Canterbury Plunket Centre

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language. Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is afternoon (sign).

May I specifically greet you: Carol Becker, President of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society; Paul Baigent;  Chief Executive Officer of Plunket; Christine Lake, Plunket New Zealand councillor for Canterbury; Christine Haughey, President of the Plunket Centre Building Committee; Your Worship, Bob Parker, Mayor of Christchurch; past presidents and life members of Plunket; staff and volunteers; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

My wife Susan and I are delighted to be with you this afternoon for the opening of the new Canterbury Plunket Centre.

As Governor-General and Patron of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, I have been asked to formally open this new centre, and just before I do, I would like to reflect briefly on the significance of the organisation to New Zealand.

The Governor-General role carries with it invitations to be Patron of a significant number of New Zealand organisations and charities.  But the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society is one with which I have the strongest of personal associations.

For example, my mother was a Karitane nurse.  And my medical practitioner father was a "gp".  So there was little doubt that I was going to be a Plunket baby.

While Susan was not a Plunket baby, as she was born in Australia, she more than made up for this when we had our three children.  All our children were Plunket babies, and Susan became actively involved in the organisation, serving as president of the Rose Road Branch of Plunket and Vice-President of Auckland Plunket.

So my family has been keenly aware of the enormous contribution that Plunket has made to the health of New Zealand babies and to the confidence and happiness of their mothers.

And since being appointed Governor-General in August 2006, Susan and I have continued our support of Plunket, for example, attending part of and speaking at the Centenary Conference in Dunedin last year and holding a family fun day at Government House in Auckland last week to celebrate the organisation's 100^th birthday in that part of the country.

As Lisa Macknight wrote in the Otago Daily Times during the centenary celebrations last year, "Like the All Blacks, ANZAC and buzzy bees, Plunket is part of the fabric of New Zealanders' lives".

In Canterbury, Plunket began in 1908. Eleven years later the Lady KingKaritaneHospital was opened and it operated for nearly 60 years before its closure in 1978.

So Plunket has been helping the parents of Canterbury for a century.

Through that time, it has changed and adapted to meet the needs of new generations.  But the emphasis on being champions for the children of New Zealand, and their families, has remained a constant.

Plunket has not only been a champion for individual children but has also gone into bat for children and their families at both local and national levels.

This new building is a great example of the way Plunket is evolving to meet new needs of New Zealand's fast changing and increasingly diverse society.

It brings together under one roof, a Plunket clinic, the Karitane Family Centre and the Canterbury car seat rental scheme.  There is also plenty of space as well for playgroups and parent education programmes.

This 'one stop shop' approach will enable a greater co-ordination of Plunket activities and also offer a better service to the families that use its many services.  I am advised that this Centre is likely to be used as a role model for further facilities of this kind.

Canterbury is accordingly leading the way with both style and vigour. I am told that of the $1.2m needed for this building, there is only about $100,000 still to raise.  

This is apparently in the tradition of the Canterbury Plunket. I am told that the first fundraising event for Plunket in Christchurch was held in 1907, the year before the organisation formally began here because the women of the city were so enthusiastic to get Plunket off the ground.

That event was a garden party and I am told that in spite of bad weather, a grand total of one hundred and twenty-five pounds was raised, that being a significant amount of money in those days.

That magnificent effort has been mirrored a century later by people here today and those who have supported this valuable organisation over the last century.  The Canterbury and New Zealand community is stronger and healthier for your work.

The point was well made by former New Zealand academic and now British MP Austin Mitchell in his famous 1972 book, The Half-Gallon Quarter-Acre Pavlova Paradise.  He quoted one of my predecessors by writing as follows: "A former Governor-General pointed out that "if it were not for the success of the Plunket Society there might be no All Blacks."

Success lies not only in the health of babies and children.  Just as important is the engagement of Mothers with each other, and in civic participation.

So, on that note, may I add congratulations on your achievement in bringing this ambitious project to fruition.   As Governor-General of New Zealand and as your Patron, it gives me great pleasure to declare the Canterbury Plunket Centre officially open.

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Maori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.  No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.