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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-14 Daily Xml
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Work Health and Safety Management Plan

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:42): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Industrial Relations questions about work health and safety management plans.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Housing Industry Association, on behalf of its members, has contacted both the government and the opposition, as we understand it, in relation to changes to construction management plan arrangements in a number of other jurisdictions and the potential for mirror changes here in South Australia. Under the current national harmonisation model, a construction management plan is required for any construction project which exceeds $250,000. We are advised that this particular level was set some seven years ago when the national harmonisation model process first commenced.

There have been two recent reviews, both a federal review of work health safety legislation and a state review, and we are advised that in both the reviewers have recommended that that particular limit be changed to reflect current day project costs. Prior to any national harmonisation agreement we are advised that in Queensland and in Victoria already a change has occurred, where the $250,000 level has been increased to a level of approximately $420,000.

I am further advised that representatives of SafeWork SA have not been actively opposing this particular proposition. I understand they even supported it in their submission to the national review but that their preferred course of action is to wait for some time until it is implemented through the national harmonisation scheme. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister accept that house builders in South Australia are at a competitive disadvantage compared to house builders in Queensland and Victoria as a result of the changes in those jurisdictions compared to the lack of change in South Australia?

2. Is the minister prepared to take action to implement the change as recommended by these reviews and supported by the HIA in the near future without waiting for the results of the processes of the national harmonisation scheme?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:45): I thank the member for his questions. I will refer them to the Minister for Industrial Relations in another place and bring back a response.

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