Outcomes

Following extensive stakeholder consultation and review of the submissions, the Workers Compensation Regulation 2016 came into effect with a number of minor amendments, including:

• removing the option for employers to establish shared return to work programs
• a new clause providing that an application for an insurer or self-insurer licence is to be in the ‘approved’ form
• a new clause prescribing the process for notifying a medical practitioner who is required to attend the Workers Compensation Commission for cross-examination on the contents of a medical report
• updating prescribed medical tests and results relating to brucellosis, Q fever, and leptospirosis (in Schedule 2) to reflect the latest case definitions from the NSW Control Guidelines for Public Health Units
• aligning it with recent reforms to the workers compensation and legal profession legislation
• updating references to other legislative instruments
• removing certain penalty notice offences (in Schedule 5)
• removing unnecessary and redundant clauses
• improving and clarifying  wording in certain clauses

A fact sheet is also available that provides an overview of the amendments.