Page 4454 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 30 October 2018

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appropriateness and effectiveness of WorkSafe ACT’s compliance framework, compliance approach, governance, and organisational structure, the review has identified a number of areas where the administrative operations and governance of WorkSafe can be strengthened.

It is clear that a number of changes are required to strengthen the governance and compliance framework for enforcing work health and safety laws in the ACT. Key recommendations from the report include: clarity and consistency around the compliance framework used by the regulator; better and more strategic use of data to inform the activities of the regulator; better clarity and independence in relation to the governance arrangements for the regulator and the role of the Work Safety Commissioner; increasing capability, collaboration and engagement within the regulator; and changing the organisational structure of the regulator to improve clarity and independence in relation to enforcement and compliance activities as well as education and awareness-raising activities.

I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the ACT government supports all the review recommendations in principle. The ACT government will now work to ensure the effective implementation of the recommendations over the coming months. It is acknowledged that key changes to areas such as the organisational structure of WorkSafe will require consultation with WorkSafe staff, their unions and other key stakeholders to ensure that we get it right. These discussions will be commencing shortly.

The ACT government is committed to ensuring that all workers in the ACT are in safe and healthy workplaces and that the effectiveness of our work health and safety compliance framework is a key part of achieving this outcome. I consider that the implementation of the report’s recommendations will better enable WorkSafe ACT to be an effective and efficient work health and safety regulator for the ACT into the future.

I present the following papers:

ACT’s Work Safety Compliance Infrastructure, Policies and Procedures—Independent review—

Government response—Ministerial statement, 30 October 2018.

Final report, dated 27 August 2018.

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the ministerial statement.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

City Renewal Authority and Suburban Land Agency Amendment Bill 2018

Ms Berry, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.


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