The Minns Government has returned its workers compensation bill to the parliament and is preparing for associated reforms.
The Government will:
- Pass the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.
- Amend the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Bill 2025 to reflect the compromise offered by independent members of the cross bench.
- Commission the Chief Psychiatrist to devise a better system for psychiatric assessment in workers compensation claims.
- Ask icare to provide the state's policy holders with early advice about their upcoming premium rises.
- Ask icare to alert policy holders of existing hardship provisions.
These actions have become necessary after the Liberals and Nationals, Mark Latham and the Greens teamed up to force the state's employers to carry the burden of a broken workers compensation system.
They did this despite a sensible compromise position having been offered by independent cross benchers in both houses.
Workers compensation in NSW can still be put back on a path to stability to properly serve workers, employers and taxpayers.
The Government stands ready to continue this reform once its opponents in the parliament agree to support jobs, community organisations and businesses.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:
"The Government will shift its attention now to getting the community ready to deal with some very steep rises in premiums, following the Liberal Party's decision to block reform.
"Businesses and charities will be slugged with the worst premiums in the country.
"This situation could have been avoided if the Liberal Party had spent more time working towards a solution and less time playing politics on an issue."
