Clayton-Walsh review
In March 2007, workers compensation experts, Alan Clayton and John Walsh were appointed to review the WorkCover Scheme. They provided their report in December 2007, which included 65 recommendations for the Government to consider. Subsequent to the review, the Government has proposed a package of reform that, according to the reviewer, would ensure the South Australian Scheme retains its position as the fairest workers compensation scheme in Australia.
Under the amending legislation, the Scheme will:
- continue to have the most generous weekly payments in Australia
- significantly increase the maximum amount payable to workers who are seriously injured (permanently impaired)
- better compensate and care for family members of deceased workers
- retain unlimited coverage of medical costs
- streamline the dispute resolution process and introduce medical panels for decision-making on medical issues
- introduce a range of new return to work initiatives, such as the establishment of a return to work fund to finance innovative initiatives for improving return to work outcomes.
The package, if passed in full by the South Australian Parliament, will achieve full funding of the Scheme within six to sevent years, eliminating the $911m unfunded liability, and enable reductions in the Scheme’s average levy rate, which is currently the highest in the nation.
For more information, including the full review report, visit the Government website.
WorkCover Board recommendation's
The independent review into the WorkCover Scheme was commissioned as the result of a submission to the Government by the WorkCover Board in November 2006. The Board presented a range of proposals for legislative change to the Scheme.
Read the WorkCover Board's recommendations summary or proposals in detail.
On 24 May 2007, the WorkCover Board endorsed a number of further proposals for legislative change to the Scheme. The further proposed changes came as a result of ongoing examination of the operation of the Scheme’s legislation by WorkCover’s management. The proposed changes addressed issues of a technical nature, parts of the legislation that unnecessarily frustrated the administration of the Scheme, unintended interpretations of the legislation by the judicial process or areas where the drafting was confusing.
Read the WorkCover Board's supplementary proposal.