Background New Plymouth District, population 69 000, is an accredited International Safe Community. The safe community programme is led by a coalition of agencies in the form of a charitable trust, known as New Plymouth injurySafe (NPiS). One of its key functions is ensuring the community is informed and consulted on priorities for injury prevention and safety promotion. In 2011, NPiS commissioned a comprehensive community injury needs assessment report, the third such report, following on from the first in 2001 and the second in 2006.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose The objectives of the research were: to provide statistics on injury patterns and trends and consult stakeholders on priorities and strategies; and to reflect on the value of the safe community programme to date.

Methods Researchers conducted statistical analysis, a literature review, stakeholder interviews, an email survey and issue-specific focus groups.

Results/Outcomes The three injury needs assessments provide a wide-ranging set of local injury statistics extending back over 20 years for some data. While acknowledging the limitations of relying on data to assess the impact of the safe community programme, encouraging trends are identified, including the district's comparatively low all-age injury hospitalisation rates during the period the programme has been functioning. The presentation will describe how each of the three reports has helped to shape the safe community programme.

Significance/Contribution to the Field The reports are shown to be a major resource for the district and an enabler for injury prevention action.