Overseeing and providing pastoral care for the more than 240 workers at the site, many from outside Dunedin and some from overseas, is Workforce Central Dunedin operations manager Raymond Clark.
"We are a government-funded jobs and skills hub, and our main role is to support the 40-plus contractors on the site with their workforce needs," Mr Clark said.
"Part of that is to help ensure the workers, many of whom are not registered with GP practices here, have their basic health needs met."
The organisation has contracted independent Dunedin registered nurse Judy Currie to visit the site for four hours each week to provide a range of primary health care services and wellbeing advice. These have included blood pressure checks, flu and Covid vaccinations, prostate screening, advice on health food, and this month, stopping-smoking advice.
"On site, Judy is a vital part of our pastoral care of the workers and to provide those important health services," Mr Clark said.
"She has been coming regularly since last October, and the workers have gotten to know her, so are more comfortable asking her for advice."
This month, a representative of the Southern Stop Smoking Service had spent time on-site, providing information and connecting with those who were interested in stopping smoking.
"They are continuing to work with those people, as they continue on their stop-smoking journey."
Mr Clark said the health programme on-site was working very well, and the workers were grateful for it.
"The men have shown great appreciation that they have access to someone like Judy, who can provide them with that heath support and advice."
Smokefree May
Whānau across Aotearoa are being encouraged to begin their smoke-free journey this month, as part of the "That’s Us" campaign, led by Hāpai te Hauora.
The campaign encourages whānau to give up smoking with the support of their local Stop Smoking Service.
Hāpai te Hauora National Tobacco Control manager Jasmine Graham said the support of trained "smokefree" practitioners was a critical success factor in quitting.
"It’s so important that whānau know these services are available to them in their communities.
"It takes an average of seven attempts to quit smoking. Our message is simply, even if you’ve tried before, give it another go," she said.
Smoking-related illnesses remain the leading cause of preventable death in Aotearoa.
For information and support, visit worldsmokefreemay.nz, or email admin@stopsmoking.nz.
