TACC provides advocacy services for its members across Tasmania. The TACC Executive Committee provides me with a well-considered and prioritised list of advocacy topics that TACC can take to government and state regulators with industries’ positions on important policy matters.
Occasionally, we encounter unexpected challenges and jump into advocacy action on a policy that we believe is harmful to all Tasmanian industries. Now is that time.
Without industry consultation or the benefit of a parliamentary inquiry, the Tasmanian Parliament is seeking to push through the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Safer Workplaces) Bill 2024. This is very concerning given that there is no political mandate or demonstrated evidentiary basis to justify the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws in Tasmania.
TACC is particularly concerned that the proposed changes will not improve WHS outcomes in Tasmania and may in fact achieve the opposite – with the real risk that proactive, collaborative approaches to work health and safety will be discarded in favour of defensive and legalistic ones.
TACC believes that the proposed changes will interfere with the practical, risk-based framework of WHS laws, and will ultimately disproportionately impact small businesses, who make up approximately 97 per cent of Tasmanian businesses.
TACC calls upon the Legislative Council not to proceed further on the Bill until a regulatory impact analysis has been conducted and genuine engagement and consultation has occurred with industry.
TACC remains committed to working collaboratively with the government and regulators to uphold and maintain safe working practices in the industry. We recognise the importance of safe working environments for TACC and our member businesses.
Our goal is to foster a culture of safety that is collaborative and evidence-led and protects workers while also supporting the growth and sustainability of Tasmanian industries.