CDHB Community and Public Health return to the CBD

Community and Public Health, a division of the Canterbury District Health Board, moved into refitted offices in Christchurch’s Central Business District today – more than a year after losing their former Chester Street premises to the February 22 earthquake.

The new premises, at 310 Manchester Street, have been converted from retail and warehouse space into a permanent open plan office capable of supporting 100 staff.

Evon Currie, Community and Public Health General Manager, says today’s opening sends a strong message to the people of Canterbury.

“Moving back to the central city after being without an office for 12 months represents a new beginning after what has been a very difficult year. It should send a powerful signal to the people of Christchurch that real progress is being made in the rebuild of our city,” Evon says.

Evon says it is symbolic that as staff move into their new office today, Community and Public Health’s old ‘red zoned’ office on Chester Street was being demolished.

“All over Christchurch people have been adjusting to the new normal and using their initiative to get things done in new ways. This is certainly true for the staff at Community and Public Health,” Evon says.

“Despite staff being scattered across what were some difficult working conditions– a room in the basement of Christchurch Women’s Hospital, a student flat in Riccarton, and in their own homes – the ‘can do’ attitude of staff has delivered for the people of Christchurch,” she says.

Notable achievements for the Community and Public Health over the last 12 months include:

• setting up and staffing Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) after the February and June earthquakes,


• increased surveillance to monitor trends on the notifications of disease
• keeping the public informed on the safety of our water and rivers, and on the prevalence of disease in general
• the release of the Christchurch City Health & Wellbeing Profile
• updating the Integrated Recovery Planning Guide (the Guide assists planners and communities think about health and sustainability at all stages of their planning)
• ongoing work supporting communities to increase their own resilience – for instance supporting the development of the Linwood North Community Social Services Hub, and the Rockers of Ages Choirs
• supporting 50 schools increase health and well-being considerations across all aspects of school life.
• collaborative involvement in the successful River of Flowers commemorations on the first anniversary of the February 22 earthquake.
• growing the Healthy Christchurch initiative (there are now more than 200 signatories and 12 ‘Champions’, with CERA’s Roger Sutton being the most recent appointment)

ENDS

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