Page 3446 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 September 1990
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the ACT, which linked reductions in workers compensation costs with effective prevention and rehabilitation. Recognising the importance of this report, the Government has allocated an additional $130,000 this year to allow for the implementation of that report. In these hard economic times this shows the importance that this Government places on this significant aspect of ACT employment. All other States and the Commonwealth have undertaken such reviews and have implemented or are implementing major changes to their occupational health and safety, workers compensation, and rehabilitation legislation. Some have obviously been more effective than others.
After considering the matter, Mr Speaker, the Alliance Government decided to proceed with the implementation of the legislation as passed, with some provisos. In essence the Government endorsed the Minister for Finance and Urban Services proceeding to implement the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1989, including gazettal of the remainder of the Act, appointment of a registrar, and appointment of a tripartite OH and S council.
However, the Government decided that the Industrial Relations Advisory Council, when it is established, would be asked to advise the Government on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including the effectiveness of the Act, and on the coordination of our preventive strategy with our compensation and rehabilitation strategies. Implementation action taken so far to make the OH and S Act operative includes staged gazettal by the Minister of the legislation geared to setting in place the appropriate mechanisms and resources to give effect to the provisions of the Act, that is, the appointment of a registrar, which is a pivotal position in the Act. The position has been filled and the ACT Occupational Health and Safety Office has begun operations.
Secondly, there is the appointment of the tripartite Occupational Health and Safety Council. The role of the council under the Act is to advise the Minister on matters related to occupational health and safety, including the operation of the Act and associated matters. This council is already functioning effectively and has a full workload. It is within this role that consideration will be given to the appropriateness of the size of a work force requiring the establishment of a designated work group. That is the point of the Bill that is before us today; it is solely the question of the size of a designated work group.
Mr Speaker, it is my view that the current provisions of this Act, which we are only now putting into effect, should be given time to settle. Since the Occupational Health and Safety Act came fully into force on 10 May this year, the ACT OH and S Office, in administering the Act, has issued six prohibition notices, mainly in the construction industry, and these notices prohibit work until a major and immediate safety hazard has been rectified. The office has also issued 11 improvement notices requiring rectification
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