Media Centre

It is a pleasure to be part of this evening’s 2007 Safe Work Australia Awards ceremony.

World Day for Health and Safety at Work is an opportune time to acknowledge excellence in occupational health and safety.

My congratulations to all of tonight’s finalists who are here because of their strong commitment to safety in the workplace.

The health and safety of the Australian workforce is high on the Government’s list of priorities.

Australia currently ranks in the top 5 countries for reducing work-related deaths with a 36 per cent decrease in compensated fatalities since 1996.

While these figures are encouraging, even one injury or fatality in the workplace is one too many.

This year, over 140 000 Australians will be seriously injured at work and more than 250 Australians will die as a result of work-related injuries.

Unfortunately, we often only think about safety at work when something goes wrong.

The anniversary of the Beaconsfield Mine disaster over the weekend is a solemn reminder for all Australians touched both by the tragedy and the heroic story of survival.

The Safe Work Australia Awards embody the principles that the Rudd Government is working to achieve: to create safer and more productive workplaces for all Australians.

The Awards are a partnership between the Australian Government and state and territory Governments, in order to recognise those who have made a significant contribution to workplace safety.

The health and safety of Australian workers is a key concern of Australian governments at all levels.

All workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace.

As seen by the 2020 summit last weekend, the Australian Government is willing to listen to ideas about the future of Australia.

We can take command of the future directions of OHS in this country by engaging with all relevant groups, industry, individuals and stakeholders.

Several key pieces of work are already underway in this regard.

Many of you will be aware that a review of the Comcare occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation system is underway to ensure the system operates effectively.

Under the Howard Government, there was an expansion of the types of industries covered by the Comcare scheme, yet there was no considered approach to this expansion.

Of major concern to the Rudd Government is that all employees covered by the scheme are protected by rigorous OHS safeguards and appropriate workers’ compensation benefits.

Unlike the Howard Government, the Rudd Government is giving Australians a say in the development of this important area.

On 23 January, I released terms of reference for the review and asked for interested parties to submit their views.

Eighty submissions have been received, and they have come from workers, business and employer groups, unions, state governments, the legal profession and the not-for-profit sector.

Consultations with key stakeholders including unions, businesses, State Governments and other stakeholders have also been conducted, which have facilitated an open and honest discussion of issues.

The number of submissions and feedback from the consultations shows that the Howard government failed to ask those very important questions about health and safety in our workplaces, and compensation for the injured.

At the same time, the Government wants to ensure that the expansion of the Comcare scheme is not having a negative impact on the financial viability of the scheme and that of the States.

My Department will provide me with a report by the end of July which will assist the Government to decide on future directions for the scheme.

The harmonisation of Australia’s OHS laws was an election commitment of the government and has been signalled as a priority by the COAG, the Productivity Commission and by the States and Territories.

Previous governments have failed to achieve national consistency across the nine OHS systems in Australia. The Rudd Government will not let this continue.

We have made a commitment to achieve harmonisation of OHS laws within five years.

There can be no doubt that this will cut red tape, boost business efficiency and provide greater certainty and protections for all workplace parties.

Recently my colleagues on the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council agreed to work together to develop and implement model OHS legislation to achieve this goal.

In a significant step toward making harmonisation a reality. As a first step, I have appointed three OHS experts to conduct a national review into Australia’s OHS laws.

Robin Stewart-Crompton, the panel chair, Barry Sherriff and Stephanie Mayman are with us here tonight.

I am sure that this audience will appreciate the depth of knowledge and experience, not to mention commitment, that each of them brings to this important national project.

With the first stage of the review now underway, I look forward to the Panel’s progress report due to the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council meeting in May.

We have a huge and important task ahead – to finally achieve a uniform OHS framework across Australia.

It is a complicated project that requires cooperation and long term commitment. But ultimately it will make a major contribution to the productivity and safety of Australia’s workplaces.

The Government has also committed to establish a new body to replace the ASCC that will take us forward into this new era of cooperative OHS.

Consultation with the states and territories is already underway on the inter governmental agreement which will underpin the operation of the new body. This agreement is significant for all Australians and requires genuine Commonwealth- State cooperation.

I expect the inter governmental agreement will be finalised in the coming months.

You all in this room tonight and particularly the finalists, embody the spirit of the Commonwealth Government’s reforms in this critical area – employers, employees and governments working together to create safer and more productive workplaces.

You come from a broad range of industries. You work in locations all around our country. You represent the upper echelons of management or the everyday employee. You work in the public or private sector. You work in small business. You work in multinational corporations.

However you all have one unifying attribute – you are all exemplars in workplace safety.

Through leadership and innovation you have recognised that safe business is good business.

Thank you.