Organisation name (if applicable)
Upload your submission
20 December 2024
Independent Review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Westpac Place
Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) Level 19, 275 Kent Street
Safety and Industry Policy Division, Sydney NSW 2000
Australian Government Department of Employment www.westpac.com.au and Workplace Relations
Email: SRCActReview@dewr.gov.au
Re: Independent Review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth)
Dear Secretariat,
Westpac would first like to thank the independent panel for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion and provide insights into our experience across the various State and Territory schemes.
As a self-insurer in all eight Australian states and territories, Westpac is uniquely placed to provide insights into the scope of the Comcare scheme coverage and our experience across different jurisdictions.
Given the broad scope of the issues paper and consultation questions, Westpac has limited its response to discussion questions relating to the scheme coverage which can be found below. Beyond this, Westpac would be grateful to continue to engage with the panel and the
Department to provide further detail or information on the scheme throughout the review, especially with respect to our employees’ experiences across differing State schemes.
Scheme Coverage Discussion Questions
Q. Is it still appropriate for the Comcare scheme to be the pathway to a national scheme for private multi-state employers? Apart from Australian Government entities and companies, who should have access to the Comcare scheme? Give reasons.
Westpac supports a view that the Comcare scheme should be able to accept national, private, multi-state employers.
For multi-state employers such as Westpac which operate in multiple states, inequities exist for its employee’s dependent upon which state the employee lives and works. For example, some states’ prescribed benefits for injured employees exceed those available to be offered in alternate states which causes this inequity. As these state-based schemes are prescriptive in the benefits and eligibility that can be offered, this causes some employees to receive fewer benefits than others.
1
Variances exist in coverage for eligibility, injury management arrangements, journey coverage, mental health coverage, dispute resolution mechanisms and there are ranges and levels of payments.
If a multi-state employer can operate within the Comcare scheme, employees would receive the same levels of support wherever they live and work, removing the state variances. It would contribute to employees’ understanding of their benefits and allow the multi-state employer to administer these benefits in a consistent and level way, ensuring that no employee is disadvantaged by their postcode
Q. What criteria should apply for corporations to join the Comcare scheme?
Westpac recommends that corporations joining the Comcare scheme should be an employer which has a proven record of accomplishment in assisting its injured employees with medical support and return to work outcomes, are prudentially viable and demonstrate a commitment to a national program.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Collyer
Director – Government Affairs, Reputation Strategy & WIB Corporate Affairs
2