The ACC Futures Coalition Group welcomes Labour’s public commitment to repeal the recent amendments to the Health and Safety at Work Act. This represents an important step toward restoring a prevention focused health and safety system that protects workers, supports businesses, strengthens the economy, and lifts national productivity. A positive move for workers, businesses, and productivity.

Reversing the recent changes would help restore the clarity and consistency that businesses and workers rely on. The Coalition believes this direction will:
•    Improve worker safety through clearer duties and expectations.
•    Lift productivity by reducing avoidable downtime and the loss of skilled labour caused by preventable injuries.
•    Support businesses, especially small enterprises, by lowering harm related costs and enabling more stable operations.
•    Strengthen ACC’s long term sustainability by reducing preventable claims and future scheme costs.

New Zealand’s workplace injury rates remain among the poorest in comparable OECD countries. Addressing this requires more than legislative correction — it requires structural change.

Political context
Labour is currently the only party that has committed to repealing the recent amendments. Other governing parties supported the changes when the Bill passed and have not indicated they would revisit them. New Zealand First has expressed reservations and signaled it may seek adjustments, while the Green Party and The Opportunities Party have not made public statements specifically on repeal.

The ACC Futures Coalition Group welcomes the opportunity for all political parties to support improvements to the Act and to work constructively toward a more effective, prevention focused system. Reducing workplace harm and improving productivity are long term challenges that benefit from cross party commitment.

The core issue: no system oversight
Although New Zealand has had a Health and Safety at Work Strategy since 2018, it has never been supported by clear system ownership, a coordinated delivery plan, or meaningful monitoring. As a result, progress has been fragmented and slow — and the productivity benefits of safer work have not been realised.
New Zealand does not suffer from a lack of strategy — it suffers from a lack of system stewardship and accountability.
Why an Industry Led Commissioning Agency is essential
The ACC Futures Coalition Group strongly supports establishing an Industry Led Health & Safety at Work Commissioning Agency, set out in legislation, to provide:
•    National coordination of injury prevention efforts
•    Evidence based programme commissioning tailored to industry needs
•    Clear monitoring and accountability for harm reduction and productivity gains
•    A unified platform for workers, businesses, unions, and experts
•    Reduced duplication across agencies and improved system efficiency

The Coalition supports ACC contributing to funding — but not as the sole funder. Workplace health and safety is a shared responsibility, and funding should reflect that.

A constructive path forward
Labour’s commitment is a welcome step toward rebuilding a credible, effective health and safety system. But lasting improvement requires addressing the long standing gap in system oversight and delivery. The ACC Futures Coalition Group looks forward to working with parliament, industry partners, unions, and government agencies to establish the Industry led Health & Safety at Work Commissioning Agency and deliver a safer, more productive future for all New Zealanders.