Update from Comcare’s CEO
Three months ago I began my role as Comcare’s CEO. Now more than 100 days into my stewardship, I want to share with you some of my insights and vision for the future of the Comcare scheme.
I have been impressed by the strong sense of commitment that exists within Comcare, between the Comcare community and the injured workers we support.
I greatly value the openness and spirit of engagement people throughout the Comcare community have afforded me. Your insights are invaluable in helping us build a stronger scheme.
It is unacceptable that fatalities in the workplace still occur and unfortunate that many people have to live with long-term injury. So together we need to promote the safety message to the community. We must be prepared to help and be passionate about the work we do and how it impacts on our colleagues, friends and families.
Building a stronger, fairer Australia is central to the Australian government’s long-term purpose. Workplace safety is an essential component of building our working community to be more robust, flexible and resilient to the growing demands on work and life in general.
Our landscape is changing with significant legislative changes announced by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard in response to the Report of the Review of Self Insurance Arrangements under the Comcare Scheme. These include the introduction of a statutory time limit to determine claims and an increased role for Comcare in the enforcement of federal workplace safety laws.
The commonwealth and state jurisdictions are also currently working towards the harmonisation of workplace safety laws across Australia by 1 January 2012. This will introduce a new framework which will bring with it change and opportunity for Comcare, our scheme employers and their employees.
I will be launching formal and informal consultation programs with the Comcare community to ensure that we are listening to good ideas, and rising to the challenges of doing things better. It is in this context of refocussing the work of Comcare that important statutory changes have recently been announced.
I am confident that over the next few years Comcare will reshape as a more resilient, more responsive, more relevant organisation in partnership with the community we serve.
I look forward to building a productive and positive partnership with many organisations over coming months.
Until next time.
Paul O’Connor
CEO