Page 2017 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 May 2013
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delayed. Shared Services Procurement is considering the implications and liaising with the various areas of the territory government and also, importantly, with relevant industry bodies and union representatives on how best to quickly and effectively implement this recommendation. We are also discussing this recommendation with Consult Australia, the industry association for consulting companies, which includes engineers.
Recommendation 25 calls on the ACT government to develop and implement active certification by 30 June this year. This is an endorsement of a process that was already underway when the report was released. I can advise the Assembly that Shared Services, in consultation with WorkSafe ACT and the ACT Government Solicitor, is developing a new framework to actively manage workplace health and safety performance on the territory’s work sites. Shared Services has been consulting with industry bodies and unions on the proposed framework. This framework is robust and will include a process for work site inspections by an external panel of workplace health and safety auditors. Having an external panel in this context is very important. The framework will also include a mechanism for gathering and retrieving information for contractors’ prequalification applications and their status. The framework will include clear guidelines for contractors to understand the possible consequences that arise from workplace health and safety incidents or from WorkSafe findings.
Recommendation 26 calls on the territory government to encourage excellence in health and safety performance by introducing a comparative assessment of contractors’ safety record and their capacity as part of the tender selection process for government construction projects. The way this recommendation is to be implemented is now under active consideration, noting that a coordinated approach between Shared Services, WorkSafe ACT and the various territory government directorates is required to ensure safety rankings for contractors are consistent between tender evaluations that are conducted by multiple directorates within the territory government. An inter-directorate steering committee has been established to oversee the implementation of this active certification process and workplace health and safety is a weighted criterion in tender assessment.
Currently, the committee is considering the first draft of the guidelines for auditors, the first draft of guidelines for the appeals process, the first draft of guidelines for point allocation and mitigation measures and the role of a governance committee. This is a comprehensive response from my areas of the ACT government. We recognise the importance of reform in our procurement and to be able to provide an assurance that the government is taking a leading role in ensuring workplace health and safety.
The measures that I have outlined today in response to the recommendations in the report—and certainly in partnership with what Minister Corbell has outlined—clearly demonstrate that the territory government is working proactively with industry and with unions and is reaffirming our support and recognition of the importance of workplace health and safety.
In the time remaining to me, I again thank Mr Gentleman for raising this issue today. He has, as I have said, been a very passionate advocate for workplace health and
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