Appointment of inaugural Family and Injured Workers Advisory Committee

Members have now been appointed to the inaugural Family and Injured Workers Advisory Committee, giving bereaved families and seriously injured workers and their families a voice on workplace safety.

Six committee members, who all have lived experiences dealing with serious workplace injuries or fatalities, will provide advice to the Commonwealth on the needs of people affected by such incidents.

The advisory group will advise the Minister and Comcare on the support needs of those affected by a serious workplace incident and help inform on relevant Comcare policies, practices and strategies.

It will provide advice to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, regulators Comcare, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority on related matters.

The Albanese Government committed funding in the 2024–25 Budget to establish the committee following recommendations from the 2018 Senate Inquiry report They never came home – the framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia.

The committee members, appointed on three-year terms, are:

• Kay Catanzariti (co-chair) - Mrs Catanzariti’s son, Ben, was killed in a workplace incident in 2012. She is an active advocate for workplace health and safety, and the rights of families affected by such incidents. Mrs Catanzariti played a pivotal role in the 2018 Senate inquiry.
• Andrea Madeley (co-chair) - Ms Madeley’s son, Daniel, was killed in a workplace incident in 2004. Following this, she founded Voice of Industrial Death, a not-for-profit organisation providing support and help to families impacted by a workplace death. Ms Madeley is a solicitor, with a focus on representing injured workers and families impacted by workplace deaths.
• Julieann Buchanan - Ms Buchanan is an occupational therapist with post graduate qualifications in occupational rehabilitation, ergonomics, ageing populations, and management. She has over 30 years’ experience in supporting workers access to workers compensation and evidence-informed injury management, including through advisory committees, executive roles and as a member of the WorkCover Board of Tasmania.
• Sarah Dawson - Ms Dawson has over 30 years’ experience working in social policy across both the public and private sector, and for not-for-profit organisations. She has an interest in improving workers’ compensation processes for others, including women and minority groups.
• Janelle Rowswell - Ms Rowswell worked as a police officer for the Australian Federal Police for over 20 years, including in child exploitation investigations. She is a First Nations woman and sits on the board of directors for Toora Women and Women’s Legal Centre in the ACT.
• Paul Younger - Mr Younger has over 15 years’ combined experience in the Navy and the Australian Border Force Marine Unit. He has advocated for change with Australian Border Force, Comcare and the Public Sector Union.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt said the committee will be a direct voice to Government.  

“Members will be able to advocate for change or reform that meets the needs of those significantly impacted by industrial death or serious injury,” Minister Watt said.

“They will help inform the development of relevant policies and strategies. I look forward to working closely with the committee.”

The committee’s formation is also consistent with Safe Work Australia’s subsequent national principles to support families following an industrial death.

The first committee meeting will take place next month.