New Zealand

Forestry group criticises panel's report

20:55 pm on 12 June 2014

A forestry workers' group has criticised the work of an independent panel set up to review the sector's poor safety record.

A report by the Independent Forestry Safety Review panel released in June says industry lacked safety standards and did not value training.

A record 10 workers died and more than 150 were hurt in 2013.

But a spokesperson for the Forest Industry Contractors Association, John Stulen, said on Wednesday the panel's findings lack clarity and fail to provide details on the cause of forestry deaths.

"They haven't started with the root cause analysis of the 10 deaths which brought the review about in the first place. Without that information, it's actually a very broad discussion document."

Mr Stulen also said industry regulator Worksafe New Zealand is too under-resourced to do its job.

Review panel chairperson George Adams said on Wednesday that association members were present at meetings where the report was developed and gave their input throughout the process.

Mr Adams said he is satisfied with the panel's report.