Their primary responsibility is to improve work health and safety and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia.
[1][2] They represent a genuine partnership between governments, unions and industry, working together towards the goal of reducing death, injury and disease in the workplace.
Safe Work Australia is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments through the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety signed in July 2008.
On 1 November 2009, Safe Work Australia began operating as an independent statutory agency.
The Commonwealth, states and territories have responsibility for regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their jurisdiction.