Chapter 2
Review of annual reports
2.1
This chapter examines selected annual reports in greater detail, and
provides the Senate with information that may be of interest to senators. The
reports of the Safe Work Australia, the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service
Leave) Corporation, and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School
Leadership are discussed in this chapter.
Safe Work Australia
2.2
Safe Work Australia (SWA) was established as an independent statutory
agency in 2009 with the primary responsibility of improving work health and
safety and workers' compensation arrangements across Australia.
2.3
During its first year SWA has developed and released an exposure draft
of the Model Work Health and Safety Act (WHS Act) for public comment.
The WHS Act was endorsed by the Workplace Relations Ministers' Council in
December 2009. Following approval of the model WHS Act, SWA is developing WHS
Regulations and Codes of Practice for implementation by the Commonwealth,
states and territories by the end of December 2011.[4]
2.4
Throughout the reporting period, SWA continued its advocacy role
encouraging safer workplaces. National Safe Work Australia Week, held between
25 and 31 October 2009, was used to encourage workers around the country to consider
safety at work and ways to reduce workplace injuries. Evaluation surveys of
participants who were Safety Ambassadors and Safety Partners revealed that
99.9 percent of respondents would participate again.[5]
2.5
SWA's 2009–10 annual report was its first annual report as an
independent statutory agency. The committee commends SWA for the quality and
clarity of its annual report. The committee notes that the report was received
by the Minister on 28 October, but not tabled until 24 November 2010.
Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation
2.6
Established by the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding)
Act 1992 the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation
(Corporation) is responsible for the administration of the Coal Mining Industry
Long Service Leave Fund (Fund). The Fund was created to finance employee
entitlement to long service leave based upon industry service rather than with
any single employer.[6]
2.7
The report notes that support for the goals of the Fund remain strong,
and that:
Employers and unions in the black coal mining industry have
reviewed current arrangements for funding employee long service leave
entitlements and have reached agreement that the coal mining industry long
service leave funding legislation should be amended to secure the existing
level of employee entitlement to long service leave, to improve the operation
of the scheme, to provide certainty, to facilitate compliance, to simplify the
administration of the scheme and to ensure that the scheme is properly funded.[7]
2.8
On 26 November 2009 the Parliament of Australia passed the Coal
Mining Industry (Long Service Leave funding) Amendment Bill 2009 ensuring
the ongoing operation of the Fund and universal coverage from 1 January 2010.
2.9
In accordance with legislative requirements, the Fund is subjected to
periodic actuarial review. The rate of levy payable by employers is set having
regard to the findings of these reviews which estimate future liabilities and
the adequacy of current assets to meet their cost as and when they fall due.
The most recent actuarial review, as at 30 June 2009, concluded that the levy
remain at 2.7% of 'eligible wages'.[8]
2.10
To improve the useability of the report, the committee encourages the
Corporation to include a glossary and alphabetical and compliance indexes in
future annual reports.
Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership
2.11
The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)
commenced operations on 1 January 2010 when it succeeded Teaching Australia;
the 2009–10 annual report is the first presented by AITSL.[9]
AITSL was established to provide national leadership for Commonwealth, state
and territory governments in promoting excellence in the profession of teaching
and school leadership. The annual report provided was prepared in compliance
with section 36 of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997.
2.12
In line with its role of ensuring high quality teachers in Australian
schools, in March 2010 the Department of Immigration and Citizenship amended
its legislation to designate AITSL as the migration assessing authority for
pre-primary, primary and secondary school teachers.[10]
2.13
AITSL invited 110 stakeholders from government and non-government
schools and school systems, national education bodies, professional
associations, teacher education unions, teacher educators, and other leaders to
its inaugural Key Stakeholder Forum on 21 June 2010.
2.14
The AITSL annual report also includes reporting information for Teaching
Australia for the period: 1 July–31 December 2009.[11]
National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training
2.15
The National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training
had not been produced since the 2006 edition was published in 2008. The
National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training for the
years 2007 and 2008 were tabled on 10 May 2011. These reports fall outside the
terms of reference for this report, therefore they will be more fully examined
in the Committee's Report on Annual Reports (No. 1) 2012.
Comments made in the Senate
2.16
The committee is obliged, under Senate Standing Order 25(20)(d), to
consider any remarks made about these reports in the Senate. The committee is
satisfied that there were no comments to consider for these reports.
Bodies not presenting annual reports to the Senate
2.17
The committee is required to report to the Senate each year on whether
there are any bodies not presenting annual reports to the Senate which should.
The committee is satisfied that there are no such bodies.
Senator Gavin Marshall
Chair
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