8th International Conference: Upper Limb Surgery for Tetraplegia

Tuesday 24 February 2004

Welcome to Christchurch and what I understand is the first time this event has been held in New Zealand. In fact, I also understand it is only the second time you have held your meeting in the Southern Hemisphere.

You have chosen well.

Christchurch, weather permitting, is known as the top Garden City in the world. It is also traditionally the gateway to the Antarctic and has strong historic links with the last undeveloped continent on Earth.

We are also like the old rental car ad, second when it comes to attracting conferences and conventions. First is a place up north which boasts of being both the biggest city in New Zealand but would have failed to tell you it also specialises in traffic jams. Christchurch is also the high tech hub of New Zealand and increasingly for Australasia and the Pacific Rim.

Yesterday I welcomed a multinational high-tech company who are moving here to make this their home base from Colarado. So, we are a multi layered city to visit and enjoy.

We also are home to the Burwood Spinal Unit which as some of you will know, does great work in upper limb reconstruction for tetraplegic people.

You will also give the Burwood Unit a dusting of international glamour just in time for its 25th anniversary this year. Thank you for that.

However, I intend to keep my welcome very short and non medical. After more than a quarter of a century of marriage to a nurse, I am more aware than most of how unwelcome the non-medical can be to comment on medical matters. I may be Mayor but I know my place when it comes to medical matters.