A wellbeing index based on data from multiple agencies is being set up by CERA to track the progress of the social recovery of Canterbury following the earthquakes. The data will look at issues such as health, employment and housing and enable CERA to target areas to focus on during the coming months and years.
“The Canterbury Wellbeing Index sets the scene for where we can focus our efforts over the coming months and for the longer period of the recovery”, says Michelle Mitchell, Deputy Chief Executive for Social and Cultural Recovery, CERA.
“The Index highlights some really encouraging results. In particular, we can see that people in the 20 – 24 age group are moving quickly in to employment, many of those, involved in the rebuild. Notably, unemployment rates in this age group are half the national average.
However, the index also shows that a significant minority continues to struggle with everyday life. Intervening early and in low-key ways to help those currently struggling could help prevent more extensive and expensive interventions later in the recovery.
The data in the Canterbury Wellbeing Index will be updated every six months and is available on the CERA website at http://cera.govt.nz/cwi
Source: an edited version of a media release from CERA
