Speech to the NOPSEMA Health & Safety Forum and Awards

Thank you for that introduction. 

I too would like to begin by acknowledging the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather today.

I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with us today.

Good morning, everyone.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge those who have lost their lives at work. 

Every workplace fatality is a tragedy that leaves a lasting impact on families, friends, colleagues and communities. 

We honour their memory and reaffirm our shared responsibility to ensure that every worker returns home safely.

I also want to acknowledge the workers who have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or other unacceptable behaviour in their workplaces. 

Such conduct has no place in any industry. 

Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and creating safe, inclusive workplaces is a responsibility we all share.

Can I acknowledge Liam O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and all members of the trade union movement here today. 

Can I also acknowledge the role of Australian Energy Producers in supporting this forum. 

Thank you to Sue [Sue McCarrey, Chief Executive Officer, NOPSEMA] and the team at the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority NOPSEMA for the opportunity to say a few words this morning at the fifth Health and Safety Representatives Forum.

Very importantly this forum and the awards are delivered in partnership with the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Australian Energy Producers. 

This forum demonstrates how regulators and worker representatives can work together effectively to collaborate in the interests of creating and maintaining safe workplaces in some of the harshest and most challenging environments on the planet. 

This event is largely about recognising the unique position you have in offshore safety, as a conduit between employees, workers and management. 

Your dedication to continuous improvement, leadership and advocacy plays a vital role in improving workplace health and safety across this critical sector.

Our resources sector is the engine room of the economy.

It contributes about $200 billion a year to the economy and directly employs around 300,000 people.

Australia’s oil and gas sector alone, both onshore and offshore, employs over 24,000 people.

These hardworking people – you - are the heartbeat of the industry.

And you aren’t typically sitting at desks in climate-controlled offices.

The nature of the work you all undertake is inherently risky. It comes with the territory.

Employees are often working long shifts in isolated locations – many nautical miles offshore - where managing hazards is par for the course.

The story of Ed Punchard – a survivor of the Piper Alpha disaster – is coming up later, and will put into very stark perspective how dangerous offshore work can be.  

The Pipe Alpha disaster in which 167 people lost their lives was a tragedy that is regarded as the most important turning point in offshore oil and gas safety – all of us will learn a lot from his account.

Nothing is more important than ensuring that every person comes home safely at the end of a swing. And here in Perth, so many families have loved ones that work offshore. Indeed, like so many, my young niece’s husband used to work 4 weeks on 4 weeks off on an offshore facility. Far from home, in the middle of the ocean, working long shifts for a long time away – and, like so many, taking on this tough work to save up for their family’s future.  I think of the hard work people do offshore and as I have often said, these workers deserve every cent they earn.

The health and safety of Australia’s offshore employees and workers is an important priority for the government.

Australia’s offshore safety regime is well regarded internationally and compares exceptionally well alongside other Australian high-hazard industries. 

Importantly, we do not adopt a ‘set and forget’ approach – offshore safety rules are reviewed regularly to ensure the regime remains fit for purpose. And keeps everyone safe and healthy. 

Important reforms to enhance offshore worker safety, health and wellbeing commenced in June last year, on the back of an earlier review and legislative changes made by this Government in 2024. 

The reforms ensured:

• the role and training of Health and Safety Representatives was strengthened;
• workers were protected against discrimination and coercion; 
• reporting requirements for serious injuries were improved; and
• in a major step-change - the reforms ensured the definition of ‘health’ would include physical and psychological health.

I am deeply proud of these achievements, but the work doesn’t stop there.

There is always more to do to improve safety outcomes offshore.  

I commissioned a new policy review in the Government’s first term that looks to further harmonise our offshore safety settings with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. 

An interim report has now been provided to me for my consideration. 

I want to make this clear – I intend to extensively consult offshore workers and representatives as I consider the interim findings. 

You are the ones out there on long swings, away from family and friends, operating in extreme and high-risk environments. 

You know the risks you – and your colleagues face and the changes that need to be made.

My objective for the next round of safety reform is to align our offshore oil and gas safety regime with the model health laws, but in no circumstances where to do so would make the workplace less safe for workers.  

I look forward to consulting you in the weeks ahead on the findings of the interim report as I consider further reforms to improve offshore health and safety. 

I am also continuing to work closely with our dedicated Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth to ensure alignment with reforms to the Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993. 

In the context of these broader Safety Harmonisation Review, the government is also considering the Beneath the Surface report produced by the Australian C of Trade Unions (ACTU).

The Beneath the Surface report is a significant snapshot of health and safety issues faced by offshore workers in Australia.

As you know, it discusses health and safety issues, risks, and safety culture in the industry, especially in remote offshore workplaces.

I thank the more than 500 offshore workers who took the time to complete the survey. Surveys like this are important for Government and industry to better understand what you are experiencing on offshore facilities. 

I acknowledge NOPSEMA’s invaluable role in safety, too, especially in the role of psychosocial health.

Psychosocial health is one of the five National Priority areas for NOPSEMA. 

It has rightly recognised that by addressing psychosocial hazards, the industry can foster a stronger, safer, more resilient workforce. 

I want to acknowledge the outstanding progress NOPSEMA has made to improve the management of psychosocial risks across industry. 

NOPSEMA’s focus was on internal capability over the last year.

In the next 12 months, that focus shifts to external stakeholder capability.

NOPSEMA’s benchmarking campaign will enable the regulator and operators to have a better understanding of the types of psychosocial hazards facing employees and workers, and how to address these hazards. 

Let me reiterate my appreciation for the role you all play across the sector in fostering one of the best safety regimes in the world.

The health and safety representative awards, being held later, reflect how important health and safety representatives are regarded by the regulator, industry and government.

The government will always be there to support a strong and resilient offshore energy sector.

Our priority will always be the physical and mental wellbeing of the tens of thousands of hardworking people who keep the sector humming.

They are the sector’s most precious asset, and they deserve safe and healthy workplaces. 

Please enjoy the rest of the program.