The deadline for submissions on the Agriculture Sector Action Plan to 2013 is now closed. The full report will be available on our website soon.

Consultation on Agriculture Sector Action Plan

The Department of Labour is seeking feedback on the draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan.

A review of the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy to 2015 revealed an implementation gap between the high level strategy framework and concrete action at the workplace, sector and hazard level.

To address this gap a three year National Action Agenda has been developed that will be supported by five Sector Action Plans and a National Occupational Health Plan. The Sector Action Plans cover construction, agriculture, manufacturing, forestry, and fishing.

The purposes of the Sector Action plans are to:

• identify the most significant causes of harm to workers in the sector
• develop consensus among key sector organisations and relevant government agencies on strategies and activities to reduce those harms
• agree on priority actions and direct resources to those areas
• share information
• give effect to the Government’s goal of ‘healthy people in safe and productive workplaces’; and
• contribute to the National Action Agenda to reduce New Zealand’s work toll.

The draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan has been developed in consultation with industry stakeholders who helped determine the plan’s priority areas for the Plan, and the resulting goals. These are:

• Fewer injuries related to using agricultural vehicles and machinery
• Improved physical and mental health/wellbeing of farmers and farm workers
• Fewer injury-causing slips, trips and falls around the farm, and
• Reduced injury and illness from handling animals.

Public consultation

Feedback from key stakeholders on the draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan is requested.

Agriculture Sector Action Plan to 2013 [pdf 20 pages, 319kB] or [HTML]

How to provide feedback

Feedback on the draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan can be made through public submissions. Anyone can make a submission on the proposed Action Plan, and your feedback will be accepted in any format. However, we have prepared a form to assist you in structuring your response that ensures we get the information we need to finalise the plan.

In particular, we are interested to know:

• What you think of the plan – whether it is clear and contains accurate information, and your thoughts and reactions to the proposed areas over the next two years; and
• Any actions that you, or the organisation you represent, are prepared to contribute under the priority areas over the next two years, so these can be included in the final plan.

The effectiveness of the Action Plan in reducing the work toll in the agriculture sector depends on a range of stakeholders – both industry and government – making a commitment to take action in the priority areas.

To assist you with your submission please complete the Submission Form.

Please include the following information with your submission:

• your name and postal address, phone number, and email address (where applicable)
• your submission, with reasons for your views
• any changes you would like made to the draft Agriculture Sector Plan

Email: whss@dol.govt.nz

Post:
Consultation on Agriculture Sector Action Plan
Workplace Health and Safety Policy
Department of Labour
PO Box 3705
WELLINGTON 6011

Deadline for feedback

The deadline for submissions closed at 5pm on 2 March, 2012

Official Information Act

The Department of Labour is subject to the Official Information Act 1982, which means that your submission may be made available to those seeking information under that Act. However, the privacy of individuals will be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993.