Committee Details

COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The committee tabled its Report No. 2, 57th Parliament – Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill on Friday, 23 February 2024. The Government Response was tabled on 20 March 2024. The Bill was passed with amendment on 21 March 2024.

About the Bill 

The Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced into the Queensland Parliament on 30 November 2023 by Hon Grace Grace MP, Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing, and referred to the former Education, Training and Employment Committee for consideration. 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: Submissions and related publications received prior to 13 February 2024 are located on the former committee's inquiry webpage. 

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.

submissions 

Submissions closed on 10 January 2024. Submissions may be viewed under the ‘View Submissions’ tab on the former Education, Training and Employment Committee inquiry webpage.

Timeline