The Road Transport Forum annual conference has kicked off and the topic of mental health is a key theme.
The conference, run by Road Transport Association NZ Region 2 and Central Area Road Transport Association, is being held on September 24 and 25 at the Wairakei Resort, near Taupo.
The conference got underway with a pōwhiri followed with a welcoming by Taupo mayor David Trewavas.
Australian transport company owner and passionate mental health ambassador Craig Membrey took the stage as a keynote speaker.
He runs a successful trucking business and dedicates time to being an ambassador for Beyond Blue, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people with depression and anxiety.
Membrey spoke of his first-hand experience, tragically losing his son Rowan to suicide at the age of 17 in 2011.
Getting the right support networks and help is critical, he says.
“Suicide is 100% preventable if we speak up … when you are down make sure you have family around you to get support.”
Membrey is based in Dandenong, near Melbourne, and has a great career in road transport, starting out in his father Jack’s yard before stepping in to help run the family business in 1988.
RTF chief executive Nick Leggett says the road transport industry “is no different to any other sector in New Zealand and anxiety and depression are issues we all need to understand and know how to manage”.
