Western Australian Industrial Relations Commissioner Stephen Kenner has been appointed to conduct a review of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994, brought forward two years by Employment Protection Minister Michelle Roberts.
The full text of a Ministerial announcement is pasted below
Commissioner Stephen Kenner of the WA Industrial Relations Commission has been appointed to conduct a review of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994.
Employment Protection Minister Michelle Roberts said Commissioner Kenner would bring considerable experience to the statutory review process which would look into the operation and effectiveness of the Act.
Commissioner Kenner has had a great deal of experience in the Western Australian mining industry which involved extensive consideration of mining and related legislation including the Mining Act 1978, the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994, the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Act 1994 and related regulations.
He was also chairman of the WA Coal Industry Tribunal, dealing with all industrial matters in the coal mining industry in WA.
"Under the Act, certain reviews are to be carried out and I have decided to bring forward the 2009 review so that a number of other important studies and reviews can also be taken into consideration," Mrs Roberts said.
"For instance, we have recently held public consultations into the National Mines Safety Framework (NMSF) which I launched in Perth and Kalgoorlie and it is prudent to consider the national goals and strategies and its draft legislation when we are reviewing our own Act.
"Commissioner Kenner will also be looking at areas that could be improved, including alignment with the OSH Act.
"We want to look at what amendments to the Act would be required to introduce the concept of a 'safety case' regime, similar to that already in place for the oil and gas sector, where the legislation defines broad safety objectives and the operator develops the most appropriate methods of managing risk."
