Independent review of the Federal Safety Commissioner

I am pleased to announce that Ms Marie Boland has been appointed to lead the Review of the Federal Safety Commissioner.

The Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner acts to improve work health and safety (WHS) practices on building and construction sites across Australia.

It also administers the WHS Accreditation Scheme for Australian Government building and construction work. Ms Boland will lead the independent Review, which will evaluate the Commissioner’s effectiveness and examine the merits of adopting a similar approach in other areas of Government procurement.

Ms Boland has extensive experience, having spent more than 10 years in the senior executive of SafeWork South Australia, including two years as its Executive Director. Ms Boland also led the National Review of the Model WHS Laws in 2018. 

As part of the Review of the Federal Safety Commissioner, Ms Boland will shortly commence formal consultations with stakeholders and release a public discussion paper in June 2023. 

Ms Boland is due to report to Government by the end of 2023 and will hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including industry representatives, unions, employer groups and safety experts. 

This is an opportunity for the public to have their say on the Federal Safety Commissioner, the WHS Accreditation Scheme, and identify areas where improvements could be made.

The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring that safety standards are met in the building and construction industry and looks forward to receiving the findings of the Review.

For further information on the Review, including the Terms of Reference, please visit www.dewr.gov.au/workplace-relations/review-federal-safety-commissioner