09/05/2025

Stripping away the rights of injured workers is not the answer to concerns about the NSW workers compensation system that is allegedly ‘failing workers and failing businesses’, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in response to the release today of the Exposure Draft of the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.

“This draft bill drastically strips rights away from all workers,” said Shane Butcher, spokesperson for the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

“The proposed reforms are significant and will impact all workers injured physically or psychologically in NSW. All workers will have a much harder time accessing the supports they need to recover and return to work.

“The priority must always be to ensure that all steps are taken to prevent the occurrence of injuries at work, and that anyone who is injured at work receives the support they need to rehabilitate physically and psychologically, and to return to work if possible. That is the primary objective of our modern workers compensation system,” said Shane. “Nothing in the Bill addresses prevention.”

“These reforms will dump NSW workers who have suffered a psychological injury due to their work out of the NSW workers compensation scheme.”

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is extremely concerned about the draft Bill and the impact it will have on injured workers in NSW.

“We represent injured workers every day and we are very disappointed that the Government has not consulted with the legal profession yet. The proposals in the draft bill go well beyond reform aimed at reducing the impact of psychological injury claims and will negatively impact all workers,” said Shane.

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