Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/97183
were predominantly men. Yet my experience was that there were hundreds of women out there really making things happen in our city ��� dynamic women, clever women, women whose work and opinions really mattered - and I wanted to acknowledge that. And I wanted to connect these women with other women. So I launched the forum Bird���s Eye View and started an online follow up newsletter. We have had such a range of interesting, inspirational and motivational speakers who are all making a real contribution in our city. It is something that I am planning on continuing. How are you ensuring the rebuild will create an improved Christchurch? I spend my time trying to encourage innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, to empower people to believe their own opinions and to engage in shaping the future of our city. We want to inspire the best possible ideas, attract and involve skilled and experienced people to help us create a new 21st Century city that excites our young people and provides a platform for a highly-desirable quality of life for the next 50-100 years. In your opinion, what, if any, benefits have come about through this natural disaster? We have just been included in the Top 10 Cities of the World by Lonely Planet who has said that the city recovery is winning global recognition and is set to make it one of the top tourist destinations in the world. This endorsement is seen as a massive boon to any city���s tourism industry, and I couldn���t agree more. The people of Christchurch and Canterbury are excited by the future of our city ��� out of adversity comes opportunity. We are determined to make the very most of every opportunity. Benesia Smith GM Office of the Chief Executive and currently Acting GM Corporate Services, CERA Benesia Smith is a self-described public servant at heart. Her passion lies around policy frameworks being effective for communities and making a difference in the daily lives of New Zealanders at both a national and local level. Her dedication saw her relocate to Christchurch in June 2011 to contribute to the recovery and fully understand the issues. What have you personally done to aid the Christchurch rebuild? I have worked on providing advice to Ministers about the issues facing the recovery of greater Christchurch from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. First I did this from my role as Lead Manager, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Policy in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. My job was to co-ordinate government policy advice relating to the recovery from the September 2010 earthquake. My team also worked with the State Services Commission, and other agencies as appropriate, on developing advice to Ministers on the establishment of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act. In June 2011, I was seconded from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to act as the Chief Executive���s Chief Advisor. I am currently the General Manager, Office of the Chief Executive and acting General Manager, Corporate Services. What time, costs and resources has this work consumed? For CERA - the key issue has been to ensure that we are prioritising working on the right issues at the right time with the right people and organisations, while knowing that we are only here for a short period. This all takes time, effort, patience and goodwill from everyone involved. For me personally - I work long hours - but I���m a workaholic anyhow, so that probably doesn���t count. I moved to Christchurch away from my support base, most of my whanau and friends reside in Wellington, so for me personally that has been a cost to be away from my support base. How are you ensuring the rebuild will create an improved Christchurch? I have a vision for greater Christchurch for 2020, I see people flocking to this beautiful city and its surrounds - wanting to live, work and play here. I see resilient communities, I see community facilities in place, I see the city centre and the suburban hubs all working together in building and sustaining the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the region. I see a bright future for the region. So, my job is to look at the issues we are dealing with now in the recovery phase, and the issues that might arise in the future, and ensure that as an organisation we are planning ahead, setting milestones that are stretch targets, ensuring that we have the systems and processes to deal with issues and looking ahead to how we might transition our roles and responsibilities in 2015/16. Diane Turner GM Policy and Planning, CERA Diane Turner has had many years involvement in emergency response and recovery, which started with the Edgecumbe earthquake in 1987and in more recent years, a major involvement in the recovery efforts following the eastern Bay floods of 2004 and the Matata debris flows of 2005. Where were you on 22 February, 2011? Whakatane ��� at a District Council meeting. One of my colleagues received a text as the earthquake was happening. Working and living in a community that has been impacted by a number of hazard events, from the very early news reports I knew that it was going to be a major challenge and that the recovery would take a considerable time���.but it has been even bigger than I imagined. What have you personally done to aid the Christchurch rebuild? My job is GM Strategy Planning and Policy. In that role, my team had responsibility for the development of the recovery strategy which includes the vision and goals and objectives for recovery and the on-going role of monitoring how the recovery is progressing. My team also provides advice on policy issues that will facilitate recovery. Much of our early work has focused on land zoning decisions. I also liaise very closely in my work with the four councils of greater Christchurch www.h e rmagaz in e .co.n z | 15