Committee Details

INQUIRY TRANSFERRED

On 13 February 2024, the Legislative Assembly amended Schedule 6 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, establishing the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee, and transferred the Bill to the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee for detailed consideration.

NOTE: Related publications and submissions received before 13 February 2024 can be found on this page, under the respective links above. 

About the Bill 

On 30 November 2023, Hon Grace Grace MP, Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing, introduced the Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 into the Queensland Parliament. The Bill was referred to the Education, Employment and Training Committee for detailed consideration. 

The Bill proposes amendments to the:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011
• Public Health Act 2005.

The primary objective of the Bill is to give effect to the Queensland Government’s response to recommendations from the Review of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 – Final report 2022. Further information is available from the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website at: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/news-and-events/news/2023/release-of-the-work-health-and-safety-act-2011-qld-review-report.

The Bill also implements particular recommendations from the 2018 Review of the Model Work Health and Safety Laws (the Boland Review). Further information is available from the Safe work Australia website at: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/law-and-regulation/model-whs-laws/review-model-whs-laws.

The Bill proposes further amendments to improve the operation and administration of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and a consequential amendment to the definition of ‘cooling tower’ in s 61A of the Public Health Act 2005.

View: Explanatory speech 
View: Bill 
View: Explanatory Notes 
View: Statement of compatibility

Further information including any written briefings or advice, correspondence, the response to submissions, transcripts and answers to questions taken on notice will be made available under the Related Publications tab.

Call for submissions 

Submissions closed on 10 January 2024. They can be viewed under the ‘View Submissions’ tab.

Timeline