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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-10-19 Daily Xml
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PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (16:15): I move:

That the 2010-11 annual report of the committee be noted.

The committee has an important role to play in investigating matters relating to the administration of the state's occupational heath, safety and compensation legislation and other legislation in relation to these matters, including the performance of the WorkCover Corporation.

The Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Committee differs substantially from other standing committees. Whilst a number of factors are identical to all other standing committees of parliament, the key difference with this committee is that the members are not remunerated.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: What did you say?

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: The members are not remunerated.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Don't we even get the $12.50?

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: No; we don't get paid.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Now you tell me! Who's our shop steward?

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: Well, we elected you! Having noted those interjections and that the members are not remunerated, I will continue. Thus the members' dedication to the work of the committee is noteworthy. Each member has given a significant amount of time to the committee's business and has worked well collectively for an important cause. The committee tends to be issue focused and its level of activity fluctuates, depending on the existence of topical matters. After the 11th report of the committee was tabled in 2007, the committee entered into a time of relative inactivity.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You mean it didn't meet?

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: Relative inactivity, yes. During this time, extensive reforms to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act were implemented, resulting in a period of transition and uncertainty. In early 2010, following the state election and after the appointment of new members to the fifth Parliamentary Committee on Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation, the committee's activity significantly increased, with the commencement of an inquiry into vocational rehabilitation and return to work.

For the financial year 2010-11, the parliamentary committee met on seven occasions. The bulk of the committee's work during this time was focused on a single in-depth inquiry into vocational rehabilitation and return to work, which is currently ongoing. During this time, the committee was also briefed by representatives from SafeWork SA on national occupational health and safety legislation harmonisation.

The committee notes that the South Australian return-to-work rate for injured workers has consistently been lower than the national average for the past 14 years and is, in fact, currently the lowest in the nation. Yet, the frequency of use and expense of vocational rehabilitation is exceptionally high and on the increase. Such a combination of factors continues to have a negative impact on WorkCover's unfunded liability and the overall performance of the scheme, not to mention on the lives of those workers who have not returned to work.

Following the reforms in 2008, the state's workers compensation scheme has constantly been in the public spotlight and has suffered criticism. The committee has been advised that there have been a number of independent reviews into workers compensation since the reforms and it is clear that the return-to-work rate of the South Australian scheme is of concern to all stakeholders. The committee recognises this concern and, through its inquiry, would like to discover the reasons why the current scheme is underperforming and identify ways that it can be improved.

The committee understands that the issue is complex and that there is no single definitive solution to bring about an improvement in the scheme's performance. The committee has heard evidence that WorkCover, its claims agent Employers Mutual and other stakeholders, including SA Unions are in the process of developing and initiating several strategies with the aim to address the state's low return-to-work rate. Such efforts are commendable and hopefully time will show such initiatives to be successful.

May I say that this is not just a matter for WorkCover and its claims agent. It is important for all stakeholders, including employers, employees and rehabilitation service providers to focus on supporting return-to-work efforts. Successfully doing so will inevitably result in a reduction in the unfunded liability of the scheme. More importantly, it will reduce the impact of injury upon the lives of workers. The committee notes WorkCover's aims to improve return to work outcomes. The corporation's strategic plan includes targets to improve the return-to-work rate by 3 per cent each year for the next five years.

The 12th report of the Parliamentary Committee on Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and compensation summarises the work of the committee for the financial year 2010-11 and also provides a summary of committee activity and membership changes since the committee last reported to the house in 2007. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who have contributed to the work of the committee and, in particular, provided assistance to the committee in undertaking its inquiries.

I thank all the organisations and people who took the time and made the effort to prepare submissions for the committee and appear before the committee to provide evidence. Without the support of those people, the work of the committee is severely limited. Finally, I extend my sincere thanks to the members of the committee: the Hon. Steph Key MP, the Hon. John Darley MLC, the Hon. Rob Lucas MLC, Mr Ivan Venning MP, and Mrs Leesa Vlahos MP. I would especially like to acknowledge the support the committee receives from Mr Rick Crump, secretary to the committee, and Ms Mia Ciccarello, the committee's research officer.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. R.I. Lucas.

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