Western Australia has approved the development of a single mirror WHS Bill, dumping plans for a separate Bill for the resources sector and hinting that the laws will be more consistent with the national model Act than previous drafts.
The new Western Australian Government could amend its draft WHS laws to include union-led prosecutions and 20-year jail terms for recklessness, and attempt to block the expansion of the Comcare scheme, Labor Party policy documents show.
The future of harmonised work safety laws in Western Australia will be in the hands of the next State Government, with a regulator today confirming that the WHS Bill for the resources sector won't be introduced before the March 2017 election.
Stakeholders are being urged to comment on proposed WHS Regulations for the Western Australian resources sector, which include 51 "key" changes and do not align with the national model WHS Regulations.
A report informing the development of harmonised WHS laws for general industry in Western Australia has recommended making 132 changes to the national model WHS Regulations before adopting them in the State.
The modernised WHS Bill for the Western Australian resources sector could be amended to make it clear that a worker's right to cease unsafe work extends to protecting the safety of others, under one of range of recommendations in an RIS on the Bill.