Media Release
6 April 2009

Manukau residents feel part of a close community

Results released from the 2008 Quality of Life survey show that Manukau is a tight-knit and thriving community and that residents are happier with life in general.

A close community is what makes life so good for 89 per cent of residents who rate their quality of life positively, and who value family networks.

Satisfaction with life in general increased from 80 per cent in 2004 to 88 per cent in 2008.

Conversely areas for improvement identified by Manukau residents include overall health and city pride.

The Quality of Life survey, released by the Neilson Group, provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality of life in 12 New Zealand cities, as part of a multi-council initiative.

The report includes statistics which covers all aspects of life including health and well-being, community, culture and social networks, and lifestyle.

Highlights from the report included:

• During 2008, 87.5 per cent of Manukau residents find it easy or very easy to access a park or other green space in the city
• Six out of 10 people find that public transport is accessible
• Seventy-nine per cent of Manukau residents in paid employment are positive about their balance between work and other aspects of life. This is an improvement from 2004 as only 66 per cent of residents had a positive work-life balance
• Seventy per cent of Manukau residents find that the city has a culturally rich and diverse arts scene
• About 72 per cent of residents feel positive about the quality and quantity of their leisure time
• Eighty-four per cent of residents rate their overall health positively with almost 20 per cent rating it as excellent
• Over 90 per cent of residents feel safe in their homes during the day, and 86 per cent of residents feel safe in their homes at night. The figures for safety at night have shown no change since 2006 and this can be credited to policing in Manukau and community safety initiatives.

Manukau mayor Len Brown welcomes the results of the report. “The Quality of Life report highlighted many positive aspects of life for Manukau residents. The good thing about the report is that it shows the council what residents are happy with, and points out areas in which we can improve.

“What I found really encouraging about the report is that many residents feel as though they are part of a community which I believe is a strong basis for a prosperous city.

“The council puts a lot of hard work into creating a great sense of community in Manukau and it also relies on the efforts of local businesses and organisations who work together to achieve the community outcomes of Tomorrow’s Manukau Manukau Apōpō.

“The report showed that Manukau residents are generally more satisfied with life and are benefitting from a better work-life balance which is outstanding. Manukau Parks, Manukau Arts and Manukau Leisure have worked hard to improve resident’s leisure time. The council is putting on more events which have really hit it off such as the Barry Curtis Park Opening in the weekend and also the inaugural Manukau Festival of Arts and Botanic Garden Festival.

“About 58 per cent of residents feel that they have an influence in terms of council decision-making. This is an increase on 50 per cent in 2004 and it’s good to see the figure is heading in the right direction – however, I would ideally like to see that figure sitting at around 75 to 80 per cent. It’s critical that the public get involved in the council’s decision making.

The Quality of Life project started with six councils in 1999 and has since expanded to 12 territorial local authorities, including: Rodney, North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton, Tauranga, Porirua, Hutt, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The project aims to give decision-makers information to help them improve the quality of life in major New Zealand urban areas.

ENDS

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