NZ Government Calls for Submissions on Draft Strategy

The New Zealand Government has released its draft strategy for improving the health and safety of New Zealand workers over the next 10 years, and is now calling for submissions.

A key priority highlighted in the Strategy is ensuring better outcomes for Māori, and other workers at greater risk who are over-represented in injury statistics and high-risk sectors, such as forestry and construction, or more likely to be engaged in temporary, geographically remote or precarious employment.

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Iain Lees-Galloway, said New Zealand had made good progress in recent years in reducing the rate of acute harm, but that urgent work still remained if the nation wanted to be among world leaders for healthy and safe workplaces.

“The Strategy outlines an opportunity to drive ambitious, sustained and system-wide improvements in our health and safety performance to significantly lift the wellbeing and living standards of all workers and their families in New Zealand.”

“I want to ensure that we are reducing all types of significant harm at work – this includes broadening the focus from acute harm to make sure we’re managing wider health risks, including mental health.

Mr. Lees-Galloway said that once the strategy is finalised, it will outline more meaningful measures and targets for monitoring New Zealand’s health and safety performance.

The public consultation is open until June 8, 2018, and a summary of the consultation will be made available later this year. For more information on the strategy, including how to lodge a submission, please visit here.