Why NZ WAVES?
Community-Driven Innovation for Safer Water Recreation in Porirua and beyond
In June 2024, over 100 passionate residents filled the Porirua City Council chambers in support of an amendment proposed by Councillor Kathleen Filo. The amendment called for the urgent repair of the Rukutane Point Pump Station—located just 700 metres from Titahi Bay beach—to be included in Porirua City Council’s Long-Term Plan, with a commitment to complete the work within three years.
The community’s stories were powerful. Residents shared personal experiences of illness linked to recreational water use, highlighting the urgent need for change. It became clear: our approach to water safety and public health needed to evolve.
Leading this shift was Paula Birnie, who championed the development of a community-driven data surveillance tool for recreational water users. While the concept isn’t new, Paula’s approach—leveraging digital innovation to enhance early detection and improve visibility of public health data—offered a fresh perspective on understanding the true burden of waterborne disease.
To inform the design of the tool, the team used the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) process to gather data from territorial authorities and Wellington Water. This helped shape a more responsive and informed product; a dedicated team collaborated with scientists, physicians, researchers, and recreational water users to test and refine the concept. Their insights and feedback were invaluable.
One year later, a talented group of undergraduate students from Whitireia Polytechnic brought the concept to life as part of their capstone project—transforming an idea into a working prototype.
The WAVES tool is currently designed to collect aggregate data from people engaging in water activities predominantly in the Porirua area at this stage. These locations are frequented by known regular swimming groups. It is hoped the community will provide enough valuable data in the coming months to attract further investment to enable this product to capture data from all over Aotearoa New Zealand.
Requests have already been received to add a drop-down box in the questionnaire for animals, so dog owners can also contribute to the data set. Animals are often impacted by disease before humans and can be invaluable to raising awareness to disease early.
Now, we invite you to be part of this journey. Help us track the real story of water-related illness in our community. Together, we can amplify our voices, protect our health, and shape a safer future for everyone who enjoys our beautiful coastline.
In June 2024, over 100 passionate residents filled the Porirua City Council chambers in support of an amendment proposed by Councillor Kathleen Filo. The amendment called for the urgent repair of the Rukutane Point Pump Station—located just 700 metres from Titahi Bay beach—to be included in Porirua City Council’s Long-Term Plan, with a commitment to complete the work within three years.
The community’s stories were powerful. Residents shared personal experiences of illness linked to recreational water use, highlighting the urgent need for change. It became clear: our approach to water safety and public health needed to evolve.
Leading this shift was Paula Birnie, who championed the development of a community-driven data surveillance tool for recreational water users. While the concept isn’t new, Paula’s approach—leveraging digital innovation to enhance early detection and improve visibility of public health data—offered a fresh perspective on understanding the true burden of waterborne disease.
To inform the design of the tool, the team used the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) process to gather data from territorial authorities and Wellington Water. This helped shape a more responsive and informed product; a dedicated team collaborated with scientists, physicians, researchers, and recreational water users to test and refine the concept. Their insights and feedback were invaluable.
One year later, a talented group of undergraduate students from Whitireia Polytechnic brought the concept to life as part of their capstone project—transforming an idea into a working prototype.
The WAVES tool is currently designed to collect aggregate data from people engaging in water activities predominantly in the Porirua area at this stage. These locations are frequented by known regular swimming groups. It is hoped the community will provide enough valuable data in the coming months to attract further investment to enable this product to capture data from all over Aotearoa New Zealand.
Requests have already been received to add a drop-down box in the questionnaire for animals, so dog owners can also contribute to the data set. Animals are often impacted by disease before humans and can be invaluable to raising awareness to disease early.
Now, we invite you to be part of this journey. Help us track the real story of water-related illness in our community. Together, we can amplify our voices, protect our health, and shape a safer future for everyone who enjoys our beautiful coastline.