Page 1558 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 July 2020
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Having met recently with the new ACT work safety commissioner to discuss her plans for WorkSafe ACT in its new form, and noting the suite of changes Minister Orr has brought through the Assembly this year, I believe that the ACT is taking, and will continue to take, action to ensure and improve the safety of Canberra workers.
The unprecedented circumstances for workers and workplaces round COVID-19 have seen rapid changes, and the working environment will continue to evolve. Having robust, clear and responsive legislation and guidelines means that everyone—the ACT government, regulators, businesses and workers—can act to protect the safety of Canberrans in the workplace. On that basis, we are pleased to support the bill today.
MS ORR (Yerrabi—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Disability, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety and Minister for Government Services and Procurement) (5.41), in reply: The Employment and Workplace Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 makes a number of amendments to legislation within my portfolio. I foreshadow that when we get to the detail stage I will be moving an amendment. This bill makes amendments that will ensure the ACT is aligned with the nationally agreed laws in place for the transport of dangerous goods by road. It modernises workers compensation insurance arrangements by implementing a more streamlined and sophisticated licensing framework for insurers and self-insurers and ensures our work health and safety laws effectively promote compliance with WHS duties and obligations in the workplace. These laws all play a vital role in ensuring that our workplaces are safe and the lives of working people are valued and protected. I am confident that these amendments will ensure that our safety and regulatory frameworks continue to be responsive and effective.
In relation to the amendments themselves, the Workers Compensation Act 1951 amendments will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the workers compensation scheme insurer and self-insurer regulatory framework. The Workers Compensation Act 1951 supports our injured workers. It requires all employers to have a compulsory workers compensation insurance policy with an improved insurer unless they are granted an exemption by the minister. Employers who are granted an exemption are subsequently approved to operate as self-insurers.
This approach is now out of date and it is cumbersome. It is also administratively burdensome on the regulator, as approvals and exemptions must be made afresh every three years. This process makes no recognition that these insurers are already approved in the ACT and have been for a number of years. The ACT workers compensation insurers market has been relatively stable over the past 10 years, with seven approved insurers and eight exempt self-insurers operating over those years. In addition, all approved insurers are also licensed in other privately underwritten workers compensation jurisdictions and, relevantly, they all currently operate in Tasmania. It is timely that we now move to a modern licensing framework for both insurers and self-insurers.
These changes will streamline and reduce the administrative burden on insurers. It will mean insurers and self-insurers will apply for an ongoing licence in the ACT. This is similar to recent reforms in Tasmania and also aligns with the approach to
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