Whangarei District is the 4th designated Safe Community in New Zealand and number 98 in the world. Designation Ceremony 30th March 2006. Whangarei celebrated its re-designation at a ceremony on the 10th October 2011.

Name of the community:  Whangarei District
Country: New Zealand
Number of inhabitants: 80,000
Programme started year: 2001
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 2006 & 2011
To download full application: www.safecommunities.org.nz/sc/wsc

For further information contact:
Owen Thomas
Community Services Manager
Community Services Department
Whangarei District Council
Walton Plaza
Private Bag 9023, Whangarei 0148
Ph:09 430 4230 ext 8791, Cell 027-488 5647
owent@wdc.govt.nz

Info address for community as a whole: www.whangareinz.com  or www.wdc.govt.nz

The programme covers the following safety activities:
For the age group :

• Children 0 – 14
  

  -       Bikewise Month – Mayoral Challenge
  -       Falls prevention - Caregiver education via safety checklists and group sessions
  -       Fire safety – Caregiver education and home visits to install smoke alarms – Te Kotahitanga Project
  -       Child restraints - Caregiver education group sessions
  -       Hauora Whanui Roadside Check Clinics with Police
  -       Child restraint subsidised rental schemes
  -       All injury education groups sessions for pre-schoolers and their carers
  -       Under Five’s Water Wise
  -       Pool fencing programme
  -       Smoke Free Homes
  -       School Road Patrollers
  -       Roadsense for primary schools
  -       Walking school buses – primary schools
  -       Feetfirst programme in  primary schools 

• Youth 15 – 24 years
  

  -       Whanau Hapu programme for drink drivers
  -       Bikewise month for cycle safety training
  -       Speed Awareness Campaigns and Speed Reduction Education
  -       Drink Driving - Shattered Dreams project
  -       Students Against Drink Driving (SADD) groups
  -       Modified car project
  -       “Is it worth it”
  -       “Dress the Part”
  -       Fatal Vision programme – Drink driving education in schools
  -       Alcohol Accord – Forum for licensee’s
  -       RADAR - Interagency alcohol and drug harm reduction media campaign,
  -       Drive Soba Programmes - Behaviour change of recidivist drink drivers
  -       Rugby World Cup (RWC) – Interagency licensed premise monitoring and compliance
  -       Whangarei Alcohol Monitoring Group – Interagency Sale of Liquor Act Team
  -       Northland Brief and Early Alcohol Intervention Projects
  -       Whangarei Emergency Department Alcohol Data Collection Project – in conjunction with ACC
  -       Bikewise Month – Mayoral Challenge and ‘Go by Bike day’
  -       RYDA, Prelicence Driver Awareness Training
  -       Drivers License Assistance Courses
  -       Driver Fatigue Stops
  -       Motor Cycles Training Courses
  -       Drive to the Conditions
  -       Coffee Brake
  -       Boy Racer – Modified Vehicle Programme
  -       Smoke Free Playgrounds and Parks

• Adults 25 – 64 years
  

  -       Whanau Hapu programme for drink driving drivers
  -       Slips Trips and Falls awareness programme
  -       Down with Speed campaign
  -       Driver Fatigue Stops
  -       Promotion of use of personal flotation devices
  -       Workplace Safety Management and Evaluation
  -       ACC Accredited Employer (Partnership) Programme
  -       Driving - speed awareness campaigns and speed reduction education
  -       Pool fencing programme
  -       Workplace Safety Evaluation Programme
  -       Motor Cycles Training Courses
  -       Drive to the Conditions
  -       Coffee Brake
  -       Alcohol Accord – Licensed Premises – on and off licences
  -       RADAR  - Interagency alcohol and drug harm reduction media campaign
  -       Fatal vision campaign – dangers of drink driving
  -       Drive Soba Programmes - Behaviour change for recidivist drink drivers
  -       Rugby World Cup – Interagency licensed premise monitoring ad compliance
  -       Alcohol-harm reduction media/radio awareness
  -       Raised awareness of alcohol, violence and sport amongst rugby clubs
  -       Whangarei Alcohol Monitoring Group – Interagency Sale of Liquor Act compliance
  -       Northland Brief and Early Alcohol Intervention Projects
  -       Whangarei Emergency Department Alcohol Data Collection Project
  -       Crashes on Bends
  -       Pace Car

• Older Adults 65+ years
  -       Soba Driver Programme – for recidivist drink drivers
  -       Falls Prevention – Modified Tai Chi programme
  -       Falls Prevention – Otago Exercise Programme
  -       Falls Prevention - Awareness campaigns
  -       Falls Prevention – Step Ahead
  -       Safe with Age – Older drivers’ programme (run until 2010)
  -       Driver Fatigue campaign
  -       Driver Refresh workshops and practical driver coaching sessions
  -       Coffee Brake

In the following environments:

• Home
  -       Slips, trips and falls prevention
  -       Water safety – in baths and pools/spas
  -       Fire and burns prevention
  -       Safety belt and restraint use
  -       Cycle safety

• Traffic
  -       Soba Driver programme for recidivist drink drivers
  -      Whanau hapu programme for drink drivers
  -       Drivers license assistance courses
  -       Speed awareness and reduction
  -       Fatigue awareness
  -       Modified vehicle project
  -       Coffee Brake Programme
  -       Driver licensing
  -       Pace Cars – Pedestrian/vulnerable road user safety
  -       Safety belt and restraints use
  -       Cycle safety
  -       Don’t Buy a Lemon – mobility scooter education
  -       Summer Safe Carparks

• Occupational
  -       Workplace Safety Management Practices programme
  -       ACC Accredited Employer (Partnership) Programme
  -       Workplace Safety Evaluation Programme
  -       Roadsafe Northland workplace Safe Driving Award
  -       Whangarei Alcohol Accord Host Responsibility Award

• School / Pre-school
  -    Road safety
  -    Slips, trips and falls prevention
• Sports   

  -       Sports injury prevention
  -       Tai Chi classes for falls prevention
  -       Youth access to alcohol programme
  -       Summer safe project
  -       Swim for Life initiative
  -       Poolz ‘n Schoolz
  -       Waka Ama Water Safety Project
  -       Kaitiaki Moana (Maori Safety initiative)
  -       Prevention of sale of alcohol to under 18’s
  -       Promotion of use of personal flotation devices
  -       Vehicles on Beaches project
  -       Whangarei Alcohol Accord – Host Responsibility Award
  -       Whangarei Alcohol Accord – LCQ Training for Sports and other clubs volunteer bar staff

• Community 
  -       Dargaville Fielddays
  -       CitySafe
  -       Graffiti Response

Violence prevention

-          Blow the Whistle on Violence campaign – Alcohol and Violence in Sports clubs and licensed premises - RWC
-          Whangarei Alcohol Monitoring Group – Working with Licensed Premises Harms
-          Research into Alcohol and Violence – Police, Public Health and Mental Health and Addiction
-          White Ribbon
-          “It is not ok” Family Violence Prevention Programme
-          Parenting Workshops
-          Neighbourhood Watch
-          Graffiti Response
-          Blue Light Programme

Suicide prevention

Supporting national Injury Prevention strategy.

Programmes aiming at “High-risk groups”

-       Child Restraint Ante-natal workshops
-       RYDA young driver programmes for year 11 students in secondary schools
-       Workplace Safety Management Practices – Adult workforce: improving safety in the workplace
-       Tai Chi/OEP/Step Ahead programmes - Older adults 65+ years: falls prevention

Surveillance of injuries

The Safer Whangarei Network (SWN) regularly assesses injury rates in the Whangarei District, and finds opportunities for promoting a culture of safety in the district.

The SWN monitors injury statistics from a range of sources, including:
-       ACC data (showing location and type of injury, age / gender / ethnicity of person injured and cost of injury claim);
-       The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) data (highlighting all reported vehicle crashes, how the crash occurred and who was at fault, number of people injured and degree of injuries);
-       Police reports (highlighting the number of crimes reported, any injuries sustained as a result of these crimes, and degree of seriousness of these injuries);
-       Consultation with key people and organisations in the Whangarei District with an interest in injury and injury prevention; and
-       Injury data relating to attendances of Whangarei District residents at the Whangarei Hospital Emergency Department.

The current population base for the Whangarei District is estimated to be 80,000 and for injury statistics and rates calculation Census 2006 counts have been taken as base population.

There were an average of 42 injury deaths per year between 2006 and 2010. There were an average of 35,276 injuries per year between 2006 and 2010.

Road crashes were one of the leading causes of injury death for Whangarei District, accounting for 146 of injury deaths (during 2006-2010). For the fiscal year ending June 2011, Northland recorded its lowest road toll in 30 years. There were only 14 deaths on the region’s roads during 2010-11 which was well below the 30 year average of 37 deaths. This success has been credited to close working relationships between the partner agencies in the region who utilised multiple strategies like, enforcement, education and engineering with support and community involvement in these initiatives.

NZ Police Annual Report for 2010 shows that in total 10,977 crimes were committed in Whangarei District and 57% of them were resolved. About 2500 were drugs and anti-social crimes and violence accounted for about 1900 crimes.

ACC statistics highlight the Whangarei District as having one of the highest injury rates for the country per head of population, across all claim areas. The District also has the highest number of claims per 100,000 of population for home injuries.

Publications

Whangarei Sub-Urban CPTED-IPTED Safety Report
A report commissioned by the Northland District Health Board, Whangarei District Council and the Manaia PHO. The report provides an assessment of each study area (major parks and shopping centres in 4 suburbs) against best practice policy and design, current literature, site visit commentary, statistical analysis and consultation. It includes detailed recommendations regarding possible future design amendments/improvements and any operational or policy changes which are considered to impact directly on the safety or accessibility of an area. This report has formed the basis of a community engagement programme where stakeholders are engaging with an identified resident’s group in each suburb to support community action on the recommendations within the report.

CitySafe Stop Graffiti Pamphlet
Using a range of information from around NZ this pamphlet provides residents with advice on what can be done in response to graffiti vandalism. The 4 R’s – “Remove, Reduce, Resource and Report” these are the principles of this advisory pamphlet.

Summer Safe Carparks Pamphlet
A double sided pamphlet that includes the three key messages of this campaign focused at reducing theft from vehicles – Hide it, Lock it and Report it. The pamphlet also includes a “Warrant of Safety Checklist” to encourage action by car owners.

CitySafe Pamphlet
A summary of CitySafe that encourages members of the public to utilise the toll free call centre to report issues of concern that make people feel unsafe.

International Commitments

The core members of the SWN have found numerous opportunities to share information about programmes developed in the Whangarei District.

Participation in Safe Community conferences: 

• 17^th International Safe Community Conference in Christchurch 2008
• Attendance at National ISC Forum in Auckland September 15th 2007
• Attendance at National ISC Forum in Auckland on 23 August 2009
• Attendance at National ISC Forum in Wellington 15th November 2010

RoadSafe Coordinator for the region attended TRAFINZ Conferences (The New Zealand Local Authority Traffic Institute) every year since 2006 except 2011. This is the major road safety conference for New Zealand.

Other highlights

Region’s three Road Safety projects have won Road Safety Innovation Awards during 2006-2010. A private sector firm (from Whangarei) won a community education award around safety during 2009 for the first time. This safety project was run with schools and private firms operating heavy vehicles on rural roads.

At least three safety projects developed in Whangarei District have been profiled in the National Newsletter of SASTA (Safe and Sustainable Transport Association of Aotearoa NZ) and these were:
-       Don't buy a Lemon Mobility Scooter project
-       Pace Cars
-       Child Restraint Ante Natal clinics

Staff

This application has been developed by an intersectoral group, the Safer Whangarei Network (SWN) which comprises representatives of a core group from Whangarei District Council, ACC Whangarei, Whangarei Police, Northland District Health Board, Plunket, Roadsafe Northland and NZ Fire Service.

The personnel resourcing put into each project is reflective of the project focus. For example, for road safety programmes, RoadSafe Northland and NZTA contribute more personnel, and for falls prevention, ACC provides more personnel resourcing. Work is also done by many other organisations with an interest in injury prevention, such as the New Zealand Fire Service and Sport Northland as appropriate to individual programmes.  Further contributions are made by contracted providers and in the form of in-kind contributions from community organisations.

The Community Services Manager at Whangarei District Council acts as a point for contact for SWN.

Safer Whangarei Network (SWN) group reports to the Northland Intersectoral Forum, a strategic high level group consisting 23 representatives form all major organisations in Whangarei and Northland. SWN is the working group and has 13 members. All are full-time, except one.

Names and organisation of the members of Safer Whangarei Group are as follows:

• Sue Bodle and Rachel Woodworth - ACC
• Bridget Rowse, Brian Harris and Mandi Cross - Public and Population Health Unit, Northland DHB
• Morag Van Der Veer - Part time contractor to Road Safe Northland
• Troy Netzler and Marnie Worth - NZ Police
• Craig Bain - NZ Fire Service
• Gillian Archer - Road Safety Co-ordinator for RoadSafe Northland
• Owen Thomas - Whangarei District Council
• Vanessa Ward - Brain Injury Assn
• Lisa Jones - NZ Plunket