Master Builders Queensland and the Civil Contractors Federation Queensland (CCF) have welcomed the state government’s announcement of a review into workers’ compensation in Queensland.
The decision to independently examine the Industrial Relations Act 2016 and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 comes after the peak industry bodies appealed to Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie to examine the impact of a rising number of psychological injuries on WorkCover.
Industry applauded the appointment of former WorkCover Chair, Glenn Ferguson, and Industrial Commissioner Gary Black, as paving the way for positive change.
“We thank the state government for having the courage to investigate this area. The scheme in our view needs significant reform to ensure it is sustainable, equitable and solvent in the long-term,” CCF CEO Damian Long said.
“Ultimately, we want people to be able to productively contribute to the economy. Psychological claims leave workers off for longer, have a higher dollar cost, and are accelerating in volume.
“A near doubling of the number of primary psychological claims over the past five years, and a significantly lower rate of return to work for these sorts of claims indicates that how these claims are managed needs serious reform to help deliver the best possible outcomes for workers and businesses.”
Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said industry had long supported WorkCover as a sustainable, no-fault scheme, providing workers with the best possible chance of returning to work after an injury.
“Building and construction work is high-risk and physically demanding by nature. Over the years, we’ve managed to drive down the number of physical injuries through improvements to culture, technology, and legislation.
“This review will help build on that good work by exploring how to address the emerging trends currently hampering the scheme, including fraud and related offending, and the suitability of self-insurance arrangements.
“We need a fit-for-purpose, sustainable workers’ compensation scheme that helps get people back to work where possible, and gets the balance right for both injured workers, and their employers.”
Industry also welcomes the opportunity to respond to the recommendations from the Queensland Productivity Commission inquiry around boosting productivity via industrial relations reform, as well as the ongoing CFMEU Commission of Inquiry.