The ACT Legislative Assembly has passed the Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3), introducing the nation’s first statutory immediate crisis payment scheme for workplace fatalities.

The reforms provide $10,000 to a domestic partner, and $5000 for other family members who lived with the worker before their death.

The payments are designed to be made by the relevant insurer within a week of claiming, ensuring that families are provided support in the short term.

Michael Pettersson MLA, Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations, said the reform is a commonsense amendment designed to support families in their time of need.

“While thankfully rare in the ACT, we know that workplace deaths significantly impact the lives of loved ones left behind,” Mr Pettersson said. “By requiring immediate payment, we can ensure that families and dependants are supported in the tragic event of a worker who dies because of their work.

“The last thing a grieving family should be concerned about are their finances.”

The Bill passed today also amends several laws. It clarifies:

• how incidents must be reported under ACT work health and safety laws, in line with national standards;
• strengthens compliance and enforcement powers to make sure workers get their long service leave on time, while giving employers greater certainty;
• allows more flexibility in how portable long service leave payments are made, and ensures the scheme for the services sector works as intended;
• improves measures to prevent and reduce workplace injuries across the ACT public sector;
• removes outdated and discriminatory limits on who can access workers compensation; and
• extends recent reforms to protect complainants in workplace cases involving alleged or suspected sexual assault or harassment.