Notice: Changes to Queensland Workers Compensation Legislation

July 17, 2015 Member News Notice

Good news!!

The new Queensland State Government have remained true to their word and have introduced a Bill to overturn Campbell Newman’s unpopular changes of 2013 which unfairly disadvantaged workers’ rights.

The Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, 2015:-

Restores full Common Law rights to all injured workers by removing the 5% (permanent impairment) threshold.

  • Allows injured workers affected by this threshold between October, 2013 and January this year to obtain additional compensation in certain circumstances (details of this are unclear at the moment).
  • Prevents prospective employers from getting prospective employees’ Workers Compensation Claims Histories from the Regulator.
  • Provides automatic compensation to Fire Fighters who contract certain types of cancers.

The Government says that these changes can be made with minimal financial impact on the Scheme.

Of course, these changes only take effect and become law from the point when they are passed by Parliament. This will be a great victory for all injured workers across Queensland.