This Member Advice provides important information about:

• Legislative Changes:
- Victorian changes to Workers’ Compensation legislation confirmed effective from 31 March 2024. Freeze on changing Agents until 30 September 2024.
- Queensland Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023. Amongst other amendments, the Bill will create significant changes related to interactions with elected health and safety representatives (HSRs) and union officials. An issue that all employers must be aware of, especially those that do not have elected HSRs, is the new obligation to invite workers to request the election of HSRs.
- Queensland WHS (Quad Bikes) Amendment Regulations 2024, establishing minimum age requirements and obligations to provide and wear crash helmets.
- Western Australia have made the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Regulations 2024, to support implementation of the new Act which has been confirmed to commence on 1 July 2024.

• WHS Ministers progress on silica containing products, including a ban on engineered stone benchtops, slabs and panels.

• Publications of interest:
- icare NSW now publish quarterly performance data for the Claim Service Providers operating within the nominal insurer scheme for workers’ compensation.
- International Standards Organisation: Occupational health and safety management – Guidelines on performance evaluation; First Edition.

• Opportunities to engage in policy discussions that are not public comment processes, including participation in the inaugural National Employers’ Work Health and Safety summit to be held in Melbourne on 8 May 2024.