Workers' compensation disputes will be resolved faster and more fairly through legislation passed by the State Government.
Productivity and Labour Relations Minister Yvonne Henderson said she was pleased at the passage of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Amendment Bill, which would speed up the workers' compensation process.
Mrs Henderson said the system had been extremely complicated and legalistic, resulting in frustrating delays for injured workers and their employers, sometimes lasting for years.
She said the Government could now go ahead with a process which would move claims through all their processes more quickly and identify those needing special attention.
Mrs Henderson said the legislation introduced fines for employers who did not forward compensation payments to injured workers as soon as practicable after they received them from insurers.
It allowed workers to pursue their claims directly against the insurers if a company had ceased business or had started to be wound-up.
The legislation gave injured workers the right to apply for more entitlement, up to $50,000, if their medical and other expenses exceeded the current statutory limit.
It ensured that workers were not denied compensation because of an insurance omission by the employer, enabling them in such a case to seek compensation from the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation General Fund.
It also allowed an employer to stop or reduce payments if the injured worker got another paid job.
