COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Council of Australian Governments
On 2 May 2014, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that all governments would investigate ways the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws could be improved.
The Decision RIS considers four areas of the WHS laws identified by COAG for investigation: director’s liability, roles and functions of union officials and health and safety representatives under the model WHS laws, model Codes of Practice, and whether the current WHS system reflects best practice.
The Agency supporting Safe Work Australia assisted the former Select Council on Workplace Relations (now disbanded) to review the model WHS laws in line with COAG’s request. In accordance with its legislated functions Safe Work Australia has now revised the model WHS Act and Regulations. These were published on Safe Work Australia’s website on 1 August 2016.
The RIS was assessed as compliant by the Office of Best Practice Regulation in November 2014 under the COAG RIS requirements. The proposal will result in regulatory savings of approximately $42.4 million per annum, which has been agreed with the OBPR.