Changes to Presumptive Liability Firefighter Provisions

Following the passage of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022, the SRC Act has been amended to streamline access to workers’ compensation for firefighters.

The legislative amendments include:

• reducing the qualifying period for oesophageal cancer from 25 years to 15 years
• extending coverage of presumptive workers’ compensation to volunteer firefighters in the Australian Capital Territory
• clarifying how volunteer firefighters access the presumptive provisions under the SRC Act
• introducing the ability for the Australian Capital Territory to establish an advisory committee to provide expert advice and assist with the determination of volunteer firefighter claims
• amending the SRC Act so that an employee is taken to have been employed as a firefighter if firefighting duties made up a ‘not insubstantial portion of their duties’.

For more information  about workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters, check out Comcare’s Scheme guidance - Disease provisions relating to firefighters .