On 24 June 2019, Safe Work Australia released for public consultation a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on the recommendations of the Review of the model WHS laws: Final report (the Review).
The Review examined the content and operation of the model WHS laws, including whether they are achieving the objectives stated in the model WHS Act or if they have resulted in unintended consequences. The Review found that, for the most part, the model WHS laws are working as intended, but identified some areas where stakeholders are experiencing confusion or consider the laws are overly complex. The Consultation RIS covers all 34 of the Review recommendations but focuses on the 12 recommendations likely to have the most significant impact on stakeholders, or that require further information and analysis to assess the impact.
Information provided in response to the Consultation RIS will be drawn upon to prepare a Decision RIS, which will identify the preferred options to recommend to Commonwealth, state and territory ministers with responsibility for Work Health and Safety. The consultation period closes on 5 August 2019. The Consultation RIS can be found on the Safe Work Australia website.
The Consultation RIS prepared by Safe Work Australia has been assessed by the Office of Best Practice Regulation as compliant with Council of Australian Governments Best Practice Regulation requirements.