29 September 2005

Christchurch aims to be the safest city in New Zealand

Christchurch City Council has teamed up with central and local government bodies, the Police, local iwi and community organisations to focus on making the city a safer place to live, work, play and learn.

The new Safer Christchurch Strategy, launched last night, will mean a unified approach to crime prevention, injury prevention and road safety.

It sets out a wide range of actions and targets for the city’s safety and crime-prevention agencies to achieve, by working together. It also highlights the important role that the whole community plays in injury prevention and safety promotion.

“We must take action across the city to address crime and safety issues and their causes,” says Mayor Garry Moore, chairperson of the Safer Christchurch Interagency Group which has developed the strategy.

“Agencies, large and small, must work hand-in-hand with the community. Feeling safer is essential to our well-being, to our ability to get on with our lives and get the most from them.

“We all want to feel safe in our homes and on our streets. That’s our challenge. We must aspire to this always being the safest city in New Zealand.”

The main aims of the strategy are to reduce the numbers of injuries in the city, improve road safety, enhance safety from crime, and support safety and injury prevention initiatives.

Agencies will work together to plan and deliver services, to improve the results achieved and avoid duplication of effort.

ENDS

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