Gisborne Councillor Manu Caddie

18 June 2013

Gisborne community meets over forestry concerns

With growing concern in the Gisborne community regarding the terrible local health and safety performance in the forestry sector, local councillor Manu Caddie is hosting a public meeting to enable the community to discuss the Council of Trade Unions’ call for an independent inquiry into the causes of these accidents.

The meeting to be held on Thursday evening at the Cosmopolitan Club will include presentations from Rawiri Daniels, Forestry Sector representative for First Union, Denise Roche industrial relations spokesperson for the Green Party and Darien Fenton labour spokesperson for the Labour Party.

"There have been three deaths in the Wharerata forests alone in the last two years," said Mr Caddie.

"This and the high number of serious harm accidents, is having a massive impact on our families and cannot continue."

"Until the CTU campaign, fronted by the Gisborne family of Ken Callow, these deaths and accidents went largely unnoticed, but now, it is a strong topic of conversation in the town and there is interest in getting together to talk about what the inquiry should include.”

The meeting starts at 7.30pm will discuss the demand for an inquiry including elements the community want considered and how they see it proceeding.

Mr Caddie said while he was not an expert on forestry safety, he felt it was important as a community leader to support the opportunity for concerned locals to have input into the inquiry.

ENDS

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