12:46 pm, Monday 11 March, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

The first stage of a $1 million research project which aims to reduce quad bike deaths was launched by the Minister for Finance and Services, Greg Pearce.

Fifteen quad bikes will be tested using a specially designed tilt-table to identify the possibility of the vehicles to roll over and cause severe injuries.

“Quad bikes are the leading cause of injury and death on Australian farms,” said Mr Pearce.

“Most deaths are a result of head injuries, asphyxia or serious chest injuries from being trapped by overturned vehicles.

“This testing will enable us to determine whether safety enhancements and design improvements can be made so that injury and loss of life can be prevented.”

According to Mr Pearce, 200 tests by transport and safety experts will be conducted using combinations of riders, loads and operator protection devices.

“There is still scope to improve vehicle design as previous research has failed to establish the causes of asphyxiation fatalities, which account for nearly 40 percent of quad bike rollover deaths in Australia,” he said.

“The project team has consulted with the world’s leading experts in quad bike safety to ensure the most effective tests are being conducted.

“These tests will involve measuring the stability of quad bikes using the tilt-table to determine the likelihood of a vehicle rolling using front and rear load combinations.

“The safety of quad bike users and improving the unacceptable fatality and injury rates needs to be a priority for manufacturers, suppliers and the farming community.

“I look forward to the findings of this world leading research which will help regulators and guide manufacturers make engineering and design improvements,” said Mr Pearce.

The project is being conducted by experts from the Transport and Road Safety Research Unit at the University of South Wales on behalf of WorkCover NSW and the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities.

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04:21 pm, Friday 9 November, 2012

The Hon Greg Pearce
Image:
directory.nsw.gov.au

Reforms to the workers compensation scheme have produced benefits. This is according to the Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce who has announced that the WorkCover Scheme Valuation, prepared by Pricewaterhouse Coopers shows improvement in the deficit, which the Acturary now estimates to be around $1.5 billion.

“Under the previous Government, this scheme was allowed to get deeper and deeper in the red and the deficit would be around $4.5 billion had these reforms not gone ahead,” said Minister Pearce.

“While this projected outcome represents an improvement, there is still a significant way to go to return the scheme to surplus and financial sustainability.

“In June this year the Government introduced far-reaching reforms to WorkCover to provide better outcomes for injured workers, and employers who fund the scheme.

“Small business has also benefitted from the changes, because the Government was able to avoid increasing premiums. Without the reforms, premiums would have had to increase by 28 percent to return the scheme to financial sustainability,” he said.

He also said many of the reforms involving transition of workers injured prior to 1 October 2012 to the new benefits scheme will start from January.

“As the workers compensation reforms are still being implemented, it will take several years until the impact on scheme finances can be accurately determined,” said Mr Pearce.

“An additional $196 million has been allocated to help rehabilitate injured workers and ensure they have adequate medical support to help them return to work.

“The NSW Workers Compensation Scheme has a long history of deficit, having spent only two and a half of the last 16 years in surplus.

“The Government is committed to returning the Scheme to financial sustainability to provide injured workers with appropriate support while ensuring the Scheme is affordable, fair and competitive for NSW.”

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01:42 pm, Wednesday 3 October, 2012

Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce assured workers that more is being done to help injured workers get back to work sooner. He said that the introduction of new measures will improve outcomes for employers and workers following changes to the NSW Workers Compensation Scheme.

“From today injured workers will be offered more opportunities to get back on the job sooner with WorkCover helping employers identify suitable work,” said Mr Pearce.

“Employers will have obligations to assist injured workers get back into the workplace and will be required to ensure a suitable return to work program is in place.

“Encouraging workers to return sooner will help improve their recovery and also benefits the worker’s family.

“After a three-month grace period, WorkCover inspectors will be able to issue improvement notices for any failure by employers to meet these obligations.”

As part of the reforms to the workers compensation scheme, workers who make a claim starting 1 October will get up to 95 percent of their average weekly earnings for the first 13 weeks of their claim based on their pre-injury earnings.

“As well, from today a WorkCover Independent review will be available to provide an independent review of decisions made about benefits and work capacity,” said Mr Pearce.

“These reforms are focused on encouraging and assisting injured workers to return to work as soon as they have capacity to do so.

“An early, safe return to work by injured workers has been shown to be good for the employee’s recovery, health and wellbeing.

“The positive flow-on effect of getting skilled workers back into the workplace sooner is a reduction in the costs of claims and premiums, which in turn means less strain on business, jobs and the workers compensation system,” he said.

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01:43 pm, Monday 7 May, 2012

Minister for
Finance & Services
Greg Pearce
Photo: NSW Government

Minister for Finance & Services Greg Pearce on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the WorkCover board, which is done to address the $4.1 billion deficit as well as to implement a reform agenda following the outcomes of the Parliamentary inquiry.

“The scheme deficit has become a spiralling black hole and unless reformed will fast become unviable – and unable to help injured employees get back to work,” said Mr Pearce.

“Unless immediate action is taken every business across the state will face premium hikes of 28 percent on average.

“Businesses in NSW are already paying up to 60 percent higher than their counterparts interstate.”

The government earlier released an issues paper and announced a Parliamentary committee to start the vital reform of the WorkCover scheme.

“The Parliamentary Committee and the NSW Government will set the agenda and it is vital that the right people are there to implement it.

“Michael Carapiet, Gavin Bell and Elizabeth Carr will fill the vacant positions on the WorkCover board.

“Michael Carapiet is already the Chairperson of the SAS Trustee Corporation Board and was recently appointed Chairperson of the Workers Compensation Insurance Fund.

“He has more than 30 years of experience in superannuation including extensive knowledge and expertise in the operation of superannuation schemes, investments and financial management.

“Gavin Bell has almost 30 years legal and business experience and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Freehills, one of Australia’s largest law firms. He has been recognised as the Australian Law Firm Managing Partner of the year on two occasions.

“Elizabeth Carr has over 20 years of experience in financial management, public administration and change management in both the public and private sectors.

“She currently is a board director of the West Australian Environmental Protection Authority and the NSW Medical Research Advisory Council.

“I look forward to working with the new Board members to get the scheme working as it should – supporting injured workers through rehabilitation, getting them back to work, and remaining financially sustainable,” said Mr Pearce.

The WorkCover Board:

• Michael Carapiet – Chairman (new appointment)
• Nicholas Whitlam – Deputy Chair
• Gavin Bell – Director (new appointment)
• Elizabeth Carr – Director (new appointment)
• Mark Lennon – Director
• Julie Newman (Acting CEO)
• Carolyn Walsh – Director
• Raymond Whitten – Director

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11:45 am, Wednesday 25 April, 2012

Minister for Finance & Services, Greg Pearce released on Monday an issues paper and announced a parliamentary committee as the next steps in reforming WorkCover.

According to Mr Pearce, the scheme had a deficit of more than $4 billion and would soon be unable to help injured workers get back to work unless changes are done to make it more effective and economically sound.

“We want to transform the scheme to ensure injured workers get the best treatment as quickly as possible; that employers are not hit by massive premium hikes; and that our State has a solid scheme which will do its job well into the future,” said Mr Pearce.

“Analysis by WorkCover, the independent scheme actuary – PwC – and the Auditor – General have concluded that the scheme in its current form is not financially sustainable.”

Mr Pearce also said that without significant reforms, NSW businesses could face an immediate increase in their WorkCover premiums of 28 percent on average, halting business and jobs growth in NSW.

“Huge increases in premiums would be damaging impost on business owners and operators who work hard to make a living and generate jobs for others,” said Mr Pearce.

“With premiums in NSW already between 20 and 60 percent higher than in Victoria and Queensland, any increase would only drive more businesses and more jobs interstate.

“We must get the scheme running as efficiently and effectively as our interstate counterparts, to provide assurance to workers and encourage business and jobs growth.

“We must achieve better rehabilitation outcomes, better rates of return-to-work and better management of the scheme.”

The issues paper outlined the scheme’s failings compared to its key aims – supporting injured workers through rehabilitation, getting them back to work, and remaining financially sustainable while still being price competitive with other States.

The paper also emphasized that the cost of scheme was increasing despite the number of claims dropping, which means that injured workers were remaining on WorkCover benefits for longer than ever before.

“I also announce that to provide an opportunity for consultation and review the Government will also refer the matter to a Joint Parliamentary Committee,” said Mr Pearce.

“The committee of eight will be chaired by The Hon. Robert Borsak MLC and consist of four Coalition MPs, two Labor MPs, and one from the Christian Democratic Party.

The committee will be tasked with inquiring and reporting on the following:

• The performance of the scheme in the key objectives of promoting better health and return-to-work outcomes;
• The financial sustainability of the scheme; and
• The functions and operations of the WorkCover Authority.

“The committee will report back to the Government within 28 days of its appointment,” added Mr Pearce.

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02:28 pm, Monday 19 March, 2012

Minister for Resources and Energy,
Chris Hartcher.
Photo: Dean Osland

The state government is being accused of attempting to shut down criminal prosecutions against employers with pending workplace safety cases.

The Herald was able to obtain internal documents which say three NSW ministers agreed to ask for legal advice on whether these cases should continue. The letter from the Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, on February 16, addressed to his department, asks “all prosecutions pending under the OH&S Act to be stayed pending the receipt and consideration of the advice of the Crown Solicitor and senior counsel.” It also said that he was able to get the agreement of Finance Minister, Greg Pearce, and the Attorney-General, Greg Smith.

WorkCover, which is the legal entity responsible for prosecuting employers for workplace breaches, tried to adjourn 22 cases in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. The president of the commission, Justice Roger Boland, however did not adjourn nine of the cases after WorkCover said that it was unable to reveal why it was reviewing them.

“I do not understand the need for WorkCover to keep the purpose of the review, and its relevance to the charge that is before the court, secret,” said Judge Boland.

Adam Searle of the opposition said that the document obtained by the Herald shows that senior ministers tried to interfere in criminal prosecutions already before the court.

“This is an extraordinary intervention that could see employers, who have put their workers at risk, escape prosecution…” said Mr Searle.

“Governments can seek to change laws for the future, but Ministers should not involve themselves in decisions about whether or not individual companies or persons should be prosecuted.”

Mr Pearce denied allegations that he was responsible in directing WorkCover to conduct the review. He made it clear that the government asked WorkCover to “consider its prosecutions” in light of a 2009 High Court case in which the company involved challenged the interpretation of the act by the Industrial Court of NSW.

“Importantly, back in 2010 WorkCover, as a result of the Kirk decision and on advice of senior counsel and with the knowledge of the then minister [Michael] Daley, reviewed all prosecutions before the courts to determine whether any amendments to the charges were required,” said Mr Daley.

Mr Hartcher clarified that his letter to his department addressed concerns raised by the Kirk decision as well as its implication to the mining industry – as opposed to WorkCover.

“The government has not interfered. All it has done is ask for legal advice,” said Mr Hartcher.

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