Skip To Content Skip To Navigation

PB Statements 2004-2005 Portfolio overview

This document provides information about the Employment and Workplace Relations Portfolio which comprises the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), and the following statutory agencies:

  • Australian Industrial Relations Commission  and Australian Industrial Registry  (AIRC/AIR)
  • Comcare; , the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission  (SRCC); and the Seafarers’ Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority  (SSRCA)
  • Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency  (EOWA)
  • National Occupational Health and Safety Commission  (NOHSC)

The Office of the Employment Advocate  (OEA), although not a statutory agency, operates as a separate entity within the department.

Charts 1 and 2 (page 14) show a break up of resources (administered and departmental) across the agencies within the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio.

Portfolio Mission and Goals

Department

The department’s aims are to maximise the ability of unemployed Australians to find work – particularly those that face most severe barriers to work; and support strong employment growth and the improved productive performance of enterprises in Australia.

To do this, the department provides the government with high quality advice and services to achieve two outcomes:

  • an effectively functioning labour market , and;
  • higher productivity, higher pay workplaces.

These outcomes:

  • are integrally linked to the achievement of broader government economic performance, employment and social goals;
  • contribute substantially to other government policy measures directed towards sustaining a fundamentally sound economy that is better able to adjust to external shocks, and designed to increase ‘welfare-to-work’ incentives;
  • are based on the knowledge that there is a direct link between the quality of workplace relations and employment;
  • have an impact on communities, organisations, business and individuals in metropolitan, regional and remote areas;
  • incorporate equity considerations in policy development, and through the way the department’s programmes and services are implemented;
  • reflect the mutual benefits of providing businesses, employers, employees and job seekers with access to electronic services delivered through the Internet, telephone, and touch screen kiosks; and
  • recognise the requirements for further reform to create competitive workplaces.

The department is committed to building a high performing organisation, and places importance on:

  • Our Ministers as key customers
  • Serving our key clients on behalf of our Ministers
  • Job seekers
  • Indigenous communities
  • Employers and employees
  • High standards of performance and accountability
  • Effective people management
  • Learning
  • Striving to make a difference

The department’s key behaviours stem directly from these values:

Responsiveness

Ethics and integrity

Service to Ministers and clients

Professionalism

Enthusiasm

Creativity

Teamwork 

Portfolio Agencies

Australian Industrial Relations Commission and Australian Industrial Registry

Australian Industrial Relations Commission

The principal function of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) is to give effect to the legislative framework for co-operative workplace relations, which promotes the economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia.

Australian Industrial Registry

The mission of the Australian Industrial Registry (AIR) is to facilitate the operations of the Australian industrial relations system. In carrying out its mission, the agency seeks to achieve the following goals:

  • provide effective administrative support to the AIRC to assist it to meet the objectives of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 ;
  • provide clients of the AIRC/AIR with efficient, effective and timely services that facilitate the objectives of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 ;
  • comply with a regulatory framework and requirements both in relation to the Workplace Relations Act 1996  and the public service environment; and
  • provide Parliament and the Australian public with a service that is accountable and performed impartially.

Comcare  and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission  and Seafarers’ Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority :

Comcare

Comcare  works in partnership with its customers to reduce the human and financial costs of workplace injuries and disease. Comcare achieves this by:

  • improving the safety and rehabilitation of employees in the Commonwealth jurisdiction and the compensation services we provide;
  • engaging our stakeholders and customers in achieving that improvement; and
  • supporting our people to enable them to best contribute to improving its business.

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission  (SRCC) fosters continuous improvement in occupational health and safety  and workers’ compensation in the Commonwealth jurisdiction by:

  • seeking to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Commonwealth employees in the workplace;
  • providing adequate and appropriate compensation benefits, with a strong emphasis on return to work, including through rehabilitation, for employees who are injured in the course of, or as a result of, employment in the Commonwealth jurisdiction; and
  • providing advice to the Minister on issues relating to improving occupational health and safety , rehabilitation and workers’ compensation.

Seafarers’ Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority

The Seafarers’ Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority  (Seacare Authority) aims to minimise the human and financial costs of workplace injury in the Australian maritime industry. The Seacare Authority pursues this objective by:

  • working with the industry to secure the health, safety and welfare at work of maritime industry employees;
  • promoting a fair, efficient and effective scheme of rehabilitation, return to work and compensation for maritime industry employees; and
  • managing efficiently the Seafarers’ Safety Net Fund.

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

The mission of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) is to inspire Australian employers to take action to improve equal opportunity outcomes for women in the workplace by:

  • delivering practical solutions;
  • building strategic partnerships; and
  • leading public debate to increase the pace of change.  

National Occupational Health and Safety Commission

The mission of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) is to lead and coordinate national efforts to prevent workplace death, injury and disease in Australia. In seeking to improve Australia’s occupational health and safety  (OHS) performance, NOHSC works to:

  • provide national leadership for the effective implementation and further development of the National OHS Strategy  2002-2012;
  • improve the prevention of occupational death, injury and disease across Australia; and
  • provide a national forum for the co-operative improvement of OHS prevention efforts.

Chart 1: Administered appropriations for agencies in the portfolio (%)

Chart 2: Departmental appropriations for agencies in the portfolio (%)

Map 1: Structure of portfolio outcomes