Good Mates: Whanganui District Council forms partnership for construction industry support

Council chief executive David Langford hoisting the Mates flag with Mates staff Graeme Haxton, Hayden Griffiths and Victoria McArthur, and Rachel Bowen (right) of WorkSafe. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui District Council is the first local authority in New Zealand to form a partnership with an organisation supporting the wellbeing of construction workers.

Mates in Construction (Mates) offers training and support services to promote mental health and suicide awareness among construction workers.

The construction industry had the highest male suicide rate of any occupational group in 2019, and Mates was formed to build awareness and offer training and support within the profession.

Council chief executive David Langford said given the level of interaction with the industry, a partnership made good sense.

"The council is a big player in the Whanganui construction sector," he said.

"We work with contractors on our projects, local tradies maintain all our facilities and our building inspectors are out on the job site with local builders every day.

"The partnership with Mates means council staff will be able to support Whanganui builders and tradies who might be struggling. This is particularly important now with inflation and supply chain issues making life extra tough for the sector."

Langford said Mates would also be looking to work across council-led projects to ensure good mental health supports were spread across the broader Whanganui area.

"We are delighted to have formalised the partnership this week and to be taking this important step as a council."

Mates chief executive Victoria McArthur was in Whanganui with field officers Hayden Griffiths and Graeme Haxton to welcome the council as a "premium" partner.

"This is the first local government entity to become a partner and this really demonstrates how forward-thinking this region is," she said.

"Whanganui District Council has a long-term strategic plan to grow infrastructure that provides a foundation for building strong and resilient communities."

McArthur said the vision of wellbeing for everybody involved and creating communities of people who could support each other aligned perfectly with the values that drove the Mates programme.

The organisation was launched in New Zealand in November 2019 and was adopted from Australia where high rates of suicide among construction workers had prompted the need for industry support.

"The construction industry continues to have the highest number of suicides across all industries in this country, so to have our first council taking on this leadership role is tremendous," McArthur said.

"This is an exciting venture to be a part of and we are looking forward to working with David and the team in Whanganui."

WorkSafe construction engagement leader Rachel Bowen also attended the partnership launch.

Langford said WorkSafe had been supportive of the partnership and it had been great to have Bowen at the launch to add that endorsement.

"It's a further acknowledgment that the council is engaging in the right way," he said.

The Whanganui partnership launch included the hoisting of the Mates flag on the council's second flagpole on its Guyton St building.

Since its New Zealand launch, Mates has inducted more than 34,000 workers into the general awareness training programme across 687 sites.