Orana Park facing enforcement action by WorkSafe

Friday, 12 July 2024

Lynn Anderson, Orana Park’s chief executive, says she is taking the notices seriously, but telling the council about them hadn’t been a priority. (File photo)

Orana Wildlife Park waited until after it secured $1.5 million in public funding to tell the Christchurch City Council it was facing enforcement action.

The Press can reveal that WorkSafe issued two improvement notices against Orana Park on June 13, citing shortcomings with its health and safety processes and vehicle maintenance.

Two weeks later, the council agreed to fund the zoo by $500,000 a year for three years. One elected member says the lack of transparency is concerning, even if it may not have changed the outcome.

Councillor Sam MacDonald, who leads the council’s finance committee, said it would have been “in good faith” for the zoo to tell the council before it signed off on the funding.

He said the first he heard of the enforcement action was from The Press and he was glad the council had commissioned an external review of the organisation’s finances and operations, as the funding may be subject to its findings.

The enforcement action followed a complaint by an anonymous employee, who also shared concerns about employee safety with the Christchurch City Council and media in May.

“If we weren’t undertaking that review, I’d be worried about the prospect of funding an organisation that has had those WorkSafe notices issued,” he said.

Lynn Anderson, the park’s chief executive, said she did not tell the council sooner because of higher priorities. It was a coincidence that the timing was after The Press had spoken to WorkSafe, she said.

She did not provide copies of the notices in full to The Press when asked. The Press has asked WorkSafe for copies under the Official Information Act, but WorkSafe is waiting for the zoo to provide feedback before considering its release.

Anderson said she was taking the notices seriously, describing it as an opportunity to improve systems she believed already worked well.

That was despite a WorkSafe spokesperson saying the park’s systems were not effective, with workers not effectively able to have a say in risk management.

As a result of the notices, Anderson said the park would begin documenting health and safety concerns (discussions were not written down previously, she said) and there would now be job safety check lists for tasks like moving animals.

Councillor Sam MacDonald says it would have been “in good faith” for the zoo to inform the city council about the notices before it pledged $500,000.

Previously, zoo staff were responsible for checking on vehicles, also without a checklist. Anderson conceded it meant some issues may have fallen through the cracks. However, she said a contracted mechanic was regularly on site fixing problems.

WorkSafe’s enforcement action was about keeping workers safe, the spokesperson said, but Anderson did not think her workers were in danger.

She said employees were excited about the changes, which included a new health and safety committee with at least 50% worker representation.

The WorkSafe inspection was triggered by a complaint from an anonymous employee, who also shared concerns about employee safety and wellbeing with the Christchurch City Council and media in May.

Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park says it will need $1.5m in funding from the council every year if its to stave off an 'inevitable demise'. (First published April 16, 2024)

The whistleblower, who spoke under condition of anonymity, claimed employees were too afraid to speak out about issues because they feared repercussions from zoo leaders (which Anderson rejects).

They spoke out because of Orana Park’s popular campaign for public funding. The worker wanted the council to independently review the park’s operations before handing ratepayer money over.

At the time of the complaint, which mentioned health and safety issues and specifically vehicle maintenance concerns, Anderson was dismissive. She challenged The Press for giving “oxygen” to anonymous complaints.

She now said the five-page long complaint had been a lot to process, and her team had subsequently looked into the concerns.

That included pursuing an external review of the organisation’s culture.

Meanwhile, the Christchurch City Council will do an external review of the organisation’s finances. MacDonald accepted the review would look at how the zoo operates, to determine if the $500,000 a year was the best use of ratepayer money.

Using public funds to spare the zoo from its “inevitable demise”, as Anderson put it, had been very popular with the public. Some 14% of all submissions to the council’s 10-year budget supported the move.

WorkSafe wants Orana Park to resolve the notices this month. A spokesperson said most organisations comply, but prosecution can be considered if not.

An inspector will be back in August for a targeted assessment.