Page 2967 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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expectations for the regulator to be communicated to the WHS commissioner annually by the minister; a requirement to make a statement of operational intent that responds to the minister’s statement of expectations and supports the strategic plan for the office; increased focus on the strategic activities of the office by requiring a four-year strategic plan for the office; and a requirement to make a compliance and enforcement policy to increase transparency about the way in which the office carries out its compliance and enforcement activities, including its aims, approach, tools and guidance material.
Transparency and accountability around the funding and resources of the office will be facilitated by the declaration of the office as a separate reporting entity for the purposes of the Financial Management Act 1996. This will mean that the office will produce separate financial statements and budget information which will allow stakeholders to better scrutinise the funding and resources applied to the activities undertaken by the office.
To further facilitate the accountability and scrutiny of the office, a number of the documents I have already outlined will be required to be notifiable instruments and tabled in the Legislative Assembly. These include the compliance and enforcement policy, the strategic plan and the government’s statement of expectations. This provides a critical step for members of the Legislative Assembly and the community to see and make comment on the activities of the regulator.
Technical amendments are also being made under this bill to align schedule 2 of the Work Health and Safety Act with the rest of the act by replacing the term “work safety” with “work health and safety”.
While the bill represents a significant step in ensuring the best practice regulation of work health and safety, there is also ongoing work to implement the remaining recommendations of the report. An implementation project team has been established to make sure the operational structure of the regulator will support the new governance model.
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all those who provided input into the development of the bill, as well as the independent review that prompted this bill. Stakeholder consultation is the cornerstone of developing contemporary work health and safety laws that better protect our workers and better communicate to employers how that is best achieved.
This bill creates a governance structure for the regulator that will deliver a clear, independent and well-informed strategic approach to the activities of the office, with appropriate oversight and accountability. It will establish the foundations for the office to become a contemporary regulatory entity that is innovative, flexible, respected and trusted.
Ultimately, this bill will lay the foundations to ensure that our regulator is best set up to continue to support the safety of workers now and into the future, a key focus of our progressive ACT Labor government. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Wall) adjourned to the next sitting.
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