Project FutureSafe Aotearoa (FutureSafe) is a ground breaking initiative aimed at reshaping New Zealand's approach to workplace health, safety and wellbeing. FutureSafe envisions a future where all New Zealand workers can enjoy safe and healthy workplaces.

Project Objective

In its first phase, Project FutureSafe Aotearoa sought to establish an ecosystem approach to health, safety and wellbeing within New Zealand. This approach envisioned an interconnected system that works toward shared health, safety and wellbeing objectives in a collaborative and coordinated way. 

As a whole, the FutureSafe project phases aim to deliver a prevention-focused health safety and wellbeing ecosystem. It also aspires to create a national identity, shared values, and a unified understanding of health, safety and wellbeing within New Zealand.

Project Process

For this specific project, Navona embraced a deeply collaborative approach, drawing upon the wisdom and expertise of a diverse group of contributors across various industries. We effectively leveraged our expansive professional network to ensure the project had a balanced, multifaceted perspective. Critical voices in the mix included government representatives, key figures from industry organisations, and renowned academic and technical experts. Furthermore, the inclusion of trade union representatives and industry leaders guarantees that our strategies are both grounded in practicality and poised for meaningful, transformative impact. Each project contributor played a pivotal role, ensuring the project's strategies were both comprehensive and primed for substantial, lasting change.

Central to our project's methodology was the collective impact approach, unifying varied stakeholders under a shared vision. Every strategic move was underpinned by in-depth inquiry and research, ensuring our path forward was both data-driven and innovative. In tandem with PwC, Navona employed an agile methodology, exemplifying flexibility amidst dynamic challenges. This synergy was enriched by a blend of in-person and virtual workshops, fostering collaborative dynamics and idea exchange. Additionally, to delve deeper into individual insights, we conducted numerous 1:1 interviews, allowing us to integrate nuanced perspectives and address specific concerns of project participants.

Project Delivery

Navona's commitment to project delivery shines brightly in the finalised full report, executive overview report and Q&A document, meticulously crafted to not only capture in-depth insights but also to chart a definitive action plan for transformative change. Central to our delivery approach is astute stakeholder group and participant management, ensuring all voices are harmoniously integrated. This was further amplified by the direct involvement of major health, safety, and wellbeing bodies within New Zealand, grounding our strategies in established expertise.

Project Sponsors

Project FutureSafe Aotearoa is a pivotal initiative sponsored by WorkSafe and led by Business NZ, in collaboration with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) and ACC with support from Navona and PwC.

worksafenz
BuinessNZ
NZCTU

The Challenges of Health, Safety and Wellbeing in New Zealand

Despite significant investments and improvements, New Zealand continues to grapple with workplace harm. The country witnesses a concerning rise in injuries and the loss of an estimated 50,000 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually. Tragic events like the Pike River Mine disaster (2010) and the Whakaari White Island eruption (2019) have been catalysts for reform, but daily workplace harm persists. The economic burden of workplace harm in New Zealand is significant, with varying estimates, including 4% of GDP (approximately $14 billion annually), according to the International Labour Organisation. However, reaching a consensus on the exact financial burden is challenging due to different methodologies and factors considered.

New Zealand health, safety and wellbeing history

FutureSafe is built on several key policy documents, including the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy and the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety (2013), the Working Safer Blueprint with Government’s response to the recommendations of the Taskforce, the WorkSafe New Zealand Act (2013), the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015), and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employement's 'New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Strategy 2018-2028.' These documents set the foundation for comprehensive reform in the realm of workplace health and safety.

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