3 minute read
Carterton District Council
GEOFF HAMILTON (LEFT) WITH CLINTON THOMPSON. Carterton District Council focuses on men’s mental health and well-being
A renewed focus on well-being has reaffirmed the commitment of Carterton District Council to our community’s resilience. Our vision of Carterton is to be a welcoming and vibrant community where we all enjoy living. Renewals of the Local Government Act means CDC and other local authorities, are responsible for improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of our communities. We measure our progress not only by our core services, such as roading, water, and infrastructure but also lifting people’s quality of life. As well as maintaining our material networks, we also consider our environment, and the quality of social connection, our services provide. CDC is stepping up when it comes to mental health at our workplace and in our community too. We support a range of initiatives, local, national, and international, which support and encourage well-being in our district. We have implemented our ‘Wellbeing Strategy’ and given firm support to initiatives such as the upcoming Gumboot Friday appeal. Two of our leaders, Geoff Hamilton and Clinton Thompson, have backed the renewed focus on well-being. Geoff, is CDC’s Chief Executive, and said the extraordinary pressures people faced in the past two years have made an impression. “The uncertainty has been a challenge for us all and has often manifested itself over time. The impact of covid-19 has been significant. As the pandemic and public health response arrived, Council acknowledged that the financial and social impacts would be substantial. But changes in the way we operate, set by local government, meant we had to change the way we worked. Not everyone was happy about these changes. As a result, some of our frontline staff faced some unfair verbal abuse. We’re immensely proud of our staff for putting their own health on the line to keep services running.” Geoff said CDC is driven to promote and protect the social well-being of our community. “Normalising discussion on mental health, removing the stigma and helping our community and Council whanau know where to go for help. We are here to help members of our hapori who feel they are struggling.” CDC’s renewed focus on well-being also includes supporting a strong and effective council providing trusted leadership, creating, and maintaining a caring community that is safe, healthy, and connected, and an empowered community that participates in Council and community-based decision-making. Those roles do not end at the council offices or chambers. Our public facilities, spaces, and parks are crucial to our community’s social well-being. As Parks and Reserves Manager, Clinton leads the team responsible for maintaining our green spaces. But he is also an important part of a Wairarapawide team promoting mental health awareness and supporting our whānau and hapori. Clinton said his team are leaders in our community and highly visible. “As such, it’s not just a question of doing the right thing but living it. That is especially true when it comes to protecting our own mental health and that of our colleagues, and the community. Community well-being has to be front and centre of everything we do.”
book a boys night out you can even wear your gumboots!
