Australia: Health & Safety

New South Wales has introduced mandatory compliance with minister-approved codes of practice under section 26A of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, requiring businesses to either follow published codes or implement equivalent or higher safety standards. This legislative change exposes non-compliant businesses to separate penalties beyond existing duty of care obligations, marking a significant shift from the previous evidentiary role of codes in most Australian jurisdictions.

Once your workers compensation claim has been accepted, the insurer will likely implement an injury management plan and a return-to-work program.

Victoria's Psychosocial Health Regulations have been in effect for over six months, requiring employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Are Victorian businesses taking the necessary proactive steps to comply with these regulations, or are they risking provisional improvement notices and substantial financial penalties from WorkSafe Victoria inspections?

Victoria's proposed Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026 would establish a statutory right for eligible employees to work remotely up to two days per week, fundamentally shifting the balance of workplace flexibility from employer discretion to employee entitlement. The legislation creates a cascading framework of obligations that requires employers to accommodate remote work arrangements unless they can demonstrate specific, prescribed impacts that meet statutory thresholds.

Workplace regulation has entered a phase of convergence, where technology use, data governance, wage integrity and safety obligations are increasingly regulated as interconnected systems.

Workplace injuries can occur in any industry and may entitle you to workers compensation benefits. Understanding what qualifies as a workplace injury, the types of compensation available, and the critical steps to take immediately after an incident can protect your entitlements and support your recovery.

Victoria's response to the combustible cladding crisis is entering its final phase with the introduction of the Cladding Safety Victoria Repeal Bill 2026. The Bill marks the conclusion of a world-first regulatory intervention that has overseen the rectification of more than 1,600 buildings since the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.

Returning to work after parental leave is a significant transition and can raise complex legal and practical issues such as job security, flexibility, workplace rights, etc., for both employees and employers.

This matter involved a workplace accident in which the plaintiff sustained severe injuries when a tractor fell on him while he was performing repairs to a tractor on a sugar cane farm.