Page 3503 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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make positive changes and advocate for workers, the government and employers alike, to ensure that OH&S is highlighted and treated effectively. We need a well-resourced and well-trained body to monitor, enforce and provide workplace education about OH&S standards at workplaces.
The OH&S Act and governance structures certainly do need amendment, but rather than continue the splitting of powers between JACS and the commissioner we should make all aspects, including review, regulation and education, fall under a well-resourced, independent office of the commissioner.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.34), in reply: I thank those members who have spoken for their contributions to this debate. The Occupational Health and Safety (Regulatory Services) Legislation Amendment Bill concludes stage one of the government’s budget decision to consolidate and streamline the activities of various regulatory agencies across the ACT government.
As part of this consolidation, the new Office of Regulatory Services in my department, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, will now be responsible for the administration of occupational health and safety legislation, including the investigation of occupational health and safety complaints in the workplace. The amalgamation of these ACT government regulatory services will achieve economies of scale and remove unnecessary duplication of administrative costs across government.
Under the new arrangements the chief executive of my department will be responsible for OH&S regulatory matters and will report twice a year on the exercise of her occupational health and safety responsibilities, which I will table in the Assembly. The first report will be the departmental annual report, which is tabled in September of each year, and the second report will be an interim report, which I will table in March of the following year.
In finalising the organisational structure of the Office of Regulatory Services, the government has recognised the importance of issues associated with occupational health and safety and has acknowledged the need to retain an independent OH&S commissioner reporting directly to the minister and the Assembly. The independence of the office of the OH&S Commissioner will continue. The commissioner’s staff will be directly responsible to the commissioner and, through the commissioner, to the Minister for Industrial Relations, reinforcing the independence and accountability of the Occupational Health and Safety Commissioner’s office.
It is important to note that the commissioner will continue to have the powers to second staff that are within the department, should the commissioner believe an investigation needs to occur separate from the Department of Justice and Community Safety. This will provide adequate protections in relation to some of the issues that Dr Foskey has raised earlier. The OH&S Commissioner will be appointed by the executive and will remain responsible to the Minister for Industrial Relations for promoting an understanding and acceptance of and compliance with the OH&S Act and associated laws. The commissioner will also undertake research and development of educational programs to promote occupational health and safety principles in the
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