A refocus, not a retreat: The pragmatism behind the WorkSafe reforms

Brooke van Velden. (Photo: NZME)

Fri, 13 Jun 2025

The recent announcement by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety signalling a “significant refocus” of WorkSafe New Zealand has generated a good deal of heat – but not nearly enough light. The aim of Brooke van Velden (a self-professed "team player") to steer WorkSafe away from a primarily enforcement-driven model and towards one that “engages early to support businesses and individuals to manage their critical risks” has been met with both applause and outrage, often along predictable ide...

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