Page 1733 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 17 October 1989
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I am therefore announcing a complete review of injury prevention and management in the ACT. This will, among other things, examine the value of exploiting the nexus between occupational health and safety, rehabilitation and workers compensation. The review will look at the range of benefits necessary and the best means of delivery.
This exercise will be managed by the Labour Division of the Office of Industry and Development, calling on whatever resources are necessary from within the ACT Government, including the ACT Treasury. Funds will be available from the budget to retain the necessary consultant services, and the views of interested parties will be welcomed. The review will include consideration of the role of government in the scheme and the structure of any bureaucratic support group necessary to service any arrangements eventually introduced.
The schemes recently introduced by the States will be examined, as will overseas experiences. As half of Canberra's work force and most of the Government's employees are covered by the recently reformed Commonwealth compensation and rehabilitation commission, COMCARE, the Commonwealth scheme and its administration by COMCARE will be given particular attention.
It will also be necessary to consider whether there is a need for a consultative forum to provide ongoing advice to government on the effective functioning of the scheme. The tripartite council proposed in the Occupational Health and Safety Bill, which is to advise on the functioning of that legislation, could well be appropriate for this task.
On the completion of the review, I expect that the outcome of the review will be considered by the proposed industrial relations advisory council prior to receiving final consideration by the Government. In the interim the Government will proceed with the proposed amendments to the current scheme, as foreshadowed earlier in this statement.
I believe that this is a most important matter for the ACT because of its effects on individuals and the economy generally. No doubt there will be conflicting interests, but I expect the consultative process to be wide-ranging and exhaustive. I also expect that the scheme which finally results from this review will most benefit those most widely affected - ACT workers and employers - and through them the ACT generally.
The proposed review of workers compensation and its relationship with rehabilitation and occupational health and safety not only offers substantial savings to the ACT community but also, more importantly, offers the opportunity to dramatically influence developments in social justice in the ACT. I present the following papers:
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