Thank you Jan and good afternoon to you all.

I would like to start by acknowledging Hon Nathan Guy and Pat Dougherty.

It is an absolute privilege to be here today to be a part of this historical moment as the Kapiti Coast District Council is formally recognised as being the first local council in the world to be presented with a certificate for the successful completion of the Consensus Based Disability Management Audit.

By gaining this certificate, the Kapiti Coast District Council has attained international best practice for workplace injury prevention and rehabilitation with a return to work focus.

Already, the Kapiti Coast enjoys a great reputation both in New Zealand and around the world as a popular place for golfing, camping and fishing and with this certification, you have now made your way into the record books in terms of your commitment to safe work practices.

This is a remarkable achievement and one that I hope other councils and organisations the world over will aspire to.

As a nation, we can't overestimate the importance of having safe workplaces with quality programmes in place to help employees return to work after injury or illness.

An early and sustainable return to work is good for the individual, good for the employer, and good for the nation.

I recall two years ago, getting a letter from a man who needed ACC approval for surgery following a work-place injury and was itching to get back to work.

Unfortunately due to the complex nature of his condition and the need for extensive medical assessments it took some time for his surgery to be approved.

In his letter, he described how his attitude had changed from wanting to return to work to starting to enjoy long cups of coffee and basking in the sun.

The longer he spent off work, the less he wanted to return. He had changed from a man who took pride in his work, to someone who had lost his drive to get himself back to work.

The social cost to the nation of work-related injury and disease is huge - an estimated $13 billion a year, which equates to more than a billion dollars a month.

Overseas research shows that organised return-to-work programmes help people get back to work nearly two and a half times faster than would otherwise occur.

The fact that the Kapiti Coast District Council has gained certification shows that you are well aware of the social cost that comes with work-related injury and disease and the need to get people back to work as soon as it is safely possible.

You are showing other organisations throughout New Zealand and throughout the world the way forward.  Well done.

Thank you.