Minister of Building and Construction Poto Williams is supporting calls for mental health initiatives to be written into government construction contracts.
Poto Williams said the MATES programme is doing important mahi in helping construction workers. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The construction sector has one of the highest rates of death by suicide of any industry. The hope is to save lives by rolling out intervention and education programmes.
Williams said she strongly endorsed the Construction Sector Accord's efforts to change the culture around procurement and contracts in New Zealand.
Following an RNZ report, Williams said she would welcome the inclusion of contract terms that would require mental health support.
"The rate of suicide in the construction sector is appalling and MATES is doing amazing and important mahi to help our construction workers and to bring those numbers down."
But work to get mental health support embedded in contracts is still underway.
The anti-suicide group driving the changes, 'MATES in Construction' is due to meet with the Ministry of Business Immigration and Employment's procurement team to work on a plan to make the changes.
Kāinga Ora has proved this is possible and works well. Kāinga Ora general manager construction and innovation Patrick Dougherty said access to the mental health programme MATES in Construction has been written into all larger-scale Kāinga Ora public housing build contracts.
"I applaud Kāinga Ora's requirement to use MATES as a pre-qualification for tendering on large scale construction projects and I am informed other agencies are looking into this," Poto Williams said.
Feedback from workers at our construction sites who have gone through the programme had been very positive, she said.
Naylor Love chief executive Rick Herd believed it iwas an easy and small step in the right direction but more needed to be done. He said it is a complex issue, "unless a major change is made" it will continue to be unproductive.
He said it would be "pretty easy" to pay measures written into contracts a lip service.
"I am a great believer of accreditation," Herd said.
How that would work was, measures would be set by the government and audited by an external service to make sure they met the standards, he said.
Once the business was accredited the government could then select which organisation they wanted from that pool of businesses, he said.
Anyone who needs support can free text or call 1737.
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: online chat (3pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-11pm weekends)
Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.