COMPARISON OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

QUEENSLAND

TASMANIA

NORTHERN

TERRITORY

A.C.T.

NEW ZEALAND

Conciliation and

Steps are:

Worker's

Step are:

The Workers'

The steps are:

Review Directorate

  Internal review by

Rehabilitation and

(a) Mediation

Compensation

  review by an 

Up to 4 stages:

WorkCover or the

Compensation

Regulations 2002

(b) Work Health

independent 

Tribunal (the

prescribe

(a) Conciliation

self insurer

Court

review official 

Tribunal)

procedures for

engaged by ACC 

(b) Review

  Formal review by 

(Conciliation and

conciliation and

Review Unit that 

Up to 3 stages:

or the Residual 

(c) Compensation 

directions

dispute resolution.

is separate from 

(a) Conciliation

Insurer

Magistrate's Court

conferences before

The function of

WorkCover's 

(b) Arbitration

Registrar; hearing

conciliation is to

  appeal to the 

(d) Supreme Court

commercial 

by Magistrate if

help injured

District Court

(c) Appeal to

Questions on

insurance 

dispute

workers and their

Supreme Court on

  appeal to the 

medical issues,

business

unresolved.)

employers resolve

a question of law

High Court, if 

such as when

  Appeal to 

Before making an

issues arising from

leave is granted 

there is conflicting

industrial 

The Tribunal may

application to the

workers' claims for

by the District 

opinion between

magistrate

refer a medical

Work Health Court,

compensation. 

Court to do so

the worker's

question to a

  Appeal to 

the worker must

The primary

doctor(s) and the

medical panel

industrial court

first apply for and

function of

employer's

when there is

complete the

conciliation is to

doctor(s), can be

Medical Issues:

conflicting medical

mediation process

encourage and

referred to a

referral to Medical

opinion, and one of

support the

Medical

Assessment

the parties wishes

continuance of

Assessment Panel.

Tribunal (MAT)

to continue with

injury management

The Panel also has

No appeal against

proceedings. The

whilst issues

the ability to

a decision by MAT

determination of

related to the claim

determine the

unless fresh

the medical panel

are addressed.

nature, extent and

medical evidence is

is binding on the

Regulation 37

degree of

submitted within

Tribunal

permanency of any

12 months of the

After conciliation,

disability under 

MAT decision

an injured worker

Schedule 2

or employer may

file an application

for arbitration.

Regulation 48

Heads of Workers' Compensation Authorities  41