Media Release

20 April 2012

Do you have the $10,000 answer to the $7 million question?

Time is running out to showcase your Kiwi ingenuity as part of ACC’s Idea Nation.

Idea Nation is an ACC competition looking for ground-breaking solutions to help prevent falls in the home, particularly among the working age population. There are four categories: secondary students and schools; tertiary organisations, students and staff; business; and general public with a $10,000 prize for the best idea in each.

Last year, falls in Otago homes cost $7 million dollars and around 5,450 working age Southerners were injured, including 3,200 residents in Dunedin City; 991 Queenstown-Lakes residents and 835 Central Otago District residents.

Public Injury Insurance Manager Sacha O'Dea said ACC had already received over 400 ideas from around the country. But the organisation wants to hear more solutions from New Zealanders before the competition closes on 27 April.

This is the last call for ideas and your brain wave counts.

“There are very few evidence-based solutions for tackling falls among working age people worldwide. We know that New Zealand is a nation of innovators and creative thinkers, so we’re asking Kiwis to use their number eight wire thinking to help us solve this problem,” said Sacha O'Dea.

“We’re particularly keen to hear about design and engineering solutions. You could brainstorm solutions as a fundraiser, think of ideas as a family activity to entertain and educate your kids or swap ideas as a group of colleagues or friends,” said Sacha.

The competition closes on 27 April – go to www.ideanation.co.nz and be in to win $10,000.

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