IR

The recommendations in the Qld Industrial Relations and Workers’ Compensation scheme review are

Queensland Employment Standards

1 Consideration of National Employment Standards Inquiry outcomes That outcomes of the federal inquiry into the operation and adequacy of the National Employment Standards inform later consideration of the adequacy of the Queensland Employment Standards under the IR Act. 

2 Alignment of Queensland Employment Standards entitlements with federal jurisdiction That the Queensland Government consider aligning the entitlements in the Queensland Employment Standards to mirror those in the National Employment Standards as a priority. 

3 Continuous service – eligibility for long service leave That, on conclusion of the federal inquiry into the National Employment Standards, the Queensland Government consider if any amendments should be made to the long service leave provisions of the IR Act. 

4 Termination of employment arising from temporary absence That the Queensland Government consi der the interaction of the IR Act and Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) provisions in relation to temporary absence due to illness or injury to ensure sufficient and consistent protections across the legislative schemes. Any supplementary changes to the Industrial Relations Regulation 2018 (Qld) should be made to ensure consistency. 

5 Parental leave interactions That, on conclusion of the National Employment Standards Inquiry, the Queensland Government review the interaction of particular parental leave provisions of the IR Act, namely sections 73 and 87B. 

6 Flexible work requests That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act’s provisions relating to flexible work requests to align with the Fair Work framework. 

7 High income threshold That the IR Act be amended to exclude access to unfair dismissal protections for employees earning over the high -income threshold and covered by an award or agreement. 

8 Continuous service – casual employees That the IR Act be amended to c larify what is “continuous service” when calculating long service leave entitlements. In particular, it should be expressly clarified that a casual employee’s continuous service is broken for the purposes of calculating long service leave where there is a period of more than three months between the end of one casual engagement and the commencement of the next casual engagement. 

Freedom of association 

9 Registered organisations framework The IR Act’s registered organisations framework should be reviewed. 

10 Consideration of COI outcomes That the Queensland Government consider outcomes of the Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU and Misconduct in the Construction Industry on its completion. The Queensland G overnment should consider any amendments to the IR Act to support the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU and Misconduct in the Construction Industry at this point in time. 

11 Whistleblower protections That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act to include protections for whistleblowers based on the protections in the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth). 

12 Review of 2022 amendments That the Queensland Government review the operation of the amendments made to the IR Act by the Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2022 (Qld). This should include consideration of the IR Act’s treatment of incorporated entities with an industrial purpose, and the current definition of “industrial activities”. 

13 Union Encouragement Policy That the Queens land Government review its Union Encouragement Policy . 

Registered organisations 

14 Industrial organisations to represent eligible members Amend the relevant IR Act provisions to clarify that industrial organisations may only represent the interests of individuals who are members or eligible to be members of the industrial organisation. This change would reduce the prospect of demarcation dis putes and would clarify the operation of right of entry provisions, rights to inspect employee records, and other p rovisions of the IR Act. 

15 Publication of union rules That the IR Act be amended to provide that the rules of all organisations registered under the IR Act must be publicly accessible (on the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission website). The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission should maintain a publicly accessible register of all organisations registered under the IR Act and the rules of each organisation. 

16 Fit and proper person test That, as included in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) , the IR Act be amended to provide that union officials must comply with a robust ‘fit and proper person’ test which requires them to act lawfully and in their members’ best interests, in order to exercise lawful right of entry powers. 

17 Right of entry – time and wages That the IR Act be amended to align the requirements for an exercise of an authorised officer’s right of entry with those in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) . In particular, the following is to be required: • The authorised officer must have notifie d the employer or employer’s representative of an intention to enter the workplace; • The authorised officer must give the employer or employer’s representative written notice of intention to enter the workplace;  • Such notice must be provided during working hours and at least 24 hours, but not more than 14 days, before the entry; and • The notice must contain relevant particulars, including: the premises proposed for entry, the day of the entry, the name of the authorised officer and the employing organisation, and the provision of the IR Act under which entry is sought. 

18 Bargaining parties behaviour That the Queensland Government consider if measures should be provided for to bolster good faith bargaining requirements. 

19 Additional transparency measures That the Queensland Government consider introducing further measures to boost transparency in relation to public reporting obligations on registered organisations, including reporting obligations in relation to expenditure. 20 Conduct of industrial ballots That the IR Act be amended to provide for the Electoral Commission of Queensland to conduct all industrial ballots. 

21 Balloting methods That the IR Act be amended to allow for the use of postal, electronic or other appropriate voting methods in the conduct of union elections to improve flexibility, efficiency and engagement. 22 Time and wages records Clarify the policy intent underlying the broad right for an authorised officer to be provided access to time and wages records to ensure it is not used as a means of subverting existing mechanisms for access to information such as legal discovery processes. 

Collective Bargaining 

23 Balloting – ability to direct ballot employees That, similar to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) , the IR Act be amended to provide that where an application for certification of a negotiated agreement is made to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission , the agreement may be put to employee ballot without obtaining in -principle agreement from the union(s) party to the agreement. The ability to ballot employees in absence of in -principle agreement from the union/s party should be enlivened on conclusion of the peace obligation period. Parties should not be required to attend conciliation prior to balloting employees, but any ballot must occur prior to a decision being made to refer the negotiations to arbitration. 

24 Protected Industrial Action: Increased notice period That, similar to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), the IR Act be amended to require that a person intending to take protected industrial action must give written notice of the intention to all of the negotiating parties for the proposed bargaining instrument at least three working days before the action is taken, where the industrial action is responding to or occurring after industrial action taken by another party to the proposed bargaining instrument. 

25 Consequences of protected industrial action That the Queensland Government consider harmonising the consequences of protected industrial action in the IR Act with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) provisions, which mandate deductions of pay arising from the taking of protected industrial action. 

26 Payment for strikes That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act to provide that an employer must not pay an employee for a period where an employee engages in a strike. 

27 Protected Industrial Action: Ministerial declaration terminating industrial action That amendments to the IR Act be considered, similar to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) , to enable the Minister to make a written declaration terminating protected industrial action for a proposed enterprise agreement if the Minister is satisfied that: a. the industrial action is being engaged in, or is threatened, impending or probable; and b. the industrial action is threatening, or would threaten to either endanger the life, the personal safety or health, or the welfare of the population or part of it; or to cause damage to the Queensland economy or an important part of it; or would be otherwi se contrary to the public interest; or c. that it is in the public interest that protected industrial action taken by frontline or critical service delivery workers be terminated on the basis of concerns about service delivery impacts on the population or part of it. The declaration will come into operation on the day that it is made. 

28 Applications for suspension or termination of protected industrial action That the IR Act be amended to reduce the burden on employer applicants and facilitate the granting of applications by the Que ensland Industrial Relations Commission for suspension or termination of protected industrial action for a proposed bargaining instrument, where the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission is satisfied the action is or may cause significant economic harm to an employer covered by the proposed instrument. Consideration should be given to lowering the threshold for imminent harm and protracted industrial action. 

29 Protected Industrial Action in conciliation That the IR Act be amended to disallow negoti ating parties to take protected industrial action in relation to a bargain once an application for conciliation has been made. 

30 Scope orders That the IR Act be amended to require, similar to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) , that the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission consider the impacts of a proposed scope order on an employer when considering whether to make such an order. Specifically, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission must be satisfied that the order will not adversely impact the business or operational needs of the employer, with regard given to the nature of the work performed, any budgetary consideration, and considerations on productivity. 

31 Interim wage increases in arbitration That the IR Act be amended to remove the ability for a party to apply for an interim wage increase in arbitration proceedings. 

32 Matters considered in making arbitration determination That the IR Act be amended to require the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to consider particular matters when making an arbitration determination in proceedings for a negotiated agreement. The matters the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission must have regard to should align with the factors taken into account by the Fair Work Commission in making a workplace determination under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). These include: a. the merits of the case; b. the interests of the employers and employees who will be covered by the proposed negotiated agreement; c. the significance of any arrangements or benefits in a cert ified agreement to the parties covered by it; d. the public interest; e. how productivity might be improved in the enterprise or enterprises concerned; f. the extent of which the conduct of the bargaining representatives for the proposed enterprise agreement concerned was reasonable during bargaining for the agreement; g. the extent to which the bargaining representatives for the proposed enterprise agreement have complied with good faith bargaining requirements; and h. incentives to bargain at a later time. In the alternative, that the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act to require the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to consider the following matters when making an arbitration determination: a. The fiscal position and strategy of the State of Queensland as employer and the impact of the decision on employment; b. Opportunities for mutual gains; c. Incentives to continue bargaining at a later time; d. the impact of any proposed change on government service delivery, particularly the delivery of essential services. 

33 Conciliation That the IR Act be amended to clarify that the date conciliation began is taken to be the day a negotiating party asks the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to help the parties reach agreement. 

34 Referral to arbitration  That the IR Act be amended to provide that the conciliating member in a matter may refer the matter to arbitration either: a. three months from the nominal expiry date of certified agreement or bargaining award that applies to the parties; or b. If satisfied that the parties are unlikely to reach agreement, at any time from the day conciliation of the matter started. 

35 Procedure for agreement certification That the IR Act be amended to reduce the burden on the parties in an application for certification or termination of an agreement by allowing the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to be satisfied that the requirements for deciding an application to certify or terminate an agreement have been met, in circumstances where no submission has been made that the requirements have not been met. In drafting for this, consideration should be given to treatment to restore limited coverage or provide transitional coverage to employees if it is later identified that there were still employees reliant on the terminated agreement. 

Wage -setting mechanisms 

36 Award variation and agreement rates That the Queensland Government consider amendments to the IR Act to: a. provide that the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission must not make an award variation where it pr oposes to incorporate certified agreement rates into the parent award; b. omit the ability of a party to apply to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for the inclusion of provisions from a directive into an award, despite current or prior application of the directive to the parties to the award. 

37 Interactions between awards and agreements That the IR Act be amended to: a. Include in its main purpose to ensure productive workplaces and adequate protections and fair conditions for employees; b. Reflect that the main purpose of the IR Act is to be achieved by ensuring productive workplaces and providing adequate protections and fair conditions for employees; c. Reflect that awards are a safety net rather than prevailing standards to clarify the interactions of awards and agreements. Recommendations 39 and 40 should be considered in making these amendments. 

38 Adopt outcome of Annual Wage Review The IR Act should be amended to allow the Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to adopt th e outcome of the A nnual Wage Review in the S tate Wage Case without receiving evidence or submissions or conducting a hearing, in the absence of an objection from an interested party. If a party objects, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission should hear the matter de novo. 

39 State Wage Case increases in awards and agreements a. That the Queensland Government consider repealing Directive No. 12/12: State Wage Case and Certified Agreements, noting it is inconsistent with the wage -setting model proposed in this Review . b.  That the Queensland Government consult with the Office of Industrial Relations  and key stakeholders in relation to an appropriate time to repeal this directive. 

40 Primary wage setting mechanism 1. That the Queensland Government consult with interested parties to explore interactions of the wage setting mechanisms in the Queensland industrial relations jurisdiction, with a view to identifying the most appropriate primary wage setting mechanism. This should occur on conclusion of the curren t bargaining cycle and may include consideration of the continuing need for both an Award and an Agreement, as well as Independent Remuneration Tribunals and Expert Wage Setting Panels. 2. That, in the interim the Queensland Government consider: a. Ensuring the State Wage Case continues to set wages for workers who are genuinely reliant on either award wages or the Queensland Minimum Wage; and b. Amending the IR Act such that, after 1 September 2026, award wages for Queensland state public sector workers covered by a certified agreement are not increased as a result of the State Wage Case, despite any provision in certified agreements and Ministerial Directives. Such amendments may include providing that the General Ruling made for the State Wage Case will specify the wage rates that increase for those reliant on Award wages or the Queensland Minimum Wage and not vary the award rates relevant to public sector work ers covered by certified agreements. Operation of the Industrial Court of Queensland and Queensland Indu trial Relations Commission 

41 Legal representation in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission That the IR Act be amended to provide for legal representation in any proceeding before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission including promoting freedom of choice by restoring a worker’s ability to choose their legal representative in proceedings and allowing a worker to choose to be represented by a private lawyer, a lawyer acting for the worker’s union, or a lawyer acting for another associati on or entity. 

42 Appeal from a Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act so that an appeal from a Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission where at least one of the members is a presidential member lies directly to the Court of Appeal. 

43 Exercise of powers by Industrial Court of Queensland and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission – Decisions That the IR Act be amended to extend to the entire jurisdic tion of the Industrial Court of Queensland and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to have the power, either on application or acting on its own volition, to dismiss a matter, or refrain from hearing a matter, further hearing, or deciding the matter, if the Industrial Court of Queensland or Queensland Industrial Relations Commission considers that further proceedings by the Industrial Court of Queensland or Queensland Industrial Relations Commission are not necessary or desirable in the public intere st. 

44 Recommendation to deal with vexatious litigants That the IR Act be amended to empower the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to make orders to deal with vexatious litigants and improve efficiencies in relation to these matters. 

45 Paying out long service leave That consideration be given to amending the IR Act, which permits the payment of long service leave instead of taking leave, to provide that if no industrial instrument or federal industrial instrument provides for an employee to be paid for all or part of an entitlement to long service leave (instead of taking the leave), then an employee with an entitlement to long service leave should be able to make application to his or her employer to be paid the long service leave instead o f taking the leave; and that if there is a dispute, the dispute can be conciliated and arbitrated by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission . 

46 Public Sector Appeals That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act to limit the jurisdic tion of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to hear appeals against employment -related decisions made under the Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld) to (only) disciplinary decisions. Status of the Industrial Court of Queensland , Queensland Industrial Relations Commission and its members 

47 References to members of the Industrial Court of Queensland That the IR Act be amended to clarify that the vice president or a deputy president of the Industrial Court of Queensland is a judge of the Industrial Cour t of Queensland . 

48 Appointments to the Industrial Court of Queensland and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission That the IR Act be amended to provide that a deputy president of the Industrial Court of Queensland may be appointed by way of commission by the Governor -in -Council. If accepted, the amendments should align the qualifications for appointment as a judge of the Industrial Court of Queensland to those of a judge of the Supreme and District Courts. 

49 Exercise of powers by Industrial Court of Queensland - Appointment of the Vice President and a Deputy President (Court) That amendments to the IR Act be considered to clarify the conditions and qualifications for appointment for members of the Industrial Court of Queensland . 

50 Exercise of powers by Industrial Court of Queensland – Acting President That the IR Act be amended to permit the Vice President to act as the president when the president is temporarily unable to perform the functions of the office. 

51 Exercise of powers by Industrial C ourt of Queensland – President That the IR Act be amended to clarify who is responsible for the administration of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission , namely that the Vice President is responsible to the President for the administration of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission and ensuring the orderly and expeditious exercise of the jurisdiction and powers of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission . 

52 Renaming the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission That consideration be given to rename the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to the Queensland Industrial Relations Court to ensure it clearly within the hierarchy of state courts and appropriately reflects the nature of its jurisdiction and the work it is now required to undertake. 

53 Review structure of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission That consideration be given to a review of the structure of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission including the appointment of additional commissioners to sup port operational efficiency 

54 Punishment of contempt That the IR Act be amended to empower the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to punish a person for contempt of the tribunal. 

55 Discretion to award costs That the IR Act be amended to broaden the discretion of the Industrial Court of Queensland or Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to award costs, including where costs were incurred due to unreasonable acts or pursuit of proceedings without reasonable prospects of success. 

Other 

56 Industrial disputes and public sector appeals That the Queensland Government consider amending the IR Act to clarify that matters that are expressly non -appealable under the Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld ) cannot be subject of an industrial dispute under the IR Act. 

57 Concurrent statutory claims under related legislation That the Queensland Government consider if efficiencies can be improved in relation to the handling of concurrent or overlapping proceedings in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commi ssion made under multiple statutory claims, arising from the same factual matrix. In particular, consideration should be given to claims brought under the IR Act’s provisions for industrial disputes (section 261), unfair dismissal (section 317) and general protections (section 309), and parallel complaints under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld ), the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld ) and the Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld ). 

58 Chapter 10A IR Act That the Queensland Government consider the status of Chapter 10 A of the IR Act, with regard given to the outcomes of the applications for relevant minimum standards orders before the Fair Work Commission. 

59 Public interest disclosures That recommendation 84 of the 2023 Final Report into the Review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld ) be given effect by clarifying that the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld ) is an industrial law, and a public officer’s eligibility to make a public interest disclosure is considered a workplace right. 

60 Public Sector Appeals – Queensland Police Service That the Queensland Government consider the most appropriate forum for determining disciplinary appeals for Queensland Police Officers. In doing so, regard List of recommendations IR Recommendations 2026 Industrial Relations and Workers’ Compensation Scheme Review Page 20 of 221 is to be given to the outcomes of the 2025 -26 Review of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009 (Qld). 

61 Remove outworkers and wages in rural mining industries divisions 

62 Boxed directives That the Queensland Government consider measures to address exceptional or emergency circumstances (e.g. i n the case of natural disasters and response to natural disasters, the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games). This could include, for example, reinstating “special/boxed directives” in relation to industrial relations entitlements so certain matters could be dealt with administratively in accordance with the Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld) . If it is considered necessary to, for example, change nominal expiry dates for agreements so that bargaining is delayed during the key delivery period for the Olympics, it is noted that this may require legislative change, noting appropriate safeguards for employees would also need to be considered. 

Psychological injuries 

1 Employment contribution for psychological injuries 1.1 That the WCR Act be amended to add ‘the major ’ as a qualifier for work’s ‘significant contribution ’ to a psychiatric or psychological injury, to increase the connection to employment for compensable psychiatric or psychological injuries. 

2 Reasonable Management Action 2.1 That the WCR Act be amended to provide greater clarity on the meaning of ‘reasonable management action’ by: • confirming that ‘management action’ need not be perfect, provided it is reasonable overall; and • confirming employer investigations of alleged misconduct are an example of a type of ‘management action’ which precludes entitlement. 2.2 The Workers’ Compensation Regulator review guidance material on reasonable management action for workers, employers and insurers. 

3 Code of Practice for Claims Management for insurers That the Minister make a Code of Practice for Claims Management to drive improved, consistent and timely claims decision making and management across the scheme with a focus on primary and secondary psychological injury claims. 

4 Independent review of impact of recommendations for psychological injuries That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, undertake an independent review to determine whether the implemented changes have addressed t he growth and impacts of psychological injuries within the scheme. 

5 Assessing degree of permanent impairment process for psychological injuries That the WCR Act be amended to require the degree of permanent impairment process for psychiatric or psychological injuries be aligned with the degree of permanent impairment process for physical injuries. 

6 Medical Expertise That WorkCover Queensland engage and actively utilise dedicated internal high level, centralised and specialist medical expertise (inclu ding psychiatric expertise) to strengthen claims management, clinical governance and staff capability. 

7 Uplift in insurer capability That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator consider the current practices of insurers in ensuring claims manager capability and whether guidance or a Code of Practice is required. 

Fraud 

8 Claims management responses where reasonable belief of fraud That the WCR Act be amended to: • Automatically stay a claim for compensation or damages on the commencement of a proceeding fo r fraud or attempted fraud offending under the WCR Act.  • Allow the authorised person to issue a direction that payment of lump sum compensation or claim for common law be stayed where there is a reasonable belief of fraud. • Allow an authorised person to issue a direction to stop compensation where there is a reasonable belief of fraud (similar to the model used by WorkSafe Victoria). 

9 Commencement of proceedings for fraud and related offending That the WCR Act be amended to: • allow proceedings for fraud to be taken, at the election of the prosecution, on indictment; and • have proceedings commenced in a summary way under the Justices Act 1886 (Qld), before a Magistrate. 

10 Maximum penalties for fraud and related offending That the WCR Act be amended to increase the penalty for fraud offences with consideration given to greater consistency with fraud and related offending under the Queensland and Commonwealth Criminal Codes. 

11 Notification of return to work (engaging in a calling) 11.1 That the WCR Act be amended to: • require a worker declaration in an approved form be provided to an insurer on a regular basis; and • clarify that workers are required to notify insurers of any return to work. 11.2 That the State Penalties Enforcement Regulation 2014 be amended to allow authorised persons of the Workers’ Compensation Regulator to issue an infringement notice for failure to notify of an engagement in a calling. 

12 Limitation period for fraud and related offending That the WCR Act be amended to extend the current timeframe to commence a proceeding: • for fraud only to regardless of when the matter of complaint arose • for other offences to one year after the commission of the offence comes to the knowledge of the Workers’ Compensation Regulator. 

13 Formal record of convictions for fraud and related offending That the Minister engage with the Attorney -General and Minister for Justice on including convictions for workers compensation fraud and related offending as Disclosable Court Outcomes on individual National Pol ice Certificates. 

Self -insurance 

14 Self -insurer licence renewal period The WCR Act be amended to extend the maximum self -insurance licence renewal period from four to five years for demonstrated very high performing insurers. 

15 Self -insurer health and safety management system auditing framework That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, review the current work health and safety audit requirement and framework to evaluate its ongoing efficiency, effectiveness and alignment with scheme objectives. 

16 Liabilities at time of transfer between self -insurer and WorkCover Queensland That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator review the current requirements under the WCR Act and WCR Regulation for the transfer of liabilities between insurers to ensure adequacy and appropriate avenues of dispute resolution for any disagreement. 

17 Specialised Insurance That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, conduct a feasibility study including consideration of a pilot, to evaluate the financial, operational and regulatory impact for introducing specialised insurance into the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme. 

18 Self -insurers as a party to reviews and appeals That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, undertake a review to consider whether self -insurers should be a party for a review or subsequent appeal conducted by the Workers’ Compensation Regulator. Claims management and rehabilitation and return to work 

19 Guid ance and Code of Practice about rehabilitation and return to work for insurers 19.1 That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator review the current Rehabilitation and return to work plan guideline – for insurers and Accredited rehabilitation and return to work program guideline – for insurers to ensure that the expectations are appropriate for the stage of the claim and to ensure there is strong communication between stakeholders and quality, meaningful planning. 19.2 That the Minister make a Code of Practice for Rehabilitation and Return to Work for insurers to promote consistent, proactive and effective return to work outcomes across the scheme. This should have a focus on psychological injuries. 

20 Guidance about rehabilitation and return to work for employers 20.1 Review the Guideline for Standard for Rehabilitation (Scheme Direction). 20.2 Review other current guidance and support available to employers to support them to meet their obligations for rehabilitation and return to work including consideratio n of the need for a Code of Practice. This should have a focus on psychological injuries. 

21 Workplace Rehabilitation Service providers That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator consider whether a scheme direction should be made to ensure that each provider of workplace rehabilitation services meets certain requirements for their services including competency and professional standards and service delivery. 

Insurer performance and compliance 

22 Issuing of compliance notices That the WCR Act be amended t o ensure compliance notices can be effectively used to address and enforce systemic non -compliance by insurers. 

23 Enforceable undertakings for insurers That the WCR Act be amended to introduce enforceable undertakings as a regulatory tool for insurer non -compliance. 

24 Insurer compliance with document requests That the WCR Act be amended to broaden sections 93 and 94 to apply to all insurers operating within the Queensland workers' compensation scheme. 

25 Prosecutions to be managed by the Workers’ C ompensation Regulator That the WCR Act be amended to mandate that all prosecutions within the scheme be initiated, managed and directed exclusively by the Workers’ Compensation Regulator. 

26 Publication of insurer performance and regulatory action That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator expand the public disclosure of insurer performance information by publishing the specific licence durations and performance assessments, conditions and regulatory or enforcement actions taken. 

Compensation 

27 Modern isation of calculation of weekly compensation That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, conduct an evidence -based review to determine whether weekly compensation calculations can be simplified and modernised. 

28 Basic weekly payments That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, conduct an evidence -based review of basic weekly payments to ensure the payments remains reasonable and fair for workers, employers and i nsurers. 

Scheme coverage 

29 Gig economy workers That the Queensland Government consider the status of section 11(1)(b), with regard given to the outcomes of the applications for relevant minimum standards orders before the Fair Work Commission. 

30 Extend presumptive coverage to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters That the WCR Act be amended to extend presumptive firefighter coverage to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service employees who perform firefighting duties. Governance of independ ent medical examiners and assessments 

31 Strengthen governance of independent medical examiners and assessors 31.1 That the WCR Act be amended to establish a register of authorised independent medical examiners and assessors able to provide services to the scheme. The register is to be managed by the Workers’ Compensation Regulator. 31.2 That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator and WorkCover Queensland, consider the most effective way to transition to the ne w model for independent medical examiners under the scheme. 

32 Queensland’s Guidelines for evaluation of permanent impairment That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, review whether Queensland’s Guidelines for evaluation of permanent impairment remains the most contemporary, appropriate and evidence -based tool for assessing degrees of permanent impairment. 

33 Interstate rehabilitation and return to work coordinators and claims managers That the WCR Act be amended to remove the Queensland -based requirement for rehabilitation and return to work coordinators and for persons who perform self - insurer functions. 

Review and appeal of insurer decisions 

34 Timeframe to lodge disputes That the WCR Act be amended to update the timeframe to lodge an application for review to 20 business days and the timeframe to lodge an appeal to 30 business days.  

35 Decision making timeframes for Review Unit That the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, continue to focus on opera tional reforms to reduce the timeframes for the Workers’ Compensation Review Unit to determine review applications, while maintaining procedural fairness and quality decision - making. 

36 Decisions to be referred to Review Unit by insurers That the WCR Act be amended to enable insurers to refer decisions to the Workers’ Compensation Regulator for review within 20 business days of becoming aware there was a mistake of fact that was not reasonably available to the insurer at the time of their decision. 

37 Appeals for policy and premium matters That the WCR Act be amended to move appeals for premium and policy matters to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. 

Other 

38 Insurer access to medical information That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, review insurers’ statutory power to access and obtain medical information. 

39 Access to worker’s claims history That the WCR Act be amended to allow prospective employers to request a prospective workers’ claims history summary from the Workers’ Compensation Regulator for a fee. 

40 Use of workers’ compensation documents for employment purposes That the Queensland Government, in consultation with the Workers’ Compensation Regulator, review employers’ permissible access and use of workers’ compensation information. 

41 Provision of information statements That the WCR Act be amended to remove the requirement that employers provide an information statement on commencement of employment. 

42 Collaboration betw een the workers’ compensation scheme, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and industry That the leadership of the Office of Industrial Relations investigate and consider the systems, practices and policies necessary to maximise coordination between workers’ compensation, workplace health and safety and industry, without compromising the obje ctives of either system.