Health and safety needs to be more proactively managed by the Otago Regional Council, councillor Trevor Kempton says.
While health and safety had been included in the council's new audit and risk subcommittee's terms of reference, it had not been given appropriate weighting, Mr Kempton said at a meeting this week.
''We need to look to see if we can't set up a separate health and safety committee in the near future.''
In the wake of the Pike River disaster and with new health and safety legislation coming into force, it was no longer a defence for governance bodies to say they thought it was under control unless told otherwise, he said.
The council's diverse range of activities included staff working in laboratories and in the field, using firearms, driving long distances and being in boats and helicopters, sometimes in difficult conditions.
In his time on the council he had not been made aware of any incidents or reporting around health and safety.
While an elected member could not be prosecuted under new legislation, which emphasised personal liability, it did not lift the responsibility from the council, he said.
Cr Doug Brown said while he would like health and safety to have more prominence he did not see the need for another subcommittee.
Chief executive Peter Bodeker said the new audit and risk subcommittee, whose membership would include an independent member as its chairman, council chairman, deputy chairman and finance committee chairman, would not focus solely on financial matters.
It would also cover other operational matters including health and safety, strategic council performance management, insurance and disaster recovery, project management and legal requirements.
The subcommittee would report to the council's finance committee. Non-member councillors could attend as observers and it could co-opt members and other expertise when needed.
Cr Michael Deaker said it was important the council had such a body keeping an oversight of its activities and risks and ''giving a quick prod in the ribs'' when needed.
Cr Bryan Scott said the subcommittee was sensible and appropriate but he did not see an independent member, ''some wise person who arrived in a Bentley'', as someone the council could pass responsibility on to.
The terms of reference were adopted by the committee.
