54328 (2025). Arena Williams to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Written Question

Published date: 26 Nov 2025

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	54328 (2025)
Question asked:	18 Nov 2025
Member asking:	Arena Williams
Portfolio:	Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
Minister replying:	Hon Brooke van Velden
Answer received:	23 Nov 2025
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_54328_2025
Document guid:	fd6f954f-42e3-44e3-a69d-f604f221b8e9

54328 (2025). Arena Williams to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: When was WorksSafe or any other agency informed of the potential contamination or hazard involving a children's coloured sand consumer product, and what immediate steps were communicated to the relevant Ministries?

Hon Brooke van Velden: I am advised that WorkSafe New Zealand first became aware of the potential contamination of coloured sand products in Australia on Thursday 6 November 2025 via an employee of the Ministry of Education. On Friday 7 November 2025, WorkSafe formally met with representatives of the Ministry to confirm what they knew. Around this time, WorkSafe also notified Australian jurisdictions and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Following further information coming in from Australia over that weekend, WorkSafe was able to confirm to MBIE the results of Australian testing information on Monday 10 November 2025.