When the UV index is 3 or more sun protection is essential. Photo / 123rf.com
When the UV index is 3 or more sun protection is essential. Photo / 123rf.com
Sunshine may be what we crave right now, but its deadly potential was laid bare to councillors on the Coromandel where 247 people were diagnosed with melanoma in a single year.
Kate Mason, from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society, said New Zealand has the highest rate of the most serious skin cancer in the world.
Thames-Coromandel District Council had a "crucial role" in helping change that.
"[The council] has just 16 per cent of activity areas with at least some shade," Mason, a health promotion co-ordinator for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty, told councillors.
A council spokesperson said following the meeting that Reserve Management Plans set out provisions for tree planting and shelter on reserves aim to provide shelter from the sun.
Part of The Cancer Society's charitable work is advising decision-makers on evidence and research to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer.
In a submission on the Tairua Pauanui Reserve Management Plan, the organisation said 247 people registered as having melanoma in the region in 2018 and implored the council to protect its communities.
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The Coromandel has a high level of UV radiation compared to many other regions in New Zealand.
It also has a proportionately high number of retirees who have had a lifetime of UV exposure.
"The effects of exposure to harmful UV radiation is cumulative, so it is later in life that skin cancer frequently develops," says Kate. "It's unsurprising that for the Coromandel, home to large numbers of retirees, skin cancer is an issue."
The UV index indicates the strength of UV radiation at a particular location.
When the UV index is 3 or more sun protection is essential.
"On average, Thames-Coromandel District has a maximum UV of 6 or more, which is considered high for over five months of the year, which is huge," says Kate.
"Thames-Coromandel District has a maximum UV of six and above on 166 days, over five months of the year, so that's huge. Because UV is not directly related to heat, we don't always realise the UV rate is so high, so it's important to be using sun protection even on cloudy or cool days when the UV index is 3 or above."
The society funded research into which council areas did the best job of providing shade in public places like playgrounds and it showed the Coromandel could do better.
"Councils and schools can have a big influence, as it's not relying on people taking those personal measures, particularly with groups like teenagers. Our research has found they tend to seek shade if it's available."
The Local Government Act highlights the need for a healthy and safe environment in communities, she told the council. "And it's clear Tairua and Pauanui could benefit from an increase in shade to reduce the impact of cancer in the area."
Another aim of the WBOP Cancer Society is to reduce cancers in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty caused by exposure to smoking, both active and second-hand exposure.
Thames-Coromandel was one of the only councils in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty without a smokefree policy in public reserves, she said.
"We are only one organisation in a complex environment and need the support of the council, local organisations and the community, to achieve our goal.
"It is only by working together using a health impact lens on our decision-making that we can hope to make a real difference to the burden caused by smoking and over-exposure to UVR in our community and our country."
The society recently appointed a supportive care nurse who both lives and works in the Coromandel, supporting those in Thames-Coromandel communities through their cancer experience.
With the current Long-Term Plan the council recognised and celebrated the vital role the natural environment played in supporting wellbeing, according to its objectives.
"We acknowledge that built shade is expensive; therefore, priority could be given to areas of high use in the first instance, such as Ajax Head and Royal Bill Point in Pauanui, and Manaia Esplanade in Tairua. We recommend any BBQ facilities and seating includes prioritising some shade, either built or natural."
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand and is highly preventable. Up to 90 per cent of melanoma and 95 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers are caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
The SunSmart Global UV app is a great way to find out the UV index each day.
Compared with other councils New Zealand-wide, the council was in the second quartile for shade provision in playgrounds. It has just 16 per cent of activity areas with at least some shade cover, while 80 per cent of playgrounds have shade within 10m of play equipment.
In 2018 there were 247 registrations of melanoma, 34 melanoma deaths in 2017 and an incidence rate of 51.3 per cent between 2001 and 2017 in the region. This did not include the huge number of non-melanoma skin cancer cases.
Research funded by the Cancer Society said additionally, 65 per cent of those surveyed said they would pay $10 extra per year to see more shade in public spaces, with 55 per cent saying they would pay $30 extra.
