The NSW Government has now appointed the inaugural SafeWork Advisory Council, a key component of the Minns Labor Government\u2019s reforms establishing SafeWork NSW as a standalone regulator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council was created through changes to the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Standalone Regulator) Act 2025 to strengthen SafeWork NSW\u2019s governance framework and ensure the regulator has access to diverse strategic advice on work health and safety risks, priorities and emerging issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council is chaired by Emeritus Professor Michael Quinlan, a WHS Expert with over 40 years’ experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tripartite Advisory Council brings together representatives of workers, employers, workplace safety experts and families with lived experience of losing a loved one to a workplace fatality to provide strategic advice to SafeWork NSW and the NSW Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among its lived experience members is Debra Pascall, who tragically lost her son in a workplace incident in 2018 and has since become a passionate advocate for improving workplace safety and preventing future tragedies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The role of the Advisory Council is to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commencement of the Advisory Council will support SafeWork NSW in its regulatory efforts to prevent fatalities, serious injuries and illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the Act, the SafeWork Commissioner is required to consider the Council\u2019s advice when setting the regulator\u2019s strategic direction and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2025 there were 60 fatalities in NSW workplaces, with most of these occurring in the construction, transport and warehousing, and agriculture sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u202fformal\u202fcommencement of the SafeWork NSW Advisory Council\u202fbrings to a close\u202fthe work of the\u202fSafeWork NSW Interim Tripartite Reference Group. The group\u202fserved as an interim measure prior to the establishment the Advisory Council.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Interim Tripartite Reference Group played\u202fan important role\u202fin ensuring the perspectives of employers,\u202funions,\u202fworkers and government informed SafeWork NSW\u2019s reform agenda and broader regulatory initiatives during the transition to a standalone regulator and we thank them for their service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also supported consideration of practical measures to strengthen work health and safety outcomes while formal governance and consultation arrangements were being established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More details on the Advisory Council can be found on the SafeWork NSW website at https:\/\/www.safework.nsw.gov.au\/about-us\/safework-nsw-advisory-council<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In line with SafeWork NSW\u2019s reporting requirements, a summary of actions taken in response to advice from the SafeWork Advisory Council will be publicly reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is an historic day. This Advisory Council has been a long time coming and marks an important step in strengthening workplace safety in NSW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we came to government, we committed to creating safer workplaces. We established SafeWork as a standalone regulator to strengthen accountability, transparency and its focus on keeping workers safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo create safer workplaces, we need real-world insight. The Council\u2019s tripartite model ensures workers, employers and experts help inform SafeWork\u2019s strategic direction and regulatory decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy bringing diverse voices to the table, including business, industry, unions and lived experience representatives, we are ensuring workplace safety decisions are informed by practical expertise and emerging risks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe primary objective of the Advisory Council is to ensure that SafeWork NSW considers the diverse perspectives of workers and their representatives, industry, subject matter experts and individuals with lived experience when setting its strategic direction and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheir input and partnership will support SafeWork NSW in securing safer and healthier workplaces in NSW.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advisory Council Chair, Emeritus Professor Michael Quinlan said: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to be chair of the SafeWork Advisory Council which is dedicated to improving safety outcomes for workplaces and families in New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe tripartite basis ensures that industry, unions and government get to work together, and we do it as a voice of expertise and lived experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe model demonstrates best practice and provides the opportunity to have input and feedback on emerging issues warranting more attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n TWU Assistant Secretary Marija Marsic said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese lived experiences come to us from the coal face every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important for workers to have that representation from unions so we can advocate on their behalf in a way that is meaningful to policy and change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Business NSW Senior Project Manager Liz Greenwood said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to consider the perspectives of the many different voices on this council and to have those robust discussions before decisions that impact the safety of workers are made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Debra Pascall, Lived Experience Member said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am honoured to have been appointed to the NSW SafeWork Advisory Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, safety is deeply personal after losing my son in a tragic, completely preventable workplace incident. Lived experience ensures the human impact of workplace harm remains at the centre of decision-making, reminding us that every policy and every regulation is ultimately about protecting people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every worker deserves to come home safely, and I hope my involvement in the advisory council contributes to this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The NSW Government has now appointed the inaugural SafeWork Advisory Council, a key component of the Minns Labor Government\u2019s reforms establishing SafeWork NSW as a standalone regulator. The Council was created through changes to the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Standalone Regulator) Act 2025 to strengthen SafeWork NSW\u2019s governance framework and ensure the regulator has access to diverse strategic … Continue reading “Inaugural SafeWork Advisory Council launched”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39558,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39557\/revisions\/39558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}