Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

Last week was another one spent travelling the length of the country. On Tuesday, I was in Whangarei for a series of meetings with iwi and business leaders regarding mineral exploration potential in the area. This was followed by a site visit to the Marsden Point Oil Refinery.

Marsden Point produces 70 per cent of New Zealand's refined oil needs, and directly employs more than 300 people. On Wednesday, I was in Auckland for the Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards. Congratulations to Transpower, which won the premier Overall Energy Company of the Year award, and to all other winners and finalists.
On Friday, I was down in the Otago region with my fellow National MP Michael Woodhouse for a site visit to Macraes gold mine, the largest in New Zealand.

A step-change in workplace health and safety

The most significant reform of New Zealand's workplace health and safety system in 20 years is on its way.

The Working Safer package I announced this week is a major step-change in New Zealand's approach to meet our target of reducing our workplace injury and death toll by 25 per cent by 2020.

This is the legacy we owe to the Pike River families, and the families of the 75 people who are killed each year in New Zealand workplaces.

We are addressing the recommendations of the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety, which provided the Government with a solid foundation to work from.

Our changes mean an overhaul of the law, supported by clear, consistent guidelines and information for businesses on their obligations.

There will be more funding for the regulator WorkSafe New Zealand (from $53 million to $80 million), to strengthen enforcement, education and implementation of our changes.

WorkSafe New Zealand will target high-risk areas. In addition, there will be a focus on occupational harm and hazardous substances, on better co-ordination between government agencies, and on improved worker participation.

These reforms will also mean stronger penalties, enforcement tools and court powers.

The changes will ensure we are working smarter, targeting risk and working together to improve New Zealand performance in workplace health and safety.

Achieving sustainable change in workplace health and safety is not something we can do alone. It requires leadership and action from business and workers, working with government, sharing the responsibility and driving the solutions on the ground.

This reform is not about simply telling people what to do, but about what they need to achieve. It's about supporting businesses to embed good health and safety practices in their workplaces. Good health and safety makes good business sense. It is an investment in improved productivity, staff engagement and in an organisation's reputation in the community.

Not only does good health and safety make good business sense, it's the right thing to do. Workers and their families have the right to expect they will return home safe from work each day.