Health and Safety at Work Act (Community Associations) Amendment Bill

This Bill, proposed by an Opposition MP, was drawn from the members ballot and it sought to define 'Community Associations' under the HSW Act as those that employ people up to 100 hours per week in total.

This would have reduced the regulatory burden on small Outdoor Recreation organisations and community groups, who primarily utilise volunteers. It would have also mitigated the chilling effect and 'climate of fear' among small community groups that has emerged since the passage of the HSW Act of 2015.

NZRA made submissions to the Workforce and Education Select Committee on the Bill and they were positively received. Subsequent meetings were arranged with MPs in the NZ First caucus, who would ultimately determine whether the amendment bill would pass.

It was with some disappointment that we were informed that NZ First would not be supporting the Amendment Bill. However, we were glad to hear that the Government intends to Amend the HSW Act in its entirely, in a much more comprehensive decision, in 2019.

We look forward to engaging with the government at that time, on many aspects of the HSW Act.

To give us your views on this issue, contact our Advocacy Manager.

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