Panel sets dates for consultation meetings

Panel sets dates for consultation meetings

The Independent Forestry Safety Review will be travelling throughout New Zealand in June to talk to forestry sector stakeholders about their views on how injuries and fatalities among workers in the industry can be dramatically reduced.

“There is no excuse for the kinds of accidents leading to serious injury and death in forestry in New Zealand. No forest worker should go to work in the knowledge that they face a significant risk of injury or death. Every forestry work deserves to return home safely at the end of the day, every day”, said George Adams.

“Everyone that we have talked to in the forestry sector so far agrees that change has to happen and that forestry has had a serious safety problem for far too long. The Panel is focused on moving from hindsight to foresight and from reaction to prevention”.

“There is no shortage of safe and responsible crews and workers in our forests. They operate in all parts of the sector - from small to large. We need to learn from their example”.

George Adams advised that, “During the consultation process we will be talking to forest owners and managers, harvesting contractors, crews and workers about how forestry can change. We will also be encouraging participation in the Review by the wider communities within which this industry operates and to which it makes major contributions”.

Consultation meetings

“To ensure we talk to as many people as possible we would like to invite people who wish to be part of our consultation process to contact the Review at info@ifsr.co.nz. We will be holding a series of meetings with stakeholders in each community and would like to see a good representation from all parts of the sector”.

The dates for the public meetings will include:

Balclutha on Thursday 11 June

Christchurch on Friday 13 June

Rotorua on Wednesday 18 June

Whangarei on Friday 20 June

Gisborne on Monday 23 June

Nelson on Wednesday 25 June

Times and places for the public meetings have not yet been finalised but will be made available to those who register. “We are encouraging people to register quickly as places will be limited”, said Mr Adams.

To register people can email info@ifsr.co.nz. They need to provide the following information:

Your full name; first name and last name

Your job role

The name of the organisation you work for

Your mobile phone number

Forestry workers should contact the Panel

The Panel is also asking forestry workers to contact them as part of the consultation process. “We want to hold private meetings with workers where we can”, said George Adams. “This will enable us to understand the issues from a worker’s perspective. We are reaching out to workers in a variety of ways”.

Written consultation document

A consultation document in which brings together analysis of the sector and possible options for change is due for release in the first week of June. It will be available from the Review website– www.ifsr.co.nz.

Panel Chair George Adams said, “The document will set out the key issues impacting health and safety in the forestry sector as the Panel understands them. It will also contain some options for change. We want feedback on those options. We will let people know when the document has been published”.

The consultation document does not represent the final views of the Review Panel. It is being used to seek the views of forestry sector stakeholders about what needs to change to prevent injuries and save lives.

The Panel will consider the outcomes of the consultation process in developing its final report and recommendations for change. The views of submitters will be referenced in the final report. It is not the Panel’s intention that submissions are published or that a summary of submissions will be made available.

ENDS

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