Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I will revisit a couple of the points I made earlier: firstly, that Safe Work Australia is developing, in consultation with Volunteering Australia, further guidance material for volunteer organisations, volunteer officers and volunteer workers—and indeed some of the specificity that Senator Abetz would like to see may need to wait upon that guidance material.

Also, I should repeat that the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations clarify that the law applies equally, as he has indicated, to both unincorporated and incorporated volunteer organisations. But an officer who is a volunteer will have the duty to exercise due diligence but cannot be prosecuted as an individual for failing to do so. This is what I think the ministerial council was referring to, in that it is designed not to discourage voluntary participation as officers.