Comcare - Australian Goverment
Comcare - Australian Goverment
Putting you first at the centre of what we do. Keeping you healthy and safe at work. Supporting you when you are harmed at work. Ensuring your scheme works and is sustainable.
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Information on the 2007 SRCOLA Amendments

Important changes to the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (SRC Act) came into effect on 13 April 2007. The changes maintain the financial viability of the scheme, and improve the administration and provision of benefits.

Overview

On 29 March 2007, Federal Parliament passed the Safety, Rehabilitation Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 (SRCOLA), including a late Government amendment to the SRCOLA Bill introduced into the Senate.

This became the Safety, Rehabilitation, Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2007 (SRCOLA Act) upon Royal assent on 12 April 2007, with most of the amending provisions coming into effect on the day following the day of Royal Assent, 13 April 2007.

The SRCOLA Act amends the SRC Act in the following ways:

  • it strengthens the connection between work and eligibility for workers’ compensation, in particular in regard to disease claims;
  • it removes workers’ compensation coverage for non-work related journeys and, where there is a lack of employer control over worker activity, from recess breaks;
  • it reinstates the original policy intention behind the calculation of retirees’ incapacity benefits by accommodating changes to interest rates and superannuation schemes;
  • for claimants who are no longer employed by the Commonwealth, it provides for their capacity to work outside Commonwealth employment to be taken into account when calculating incapacity benefits;
  • it increases the maximum level of funeral benefits payable; and
  • it corrects anomalies in the SRC Act to improve its administrative efficiency and ensure the original policy intentions behind particular provisions are maintained. 

A more detailed summary is provided here [pdf].

Jurisdictional Policy Advices

Jurisdictional Policy Advices (JPAs) have been developed to provide further information on the amendments to the SRC Act in 2007 following passage of the SRCOLA Act.

Further information

For further information, please contact Comcare on the General Enquiry Line 1300 366 979, visit our internet website at www.comcare.gov.au, or email  SRC.Policy@comcare.gov.au.