Workers Compensation Injury Management Pilots Project

The Standing Committee on Law and Justice has a statutory obligation, under Schedule 5A of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (‘the Principal Act’), to review the effectiveness of the Injury Management Pilots Project (‘the Pilots Project’) conducted in 2001 by organisations selected by WorkCover. Schedule 5A was inserted into the Principal Act by amendment in 2001, to provide the legislative basis for the Pilots Project to be undertaken. Schedule 5A also requires WorkCover to ensure that the ‘effectiveness’ of the Schedule is ‘evaluated by an independent person or body chosen by the Authority’. The independent evaluation was undertaken by the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics at Monash University in 2002. Schedule 5A states that the results of the independent evaluation are to be referred to the Law and Justice Committee ‘which is to review the results and report to Parliament’. The independent evaluation necessary to commence the Inquiry was received from the Hon John Della Bosca, MLC, Minister for Industrial Relations, on 7 December 2004. The Committee conducted its review in 2005, tabling its report on 9 September 2005.

The following information is relevant to the inquiry: Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill Second Reading Speech (Hon John Della Bosca MLC) - 1 November 2000 Parliamentary Debate (Second Reading Debate) on the Bill - 14 November 2000 Parliamentary Debate (Second Reading Debate) on the Bill - 15 November 2000 Workers Compensation Amendment Bill (In Committee) - 16 November 2000 Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 13 September 2005 Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 30 August 2006 Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 6 September 2006