produced the following documents.

CPR 24: WCIPP Formative Evaluation Report Developmental Phase

CPR 29: Process Evaluation Report of the WCIPP

CPR 30: Outcome Evaluation Report of the WCIPP

CPR 31: WCIPP: Summary results from the Formative, Process and Outcome Evaluations.

Various factsheets have also been produced and are available from IPRC, including Factsheet 23

Waitakere Community Injury Prevention Project Improves Safety Practices
IPRC Telephone +64 9 3737599
Fax +64 9 3737503
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/ipc/index.htm

PRODUCED INFORMATION MATERIAL, PAMPHLETS:
In general information available from other agencies is used, however we do have available some information such as the list following:

• Child hospitalisations annually ‘Keeping Kids Safe in Waitakere’.

• Burns and Scalds Community Education Kit.

• Burns and Scalds School Kit.

• Community Education Kit and pamphlets Pacific Islands
  (Brochures in six languages)

• Community Safety Audit (schools).

• Hot Water Temperature.

• Handrails.

• Swimming Pool Safety.

• Youth Suicide Intervention Plan.

• Pointers to Prevention: Child Safety.

• Flyers: Various e.g. cycle safety, falls, etc.

• Kidsafe Warrant of Fitness Report (WCC), July 1998.

• Sustainable Home Guidelines: chapter on Household Safety (WCC).

• Safer Homes for Older People.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTMENTS:
Study visits:
New Zealand Safe Communities pilots workshop hosted 1997
- many visitors each year - NZ and overseas.

Participation in Safe Community Conferences: Sydney, Melbourne, Rotterdam

Hosting Safe Community Conferences:
1999 – Community Safety Conference Pacific Rim.

Hosting ‘Travelling Seminars’:No

Other: Along with IPRC and IPRU instigated an initiative to establish NZ’s Injury Prevention Network ‘Network Day’ (to launch the initiative). This will be held in Waitakere on the day following the Pacific Rim Conference. The Network will allow better national communication and therefore more international opportunities.

Part of the Community Injury Prevention Project Board.

Number:
CIPP 2.75
Road Safety 1
TOTAL 3.75 FTE

Professions p/t or f/t: Injury Prevention Practitioners
Permanent: YES
Temporary: From time to time as individual projects determine.
Organisation:
Governance Group: Community Injury Prevention Project (CIPP) Board –

Members from ten agencies. The project is based at local Government but is accountable to this inter-agency Board.

Organisation:
Three components
- General Population
- Maori
- Pacific Islands
each with own Management and Support Groups.

Working Groups: Some are ongoing, meeting regularly

e.g. Child Safety
Older Peoples Safety

Some are issue-based and time-bound

e.g. – ‘Firesafe Waitakere’ (smoke alarms)

- Safer Homes

Some result in other major projects

e.g. – Working Group on Alcohol has evolved into a separately funded stand-alone project with its own co-ordinator.

Over 60 organisations are represented on the various working groups.

Specific intersectoral leadership group:
CIPP Board - IO Agencies

General public health / health promotion group: On CIPP Board and Injury Working Groups

For furhter information contact:
Carol Everard
Waitakere City Council
Private Bag 93109
Henderson
Waitakere City
New Zealand
Ph: +64 9 836 8000 ext 8562
Fax: +64 9 836 8000
Email: carol.everard@waitakere.govt.nz