The Maritime Union says an appeal by former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson against health and safety conviction should be dismissed.
On 26 November 2024, the Auckland District Court held that former Ports of Auckland (POAL) CEO Tony Gibson had failed to exercise his duty of due diligence as an officer of a PCBU (Person conducting a business or undertaking) under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Industry regulator Maritime NZ laid charges against Mr Gibson after the death of a stevedore, Pala’amo Kalati, in 2020.
The Union understands an appeal has been lodged.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the conviction of Mr Gibson was an important public recognition of the harm he had caused.
“One thing we found when Tony Gibson was in charge at the Port was that he always saw himself as right, and saw everyone else as wrong.”
“This attitude would have fatal consequences.”
He says Mr Gibson’s regime at Port of Auckland saw multiple deaths and serious injuries, sustained attacks on the workforce, and a failed automation project that cost Aucklanders hundreds of millions of dollars.
Mr Findlay says the successful recovery of the Port of Auckland since Mr Gibson’s resignation in 2021 confirm previous problems were down to poor management.
“It has taken several years to turn around the Port but we have done it.”
Mr Findlay says the recent reappointment of Tony Gibson to a board position at Marsden Maritime Holdings (MMH) in Northland is a travesty.
“There is no way Tony Gibson should have been appointed to any senior business role, let alone the Board of a maritime and port company.”
Marsden Maritime Holdings is a New Zealand Exchange-listed (NZX) company, which has a 50% stake in Northport, a marina, and significant industrial land holdings.
The Maritime Union will continue to campaign for corporate manslaughter laws and was seeking the removal of Mr Gibson from the Board of Marsden Maritime Holdings.
New Zealand maritime workers will be rallying in support of Australian workers at Qube Ports on Monday 16 December 2024.
Australian wharfies at Qube are stopping work at ten ports in an International Day of Action to expose Qube Ports’ refusal to take safety, fatigue and work-life balance concerns seriously during bargaining for a new employment agreement covering more than 1000 workers.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says New Zealand wharfies will be supporting the Maritime Union of Australia in their struggle, with delegates heading across the Tasman in both directions, an international video link, and protest events to be held in two New Zealand ports.
GISBORNE informational picket Monday 16 December (Morning) Corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Hirini Street
Maritime Union of Australia delegates and MUNZ officials will be attending these pickets and available to talk to media.
Mr Findlay says Qube management need to be aware their actions in Australia will have consequences for their brand and credibility internationally unless they change their attitude towards their workforce.
He says the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) will be “acting as one.”
Qube Ports in Australia is an ASX listed behemoth which has extracted mega-profits in recent years from the productivity delivered by their hard working employees, and has doggedly refused to sit down and negotiate a new agreement with their workforce.
The MUA says Qube has repeatedly dismissed safety and fatigue concerns and declared it unprofitable to operate a business which takes safety seriously.
While wharfies’ pay has gone backwards against inflation, executive bonuses and shareholder dividends have soared. Over the last four years, Qube profits have jumped by 148%.
The MUA has repeatedly called on the company to return to the bargaining table and engage meaningfully with the safety, fatigue and work-life balance concerns that Qube employees are raising.
Headline: How Hot Christchurch Summers Are Melting Our Computers – PR.co.nz
In these hot summer days, computers are at a greater risk. Specifically, users may find that their CPU is overheating as the fan that keeps it cool struggles to keep pace with the increased temperature.
The Director is appointed under section 76 of the Act.
About the review
The purpose of the review is to enable the Director to decide whether changes are required to improve ORS C9 2020. The review is considering information on the operation, technical accuracy and clarity of the code of practice.
Call for public submissions
Before reviewing the code of practice, the Director invited public submissions on the review question: ‘Are changes required to improve the Code of Practice for Veterinary Radiation: ORS C9 2020’?
The submission period opened on 18 June 2025 and closed at 5pm, Friday 11 July 2025.
About ORS C9 2020
ORS C9 2020 was issued under section 86 of the Act. The purpose of the code of practice is to specify the technical requirements that a person who deals with a radiation source that is subject to the scope of the code of practice must comply with in order to comply with the fundamental requirements of the Act (see sections 9-12 of the Act). The code of practice was also issued to be appropriate to the level of risk posed by the radiation sources and their use.
If the review indicates that changes are required to improve ORS C9 2020, a further public consultation on the proposed changes will be conducted. Information on the review’s findings will be published on this webpage following the completion of the review and this information will indicate the ‘next steps’.
The Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029 is the second Government suicide prevention action plan under the strategy, and it sets out the 21 Health-led actions and 13 cross-agency actions that agencies will undertake from 2025 to 2029 to prevent suicide. It builds on the current suicide prevention system and the ongoing initiatives from the 2019–2024 action plan.
Development of the action plan was led by the Ministry of Health, including the Suicide Prevention Office, and is informed by insights from suicide prevention evidence, previous engagements, and public consultation in late 2024. Engagement on the action plan included with community organisations, a diverse range of population groups, people and families with lived experience, and many government agencies who have a role in preventing suicide.
The actions within the action plan are focused on addressing gaps and ensuring more people have access to support when they need it. These include the following, which align with the Minister for Mental Health’s portfolio priorities:
improving access to suicide prevention and postvention supports
growing a capable and confident suicide prevention and postvention workforces
strengthening the focus on prevention and early intervention
improving the effectiveness of suicide prevention and our understanding of suicide.
Implementation of the action plan is led by the Ministry of Health with clear accountability of actions across each lead agency. It will be supported by existing Vote Health suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus allocation of an additional more than $16 million per year from 2025/26 to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports.
Get your gloves dirty for a good cause this winter | Environment Canterbury
Date:
Upcoming planting events
Forest & Bird plantings –14 June and 19 July
There are two Forest & Bird plantings happening in The Sanctuary – Saturday 14 June and Saturday 19 July. Both events start at 9:45am and our rangers will be around to help out. Find out more and RSVP.
KidsFest – Come plant with me – 12 July
On Saturday 12 July at 10am, we will be hosting a Kidsfest event encouraging tamariki to plant some native trees and learn about why we have chosen those plants. This event is located in Te Rauakaaka. Find out more.
Community planting, Templers Island – 2 August
Join us on Saturday 2 August at Templers Island to plant along the southern bank of the Waimakariri River. This event starts at 10am and finishes with a free BBQ lunch for our volunteers. RSVP here.
Waimakariri off road clean-up event – 10 August
Rubbish pick-up events are a simple but powerful way to care for our environment. Rubbish dropped in the parks can end up along our coasts and oceans after getting blown into our rivers and being dragged downstream.
We will be hosting a clean-up event on Sunday 10 August near Harrs Road. A BBQ lunch will be provided. RSVP here.
Community planting, Baynons Brake – 13 September
The northern bank of the Waimakariri River is our focus on Saturday 13 September. Planting starts at 10am and there will be a free BBQ lunch. RSVP here.
What should I bring?
Our rangers recommend bringing:
a water bottle
sturdy shoes/gumboots
a sunhat if it’s warm
a jacket if it’s rainy.
We provide portaloos, drinking water, spades and clean gloves, but feel free to bring your own equipment if you would prefer.
If you have further questions, please contact our duty ranger (duty.ranger@ecan.govt.nz). We look forward to seeing you!
Jess Ducey argues that protecting people’s privacy means not just our secrets or personal data – but our self-determination and bodily-autonomy.
It can be tempting to dismiss the current resurgence in US abortion debate as a peculiarly American issue, but we must remember that Roe was decided on broad and influential privacy grounds. The court found that the United States Constitution provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a person’s right to choose whether and when to have a child.
Privacy is the foundation of abortion rights as well as other sexual and reproductive rights like gay rights, contraception access, and marriage equality, both here and overseas. The privacy origins of abortion rights stem from the fact that medical information, particularly concerning reproductive health, is universally considered to be sensitive personal information.
International law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, both recognise privacy rights. Cases decided under international law have held that these privacy rights include the decision over whether or not to have a child.
While doctors are likely aware that abortion was only decriminalised in Aotearoa New Zealand in March 2020 – just a few months before the new Privacy Act came into effect – this fact remains relatively unknown in the public.
In a 2018 submission to the Law Commission on Abortion Law Reform, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner cautioned that including abortion in criminal law raised ‘major issues with the exposure of sensitive health information to the criminal justice system’. Removing abortion from the Crimes Act was an important step towards ensuring that health information is treated consistently with the Health Information Privacy Code, and not subject to additional risks of exposure.
Last month in this column, we saw that the health sector reports more serious breaches of privacy than any other sector. This is a poignant reminder that health professionals hold large amounts of deeply sensitive information, and any breach of this information is likely to result in harm. Healthcare professionals, who can wield considerable power over their patients, especially when they are in a vulnerable state, have a duty to respect and actively work to maintain their trust.
We know that the majority of privacy breaches are not due to malicious actors or cyber security breaches, but rather are caused by simple human error, whether that’s including the wrong attachment in an email or not confirming an address before sending personal information. Criminalising or otherwise over-regulating medical procedures creates more opportunities for harmful privacy breaches by exposing that personal information to more people, agencies, or systems.
And this risk extends beyond our personal medical information to include digital data more broadly. Internet search history, GPS location information, and other metadata quietly collected and shared by personal devices can and have been used to identify and harm people. The BBC recently reported the concerns of a reproductive rights group about personal data from menstrual tracking apps being used to identity people seeking abortion care.
Discussions about privacy in the medical sector often concern a patient’s personal information and its disclosure, but fundamentally, privacy is not about secrets or data – it is a matter of personal and bodily autonomy and self-determination for everyone.
Abortion, like all healthcare decisions, is a matter of trust between the patient, their doctor, and anyone else they choose to include. Trust is an ongoing relationship, hard won and easily lost. Healthcare providers have immense power in these decisions, and with great power comes great responsibility. How can you continue to honour that trust and responsibility for the patients you serve?
Construction begins today on the new Papakura District Court which will help speed up court processes and improve critical infrastructure, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Courts Minister Nicole McKee say.
“Improving the quality of New Zealand’s infrastructure is vital to creating jobs, growing our economy and helping Kiwis with the cost of living,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“Better and more efficient court processes means people can spend less time and money on legal battles and instead move on with their lives. Improving court timeliness and access to justice is a major part of plan to restore law and order, which we know is working.
“Courts are an important part of our social fabric, where the law is enforced, civil disputes are resolved, and the rights of individuals upheld,” Mr Goldsmith says.
A modern approach is being taken when it comes to the construction of the new court.
“Half the new building is being constructed off-site. These components will be delivered as prefabricated modules and then installed onsite,” Mrs McKee says.
“This is a way of building safely and efficiently, while reducing time, cost, and material resources, as we respond to demographic changes in the fast-growing South Auckland area.
“The building will include three courtrooms, two hearing rooms and, I am pleased to note, a suite for vulnerable witnesses. Victims are our priority, and this helps return them to the heart of the justice system,” Mrs McKee says.
The new courthouse is expected to open to the public in early 2027. It has an estimated construction budget of $34m.
Courts have imposed more than $800,000 in penalties since mid-March, in response to workers being killed on unsafe conveyor belts in the manufacturing industry.
Timaru director Sean Sloper and his company Point Lumber Limited are the latest to be jointly sentenced over the death of a young worker, Ethyn McTier. The 23-year-old was working near a conveyor belt, when he became entrapped in its drive roller in November 2022.
WorkSafe’s investigation found there was no guarding to protect workers along the length of the conveyor belt, or in the area where the victim was drawn in, nor had a risk assessment been done. A range of other machine safety defects were also found onsite. Point Lumber also failed to follow a safety consultant’s recommendation to safeguard the conveyor back in 2017. Mr Sloper had overall control of the company, and determined what hazard mitigation was prioritised, what was completed and when.
The conveyor belt at Point Lumber’s timber yard in Timaru.
The Timaru case has concluded after the recent sentencing of Ballance Agri-Nutrients, which also had a worker killed on a conveyor belt in Mt Maunganui.
“Endangering workers in this way is careless in the extreme, because these deaths were clearly preventable. In no way is it acceptable to be able to be killed at work on a conveyor belt,” says WorkSafe’s acting regional manager, Darren Handforth.
“The manufacturing sector must seize these two deadly incidents as a watershed moment for health and safety. We implore businesses to ensure their machine guarding meets safety standards. If necessary, engage a qualified expert to ensure your machinery is adequately guarded to avoid inflicting further tragedy on other families,” says Darren Handforth.
Guarding involves installing physical barriers and/or safety devices to prevent workers from accessing exposed moving parts on machinery.
Manufacturing is a focus of WorkSafe’s new strategy because there is persistent harm in the sector. In March this year, we conducted 304 proactive assessments nationwide in the sector and issued improvement notices in 67 percent of them – signalling the progress left to make by the industry.
Businesses must manage their risks and where they don’t, WorkSafe will take action. This is part of WorkSafe’s role to influence businesses to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe.
Statement from Ethyn McTier’s family
Today marks the end of a very long and difficult legal process, which our family has endured for over two years now. We are thankful for the outcome, and that Point Lumber and Sean Sloper have been held accountable for Ethyn’s death. But at the end of the day, we’ve lost someone who was a pillar in our family and the hole that has been left in our lives is immeasurable. Ethyn was only 23 years old, he had his whole life ahead of him, and his death was 100% preventable.
We just hope this serves as a warning to other employers to take workplace safety more seriously, as their decisions and actions/or lack thereof could mean the difference between life and death for someone else’s son or daughter, brother or sister and no family should ever have to go through the pain and loss we have experienced.
Ethyn McTier, who died at Point Lumber’s timber yard in 2022.
Background
Point Lumber Limited and its director Sean Sloper were sentenced in a reserved decision of the Timaru District Court on 7 July 2025.
Fines of $250,000 were imposed for Point Lumber Limited, and $60,000 for Mr Sloper.
Reparations of $140,000 were also ordered ($20,000 of which had been paid prior to sentencing).
Point Lumber Limited was charged under sections 36(1)(a) and 48(1) and 48(2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU, including Ethyn Bruce McTier, while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking, namely cleaning the waste belt conveyor (also known as the big black belt conveyor), did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed the workers to risk of death or serious injury.
Sean David Sloper was charged under sections 44(1), 48(1) and 48(2)(b) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being an officer of a PCBU, namely the sole director of Point Lumber Limited, having a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure Point Lumber Limited complied with its duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who worked for Point Lumber Limited, while the workers were at work in the business or undertaking, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed Point Lumber Limited’s workers, including Ethyn Bruce McTier, to a risk of death or serious injury.
The maximum penalty for Point Lumber was a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.
The maximum penalty for Sean Sloper was a fine not exceeding $300,000.
At WorkSafe New Zealand, our inspectors manage a diverse range of tasks, ensuring that no two days are ever the same.
Their responsibilities include visiting businesses, helping both businesses and workers understand their obligations, writing notes and reports, conducting assessments, and investigating incidents.
We’ve been around the country to speak with our inspectors about their work, what a typical day looks like, and what they enjoy most about their roles. They all had one thing in common: they all appreciate the variety that comes with being an inspector.
When asked to describe a usual day, our inspectors talked about the dynamic nature of their work, ranging from office tasks to on-site visits, and from report writing to meetings with businesses and workers. This variety keeps their job interesting and engaging.
Our inspectors interact with a wide range of businesses across various industries, constantly expanding their knowledge and meeting new people. They are excellent communicators who enjoy finding innovative ways to connect with workers. They also excel in collaboration, often working together to consider different perspectives and develop unique solutions.
Here are some insights from our inspectors about their work:
What’s a typical day on the job like?
“Every day is different. Sometimes I’m in the office, working with the team and sometimes I’m at home focusing on my reports and notes. Sometimes I’ll be out and about visiting a variety of different businesses.” Kim, Wellington.
“You’re out and about doing proactive assessments, then you could be back in the office doing paperwork. It’s always different.” Pete, Auckland.
Is there anything you wish you knew before becoming an inspector?
“One thing I didn’t realise is how often I’d be communicating with non-English speakers. Learning to adapt and communicate with different people is definitely a challenge. It’s important to be empathetic and understanding, it’s our job to make it work and make sure our message is getting across.” Charlotte, Auckland.
“That anyone can be an inspector at any age. We work with an incredibly diverse range of people and every inspector has unique experience that makes them a good inspector.” Kim, Wellington.
“The amount of paperwork that’s involved. A huge part of the job is writing up notes, applying the correct regulations, and communicating outcomes. Our notes can sometimes be used in court, so it’s really important we take the time and get it right.” Kris, Auckland.
What’s the best thing about being an inspector?
“The opportunity to engage with the community and the opportunity to educate them on things they might not know.” Carl, Palmerston North.
“Being able to go outdoors and not being stuck at your desk all day. You could be climbing under tractors or up hills on forestry sites and farms. It can be physically challenging but it’s always good fun to get out and about” Pete, Auckland.
“Definitely the flexibility and job variety. Every day you get to learn new things.” Charlotte, Auckland.
What’s the best part of your day?
“Being able to close a file. It means you’ve been working with a business to improve their systems, and you’ve managed to reach a good result. It’s the most rewarding part.” Kris, Auckland.
“Catching up with the rest of the team to hear the anecdotes from the day. As an inspector you may be exposed to traumatic events, files, photos and statements, or may engage with people who are impacted by having a worker, colleague or family member injured, or even killed. It’s really important you can rely on your team when the job gets challenging. Being able to chat and blow off steam with other people in my team who understand is a key part of my day.” Kim, Wellington.
“After a challenging assessment, getting together with your colleagues and collating your ideas. I love having those discussions and debating what you could’ve done differently or better for next time. We’re always improving. The coffees, chit chats, and learnings with your colleagues are invaluable.” Charlotte, Auckland.
Want to become a WorkSafe inspector?
Our inspectors enjoy a varied, flexible, challenging, and rewarding job where they form relationships, engage with new people, and work together to make work safer in Aotearoa New Zealand.