Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I am pleased to introduce a bill that will clarify and strengthen the role and functions of Safe Work Australia.

Safe Work Australia was established in 2008 to develop national policy relating to work health and safety and workers' compensation.

The bill was informed by the review of the role and functions of Safe Work Australia. Under the Safe Work Australia Act, a review of the legislation was required after six years of operation.

The review was tabled in parliament on 8th of November 2016.

The review confirmed that Safe Work Australia plays an important role in facilitating a national focus on work health and safety and workers' compensation.

It provides a strong tripartite framework—that is, representatives from government, employers and employees—for engagement on safety matters.

The review also identified scope for improvement and recommended the Safe Work Australia Act be amended to:

The bill gives effect to these recommendations.

The bill amends the Safe Work Australia Act to insert an object provision which clearly states that Safe Work Australia's role and purpose is to—among other things—improve national work health and safety and workers' compensation arrangements.

The new object provision also emphasises the importance of collaboration on national work health and safety and workers' compensation matters.

To complement this, the bill provides Safe Work Australia with a specific function to collaborate with the Commonwealth, the states and territories and international bodies to drive further improvements in work health and safety outcomes and workers' compensation arrangements.

There was extensive consultation with stakeholders through both the Review process and the development of this bill.

This bill strengthens Safe Work Australia's ability to respond effectively to the challenges that impact health and safety now and in the future.

A better alignment of its functions, that will remain contemporary into the future and not become outdated, will mean it is better placed to respond effectively to emerging work health and safety issues.

The level of consensus that was achieved throughout the consultation process on the role of Safe Work Australia and its functions was very positive and commendable.

It highlights the value all parties involved place on governments and employee and employer representatives taking concerted action on a national scale to reduce the significant social, human and economic cost of work-related death, injury and disease.

This bill demonstrates the Australian government's strong commitment to working collaboratively, with states and territories, employee and employer representatives, to improve the safety of Australia's workplaces and its workers' compensation arrangements.

Debate adjourned.