New laws introduced into Parliament are expected to help injured workers return to work as soon as they are able.
Minister for Workplace Safety, Ingrid Stitt said the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Arbitration) Bill 2021 allowed the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service (ACCS) to hear and make binding determinations on disputes not resolved by conciliation, thereby ensuring that workers’ compensation disputes are resolved in a more timely and efficient way.
“This Bill will deliver fairer outcomes – providing a simpler and cheaper alternative to court, leading to faster resolution of disputes,” Ms Stitt said.
“Many injured workers are deterred by the cost, time and complexity of court proceedings, making this path to dispute resolution lengthy and stressful,” she said.
“The proposed laws give workers the choice to have their matter instead arbitrated by the ACCS, who must commence a hearing within 30 days of the dispute being referred.”
Ms Stitt said that once an application for arbitration commenced, a hearing would generally conclude within 60 days, with a determination made within two weeks of the conclusion.
“This will ensure these disputes are resolved within four months – which is less time than it takes to resolve most court proceedings,” the Minister said.
She said the new laws would also help to free up court capacity and boost efficiency by diverting suitable claims away from the court system.
