14/11/05
The second stage of workers' compensation reforms launched today by Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke will improve fairness, certainty and efficiency in the system.
"The reforms are designed to free the system of lengthy delays while ensuring workers have adequate compensation and support to return to work," Mr Kobelke said.
"Employers will no longer be burdened with unnecessary costs due to inefficiencies in the system."
The first stage of the reforms, which took effect in January this year, immediately improved the weekly benefits for the majority of injured workers.
From today, further significant improvements will be implemented in dispute resolution, impairment assessment, common law and injury management.
"A new objective method of impairment assessment will be introduced and more than 200 medical practitioners are eligible to become approved specialists to conduct assessments," Mr Kobelke said.
"This replaces the subjective, costly disability assessment system that fostered 'doctor shopping' and added costs to the system. The improvements will give greater certainty to injured workers."
Streamlining dispute resolution and common law access will reduce delays by ensuring all the parties are prepared before the dispute resolution process begins.
A new dispute resolution directorate will speed-up dispute resolution. Legal practitioners will now be able to represent their clients in all phases of the process.
Amendments to common law include the repositioning of disputes over access to common law into the District Court system; an extension of the time workers can elect from six to 12 months; and the ability for injured workers to pursue damages based on the impairment assessment from an approved medical specialist of their choice.
"New programs will be introduced to the statutory system that help in retraining injured workers and provide additional medical entitlements for seriously injured workers," the Minister said.
"The focus of the system will now be upon helping workers return to work faster to appropriate duties.
"Employers will develop a return-to-work program that suits their worker and their workplace, with advice from a medical practitioner.
"An injury management code of practice will help employers manage injuries at the workplace.
"Introducing a return-to-work culture is important and reflects the values the Government would like to see in all workplaces in Western Australia."
Mr Kobelke said the changes meant there would be a fairer and more efficient workers' compensation system in WA that would eliminate the uncertainty felt by many of the 40,000 Western Australians who made a workers' compensation claim each year.
Employers would benefit from increased certainty which would come at a fair price to business and injured workers would receive an appropriate level of benefits and would be assisted to return to work.
Minister's office - 9222 9211
