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Lindy Nelson
Lindy Nelson, Safety Farms ambassador, has been named the winner of the Leadership category at the 2026 New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards in Auckland.
The awards, organised by Safeguard with support from WorkSafe and ACC, were presented at a gala dinner yesterday at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland.
Murray Donald, chair of Safer Farms, says the award is a proud moment for the organisation and a fitting acknowledgement of Nelson's influence across rural communities.
"Lindy has helped bring farmers, industry and partners together around a shared goal: designing harm out of agriculture and making safer ways of working part of everyday farming," Donald says.
“What makes her leadership so powerful is that it is grounded in real farming experience. She understands the pressures farmers face and has consistently championed practical change that can make a difference on farm."
Donald says Safer Farms' vision extends past producing world-class food.
“New Zealand produces the best food in the world. Safer Farms wants New Zealand to be the safest place for people to work.”
Nelson, a Wairarapa farmer, chaired Safer Farms from 2020 through to January 2026 and was instrumental in the formation of the Farm Without Harm sector-wide plan, designed with farmers and industry.
She also helped to develop a partnership between Safer Farms and ACC.
Nelson played a key role in the development of campaigns including Half Arsed Stops Here, and Safer Rides, which offers farmers financial incentives to offset the cost of purchasing and installing crush protection devices and other products on quad bikes.
She remains a Safer Farms director, and in January, became the organisation's Farm Without Harm ambassador.
Together with the organisation’s Regional Champions, she is working to lead conversations and culture change, share experiences and provide practical approaches for farmers across the country.
In 2016, Nelson was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to women and agriculture.
The New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards identify the best in health and safety initiatives and shine a light on the people behind them.
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