Health and Safety Law Progress
Worksafe New Zealand has advised that the Health and Safety Reform Bill, currently working its way through Parliament, is expected to be passed into law mid-year.
He was speaking in the debate before the Biosecurity Law Reform Bill was passed. The bill makes a wide range of amendments to the current Biosecurity Act, along with related amendments to four other acts.
Carter said in the parliamentary debate that he acknowledged the genuine concerns of growers, farmers and producers about the New Zealand biosecurity system.
However, he was disappointed about biosecurity being used as a political football by some politicians and industry leaders. He hoped the passing of the bill, with good cross-party support, would bring about “more constructive engagement”.
Labour party primary industries spokesman Damien O’Conner said Labour supported – and in fact had initiated – most of the provisions of the bill. But he was concerned that it came at a time when the Government was slashing about 90 staff at Biosecurity New Zealand.
Labour was also concerned at the self-regulation aspects of the bill, as there were “real dangers” when industries were put under pressure to cut corners, he said.
Carter later outlined, in a statement, that New Zealand’s biosecurity was world-leading, but the legislation has not kept pace with the way the system has had to evolve.
“The amended act covers the areas of border biosecurity, joint decisionmaking on newly detected harmful organisms and ongoing management of established pests,” he says. “The reforms will enable better use of information to target risks and encourage partnerships in the management of potential biosecurity incursions.”
Carter says a key plank of the reforms is developing government-industry agreements on preparing for, and responding to, newly detected pests and diseases, and for sharing the costs of jointly-agreed activities.
