26/09/2025

Lawyers who represent injured workers are concerned about some of the recommendations arising from the report released yesterday by the Legislative Assembly for the ACT’s Standing Committee on Economics, Industry and Recreation (SCEIR) following its inquiry into insurance costs.

“Canberrans can be rightly proud of our current workers compensation scheme. It is longstanding, stable, and fair. It gives injured workers confidence that they can rely on the scheme if they ever have the misfortune to need it,” said Amber Wang, ACT Director, Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

“To date, the Territory has shown that it is possible to have a fair and sustainable system without attacking the entitlements of people who are injured at work.”

However, many of the recommendations for reform in this report such as compensation caps, have the potential to erode workers’ rights and reduce the financial support they receive.

“It is appropriate that these recommendations are given proper scrutiny and consideration before being implemented – that is the minimum that injured workers deserve,” said Amber.

Injured motorists in Canberra are still reporting concerns and trauma associated with the change from the Compulsory Third Party to the complex Motor Accident Injuries scheme. The ALA does not want to see a repeat of that scenario for injured workers.

“The trauma of the original injury should not be compounded by the trauma of having to participate in a complex and punitive workers compensation system,” said Amber.

“We are also concerned to see that SCEIR made no recommendations to provide WorkSafe ACT with more authority to ensure that businesses are complying with their obligations to have appropriate workers compensation insurance, that they are reporting workplace injuries, and that they are not avoiding their legal obligations to injured workers.

“The law in the ACT is very clear. Employers are required to report workplace injuries within 48 hours; if a serious or dangerous event, a death, or a suspected sexual assault occurs within a workplace, it must be notified to WorkSafe ACT.

“Every day our colleagues hear the experiences of people physically and/or psychologically injured in the workplace. Every worker deserves to go home safely to their loved ones at the end of each work day, and if they don’t, then the workers compensation system should be there to help them get back on their feet.”

The ALA is a not-for-profit member organisation made up of legal professionals, many of whom represent injured workers.