Western Australia is pressing ahead with its 2013 plan to replace the State Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 with a new statute, WorkCover WA has confirmed.
“The drafting of the Bill is a significant undertaking and is at a preliminary drafting stage with Parliamentary Counsel’s Office,” a spokesperson said yesterday.
The State Government has been quiet on the proposed laws since approving the drafting process in October 2014 .
The spokesperson confirmed that the new statute will be based on recommendations from WorkCover’s June 2014 report on the old Act, and the Government will consult broadly on the Bill before introducing it to Parliament.
“I cannot confirm when it will be introduced to Parliament at this stage,” he said.
WorkCover’s 171 recommendations included: replacing the “complex and highly prescriptive” 1981 Act with a new Act; redefining “worker” as “an ’employee’ for the purpose of assessment for Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding” under Commonwealth taxation laws; enforcing whole person impairment thresholds for common law claims; and significantly increasing death benefits
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