Wellbeing remains on track

Quality of life remains at high levels in greater Christchurch according to the latest Wellbeing Survey by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA).

CERA Acting Chief Executive John Ombler says the surveys have shown a progressive improvement in peoples’ wellbeing since the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and it now appears to be stabilising at 77 per cent reporting a positive quality of life.

“It’s great to see people continuing to feel positive about life in this city, which I’m sure has a lot to do with the progress we are seeing in our recovery from the earthquakes,” Mr Ombler says.

“Things we can experience like the newly opened Margaret Mahy Family Playground and Bus Interchange, and the reopened Art Gallery, give us all a lift as we look ahead to what is still to come.”

The Survey is run every six months to give people the opportunity to say how they're going and what they think about the earthquake recovery.

“People are still facing challenges with on-going stress an issue for 20 per cent of residents. Overall confidence in recovery decision-making has decreased,” Mr Ombler says.

“This decrease is understandable as we move through the transition to the new arrangements that will continue the regeneration of Christchurch following the end of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. However it is encouraging to see that the rebuild of Christchurch remains one of the Government’s top four priorities in the Budget.”

“Services to help people with the stress they are facing have already begun transitioning to the agencies that are taking over responsibility for them. The Community in Mind Strategy and Shared Programme of Action and services like the Residential Advisory Service and the Earthquake Support Co-ordination Service remain in place to help residents get the advice and support they need for on-going pressures such as unresolved insurance claims.”

The Ministry of Health through the Canterbury District Health Board will inherit on-going responsibility for delivering the Survey as well as the Canterbury Wellbeing Index on 1 March 2016.

The CERA Wellbeing Survey was conducted by Nielsen between September and October 2015 with 2,526 residents selected randomly from the electoral roll in Christchurch City, Selwyn District and Waimakariri District.

The results are available at www.cera.govt.nz/wellbeing-survey.

ENDS

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