Consumer Advisory Group

Over the past 30 years I have lived, worked, made friends and community connections, and raised my family on the West Coast, the region I consider to be home.  I live and work with my family on our farm at Haupiri, a reasonably remote and very rural community.

I have held a lifelong interest in health, fostered through my personal and family health experiences and from having worked in health care.  I have a Bachelor of Nursing degree and worked for several years in Greymouth in primary and secondary care settings, and in health promotion working on community health projects. 

Living with a physical disability since birth and developing an ongoing inflammatory arthritis as an adult, have given me lived experiences and insight into the impact that an individual’s health circumstances and the quality of their relationships with health care services can have on the whole of a person’s life and their family.  In addition to my own health experiences, I have been privileged through my work and community and farming links to have listened to and gathered a broad and diverse range of people’s health stories and perspectives.

I appreciate the opportunity that being a member of the Consumer Council gives to contribute with others these shared consumer perspectives, our community knowledge, our disappointments and our understandings of a job well done.  I value being able to work alongside the DHB at a table where the consumer voice has a say to enhance our experience as consumers of the Te Whatu Ora West Coast and to influence the organisation of these health services around the needs and contexts of our West Coast people.

My name is Gail Cossar and I live in Westport.  I am originally from Canterbury but I have lived on the stunning West Coast for 20 years.  I love the lifestyle and the sense of belonging that living here brings.

Having lived experience of mental health, addiction issues and recovery, I am passionate about the “consumer movement” in this and other areas of health.  I have many networks and contacts far and wide around NZ, and I am very lucky to work in this field as a Community Support Worker for Emerge Aotearoa’s West Coast Activity and Living Skills Service.

My aim on the Consumer Council is to be a strong advocate for the community as we navigate the challenges of a rural health system while living in such an isolated rugged environment which we call home.

Born, raised and educated in the US, I came to NZ on a working holiday in 1974. While traveling NZ, I met my husband to be and got married, we settled in Reefton and then moved to Hokitika in 1978. We have two adult daughters born, raised and educated in Hokitika and who returned, after tertiary education and travel, to live here as well. We all choose to live here because it allows us a quality of life we enjoy in an amazing environment.

I have been involved in many organizations over the years. Play Centre committee, Kindy Committee, Hokitika Primary School Board, Girl Guides Treasurer, Heritage Hokitika and Enterprise Hokitika, WC Tourism Council. As well as raising my children, my working life in NZ began as a Family Planning administrator, later Director of our local Museum and then Take Note Hokitika which we owned and operated for 20 years. My husband and I have been very involved in the restoration of prime community buildings, it is our belief that having venues for arts, culture and theatre is really important for the wellbeing of any community.

Having been a front line worker in the shop, I have learned to appreciate what is important for the health and wellbeing of people living here. We all want employment, education, a safe place to live and raise our families. We want access to good health care and support, enough food, warm and dry housing and a clean environment. The West Coast has most of this but we need to ensure that our families have enough support to raise their children with dignity and hope for the future. Health care impacts all of us and it should be a certainty for any age.
My goal being on this Council is to ensure we all have the opportunity to thrive and be able to access Health and wellbeing services. I would like to find solutions so our communities can be assured that any individual or family can access timely help when required.

I moved to Franz Josef in 1983 while finishing my last two years of high school and went straight into tourism.  Married to my wife Kim for 30 years with one son, Shane who is now 28 and living in Rangiora.  I have been in Management for over 20 years with a local well established helicopter company, General Manager for the last 4 years.  The company operates a fleet of 13 helicopters, currently downsized to 7 in full time operation due to Covid-19.  We have been one of the first helicopter companies in New Zealand to gain SMS (Safety Management System) accreditation with the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority, March 2019. My background with the company has been heavily focused on Marketing and Human Resources.

In 1987 I began to have difficulties ascending stairs and was eventually diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.  This is a slow, progressive muscle wasting disease that has seen me walking unaided into my late 30’s, advancing to walking aids through my early 40’s to now being in a wheelchair.  I have been on several local community boards, including currently a Franz Josef Civil Defence team co-ordinator, Glacier Country Tourism Group Management Committee member and am in the process of re-forming the Canterbury/West Coast/ Tasman/Marlborough branch of the Muscular Dystrophy Association while still full time employed as General Manager for HeliServices NZ.

I have always been a fiercely independent and resilient individual with my wife and family supporting me. It has been during the latter years I have needed the services and resources of the Te Whatu Ora for my disability and through my experience in gaining assistance I can see there are still gaps in this support network that need to be filled. I look forward to having the opportunity to share my experience/s with the Consumer Council and to advocate for my fellow disabled persons.

Originally from Nelson, as a semi-retirement initiative Robyn and myself moved to Rapahoe after purchasing Rapahoe Motels as a lifestyle business.  Prior to this move I was employed for most of my working life by the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board and its previous iterations commencing as a Hospital Aide at Braemar Hospital. This hospital was a residential facility for people who have disabilities. I then trained as an Enrolled Nurse followed by registering as a comprehensive Registered Nurse.  I am also an accredited mediator.

However, the most valuable education I have received in my life so far came from the people who lived at Braemar and Ngawhatu hospital.  The majority of the people living at Braemar had significant disabilities, they caused me to look at myself and adjust my view of the world and the way society hid people who were different, inadvertently denying them what others took for granted.  I was project leader of a very competent team for the closure of both Braemar and Ngawhatu and establishing community living and the redevelopment of the mental health services.

Over the years I was employed in a number of senior management roles, including area director of mental health services, culminating in the role of Chief Operating Officer.

I am passionate about the provision of quality health and disability support services for the people of our community.  I wish to contribute my extensive knowledge and experience to the DHB staff and the consumers of health services through my membership of the Consumer Council.  Maintaining a strong connection with our communities is the way forward for the provision of relevant health services for them.