Policy and legislation
Commencement of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2025
On 1 September 2025 the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2025 (WCR Regulation) commenced.
The WCR Regulation replaces the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (2014 Regulation), which expired on 31 August 2025 in accordance with Queensland statutory instruments legislation. The 2025 Regulation largely retains the existing structure and content of the 2014 Regulation, with minor and technical amendments to:
- clarify the intent of existing provisions
- update language to reflect modern drafting standards
- remove obsolete provisions
- enhance clarity and brevity.
Changes include:
- enabling a chairperson or deputy chairperson of a medical assessment tribunal to delegate to the Workers’ Compensation Regulator the power to choose an appointee to the panel of doctors for the tribunal to constitute the tribunal
- formalising existing arrangements by requiring the chairperson of a tribunal to consult with the secretary of the tribunal about its constitution
- responding to the Queensland Court of Appeal decision in Anderson v Pickles Auctions Pty Ltd (2023) 17 QR 134 to clarify a previous interpretation that excluded recovery of counsel’s fees by certain claimants in certain common law claims.
Prior to the commencement of the WCR Regulation, Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Services (WCRS) conducted a sunset review to evaluate the continuing need, effectiveness and efficiency of the 2014 Regulation.
Key scheme stakeholders were provided an opportunity to make submissions as part of this process. WCRS would like to thank stakeholders for their engagement and valuable feedback.
For further information, please contact wcschemereview@oir.qld.gov.au.
Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings (QOTE) Notice
Compensation entitlements under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Act) are subject to annual indexation in accordance with increases in the Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings (QOTE) to ensure the relative value of entitlements over time.
Under section 10A of the Act, QOTE for a financial year is the amount of Queensland full-time adult persons’ ordinary time earnings declared by the Australian Statistician in the publication Average Weekly Earnings, Australia which was most recently published before the start of the financial year.
On 20 February 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, reporting that QOTE would increase 5.91% from $1,844.70 in 2024-25 to $1,953.70 in 2025-26.
The Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation (QOTE) Notice 2025 has been notified on the Queensland legislation website, and the increase in QOTE came into effect 1 July 2025.
Updates to our regulatory documents to support the introduction of compliance notices
Recent amendments to theWorkers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 expanded the enforcement tools available to the Regulator by introducing compliance notices.
WCRS have introduced a Workers’ Compensation Regulator - Compliance Notice Policy to provide transparency and consistency to scheme stakeholders around our approach, decision-making principles and other factors that may be considered by an authorised person when deciding whether to issue a notice.
Steps have also been taken to update our Compliance and Enforcement Policy to include the full range of regulatory tools currently available. This policy has been renamed the Workers’ Compensation Regulator- Compliance and Enforcement Framework.
Development of workers’ compensation regulatory strategy and priority plan
WCRS has recently commenced work on an overall scheme-wide risk assessment for the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme. The outcomes of this risk assessment will help provide a clear and concise indicator of where regulatory effort should be spent and will assist with the development of our overarching regulatory strategy and workers’ compensation priority plan.
Consultation will take place with scheme stakeholders as this work progresses as well as the comprehensive review of our suite of all regulatory documents.