SAFEWORK SA

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:54): Can the Minister for Industrial Relations confirm the reappointment of Tom Phillips AM as the Presiding Member of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:54): I thank the member for his question and also acknowledge his very keen interest in workers' health and safety over many years. I am pleased to announce that on 17 November 2011 His Excellency the Governor in Executive Council reappointed Mr Tom Phillips AM as Presiding Member of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee for a further three-year term commencing on 1 December 2011.

The role of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee is to set the strategic vision for South Australia's workplace safety agenda and, in particular, to advise me on occupational health, safety and welfare matters. The SafeWork SA Advisory Committee has dedicated considerable time and commitment to initiatives that help meet South Australia's Strategic Plan target of reducing workplace injuries by 40 per cent by 2012.

Mr Phillips has been the Presiding Member of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee since it was formed in 2005. During this time, he has presided over a range of critical matters in the area of occupational health and safety in this state. This has included: taking a lead role in the development of South Australia's position on the national work health and safety laws and regulations; overseeing an innovative research program to identify and fund projects large and small that contribute to the knowledge base on workplace health and safety; taking a lead role in the presentation of the annual SafeWork event; and interrogating injury data to inform an evidence-based approach to developing strategies to improve levels of compliance in South Australian workplaces and ultimately to reduce the rates of workplace harm.

Mr Phillips' contribution to occupational health and safety extends to the national level, where he is the chair of SafeWork Australia, which is the Australian government statutory agency with the primary responsibility for improving work health and safety and workers compensation arrangements across Australia. In this role, Mr Phillips has overseen the development of model workplace health and safety regulations, model codes of practice and a national compliance and enforcement strategy to support the model work health and safety act.

The reappointment of Mr Phillips as presiding member of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee is essential to ensuring that South Australia meets its objectives in relation to occupational health and safety, and I look forward to continuing my relationship with Mr Phillips and the other members of the advisory committee to help make workplaces across South Australia safer.