THE former Queensland Labor Government’s Attorney General, Cameron Dick, has been appointed by federal Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten as the new chair of Australia’s workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety regulator.

Mr Dick will chair the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) for three years, replacing current SRCC chair Mr Peter Henneken, who has headed the commission since 2009.

“Mr Dick has considerable experience in workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety matters through his work as the Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations from 2009 to 2012,” Mr Shorten said.

“Mr Dick also served as the Queensland Attorney-General from 2009 to 2011 and as Minister for Education from 2011 to 2012. He is currently a respected barrister-at-law in a private practice in Queensland.”

The SRCC is an inclusive, tripartite body comprised of 11 members with different representative responsibilities including the Commonwealth, the interests of workers, self-insured licensees, current and former Defence Force members and the ACT’s public sector employers.

The commission administers regulatory functions of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, which establishes the workers’ compensation scheme covering Commonwealth employees, ACT Government employees and the employees of licensed entities.

According to the government, the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act is currently being reviewed to ensure that injured employees are given every opportunity to return to health, independence and work as quickly as possible. The review finding will be considered by the government and will inform the work of the SRCC.