The Federal Government has released the first report from the Review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act), which aims to ensure that injured workers are covered by the SRC Act and Comcare Scheme.

Federal Minister for Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, said that the review is crucial to ensuring that injured workers are suitably covered by legislation.

“It is vital that the Comcare Scheme is focused on early and effective intervention to promote recovery of injured workers,” Mr Shorten said.

“It is also critical that employers and Comcare are proactive in supporting injured workers from the point of injury, during rehabilitation and when they return to work.”

The review by Dr Allan Hawke AC and Mr Peter Hanks QC found a number of areas where the SRC Act and Comcare Scheme are working well but also found opportunities to modernise its operation.

Modernisation would bolster the focus on early intervention and rehabilitation for the benefit of workers, employers and the overall performance of the scheme.

The report sets out 33 recommendations by Dr Hawke to improve the performance, governance and funding framework of the Comcare scheme and 104 recommendations from Mr Hanks to update and improve the SRC Act and address anomalies in the current legislation. 

“The report provides a range of ideas on ways to improve the operation of the Comcare Scheme while ensuring benefits remain fair and equitable for injured workers, especially those more seriously injured and incapacitated,” Mr Shorten said.

The report is available online here: http://deewr.gov.au/safety-rehabilitation-and-compensation-act-review-0