Submissions

The Queensland Government has released the final report of the 2026 review of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 and its response to the recommendations. The review makes 104 recommendations in total of which 42 relate to workers’ compensation. The Government has accepted 39 of the workers compensation recommendations, accepted two in principle and noted one.

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Draft Guidance Note: Queensland Ammonium Nitrate Supply Chain Safety and Integrity, developed jointly by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) and Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) (attached). The safe and effective management of Queensland’s ammonium nitrate supply chain is a priority for QRC and its members. QRC supports clear, practical, risk-based guidance across manufacture, supply, transport, storage and use. The guidance should focus on credible major-incident scenarios, the consequences of fires involving ammonium nitrate and the prevention of escalation through effective controls relating to contamination, heat and ignition sources, confinement, vehicle condition, separation, emergency response and inventory management.

QRC is seeking member feedback on a draft Queensland guidance note relating to safety and integrity across the ammonium nitrate supply chain. Members can log in to access the draft, consultation details, survey link and feedback deadline.

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomes the opportunity to provide this addendum to our submission of 29 May 2026 to the review of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld). The addendum has been prepared following engagement with the Review Panel and further develops key concepts raised in QRC’s original submission. It should be read alongside QRC’s initial submission.

Statutory review of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), focusing on system performance, psychological injury trends, causation thresholds, fraud integrity, and participant responsibilities. The QRC highlights growing pressures from psychological injury claims, delays in decision-making, and variability in medical assessments, which contribute to prolonged claim durations and rising costs. It recommends standardising psychological injury assessment criteria, strengthening evidentiary standards, improving coordination across insurers, employers, and healthcare providers, and conducting a targeted evaluation of post-2019 amendments to assess their impact on claim patterns and scheme sustainability.

The Queensland Government has released the final report of the 2026 review of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 and its response to the recommendations. The review makes 104 recommendations in total of which 42 relate to workers’ compensation. The Government has accepted 39 of the workers compensation recommendations, accepted two in principle and noted one.

QRC submission on Resources Safety and Health Queensland’s draft guide to health surveillance for vanadium, supporting clear, risk-based guidance to protect worker health and safety.

QRC submission on the Resources Safety and Health Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, supporting stronger governance and accountability while recommending refinements to ensure effective, clear and timely regulatory outcomes.