Work Health and Safety Ministers' Meeting

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:24): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector. Could the minister please inform the council about the recent meeting of commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety ministers?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:25): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in work health and safety. I know he has dedicated a fair portion of his life to protecting the safety of workers in South Australia through the mighty trade union movement.

Last week, I was very pleased to attend a national meeting of commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety ministers to discuss issues of national concern in our work health and safety system. In recent months these national meetings have been highly consequential, with unanimous approval earlier this year to place a ban on the manufacture and use of dangerous engineered stone products throughout Australia.

One of the most significant matters discussed at last week's meeting—that South Australia specifically requested to be considered—was dispute resolution processes for work health and safety issues. Earlier this year the parliament passed the Work Health and Safety (Review Recommendations) Amendment Act to implement recommendations of an independent review that was conducted by Mr John Merritt in 2022. It put in place new dispute resolution processes that would allow a worker, an employer, or their representatives, to seek assistance at the South Australian Employment Tribunal in resolving health and safety disputes.

These reforms were very closely aligned with the changes that were made in 2017 in Queensland following a review of its own health and safety laws, as well as being based on recommendations of the review of model WHS laws conducted by current Safe Work Australia CEO, Marie Boland, in 2018.

I am very pleased to advise that following a discussion at the work health and safety ministers' meeting the commonwealth, state and territory work health and safety ministers have agreed to re-examine recommendations of the Boland review and have tasked Safe Work Australia with scoping options to improve practical dispute resolution processes under the model WHS laws and to provide WHS ministers with a report within six months.

WHS ministers also agreed to a request that Safe Work look at other recommendations made by the South Australian and Queensland reviews for national consistency. This resolution is a significant step to better work health and safety systems, and demonstrates that South Australia can help lead a national dialogue in these sorts of issues and areas.

This is not the only important issue dealt with at that particular meeting, however. Ministers received an update from the new commonwealth Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon. Murray Watt, confirming that the commonwealth intends to put in place a national importation ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs from 1 January 2025 to complement the recent prohibition under work health and safety laws.

The ministers also discussed the inaugural Silica National Strategic Plan, developed by the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency, aimed at eradicating silica-related diseases in Australia and supporting workers who have developed those diseases.

These are significant matters that go to improving the safety and welfare of our community, and I look forward to continually collaborating with my interstate colleagues on these international work health and safety reforms.