Stand Up for Safe Families
25 June 2009
Two community buses will carry family violence prevention messages around the Far North for the next year.
The messages 'Stand Up for Safe Families' and 'Cherish our Elders' were developed in consultation with the local community, who made it clear they did not want a stern finger-pointing message.
The new bus signs are a joint initiative between Work and Income Whangarei, the It's not OK Campaign and Age Concern.
They were launched on Friday 12 June by Senior Citizens Minister and local MP John Carter.
"The buses invoke a positive message - to cherish our elders, to stand up for safe families, and that's how it needs to be," he said.
The two 18-seater buses also help address transport problems on the outskirts of the Far North town of Kaitaia.
"One is a workers' bus, picking up people and taking them home through the week. The other is a shoppers' bus that picks up the elderly. Both buses help in an area where public transport is almost non-existent," Mr Carter said.
Minister Carter took a ride on the new bus to pick up some residents from Ahipara before launching the bus signs at a function at the Community Business and Environment Centre, Kaitaia, to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June.
"World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a timely reminder that we should value our older people and cherish the knowledge, skills and experience they can share with us," said Minister Carter.
