Safe Work Australia Releases Final Workers Compensation Report

Safe Work Australia has released the third and final part of its comparative performance report, in which it found the disputation rate in Australia has fallen 19 percent since 2012-13

The report analyses trends in work health and safety and workers’ compensation scheme performance across Australia and New Zealand for the five years prior to 2017.

Part 3 focuses on premiums, entitlements, and scheme performance.

Safe Work Australia say the reports are vital for monitoring the comparative performance of jurisdictions over time, and enabling benchmarking across jurisdictions and the identification of best practice to support policy making.

Key findings:

• The standard average premium rate has decreased by 13 percent since 2012-13
• ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ has the highest premium rate – 3.3 percent of payroll
• ‘Finance and insurance’ has the lowest premium rate – 0.2 percent of payroll
• 82 percent of injured workers returned to work in Australia – this number was 80 percent in New Zealand
• ACT had the highest return to work rate – 86 percent
• Seacare had the lowest return to work rate – 68 percent
• 63 percent of disputes were resolved within three months

View parts 1 and 2 of the report here.