The Family and Injured Workers Advisory Committee (the committee) provides advice to the Government on the needs of people affected by serious work-related incidents.
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About the committee
The committee provides advice to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Commonwealth work health and safety regulators about the needs of people affected by workplace incidents involving death, serious injury or illness. The committee is comprised of members with direct or indirect lived experience of a serious workplace injury, illness or fatality.
On 18 February 2025, the then Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt announced the appointment of the inaugural committee members. The committee’s 5 members appointed on a 3–year term from March 2025-2028 are:
- Kay Catanzariti (co-chair) - Mrs Catanzariti’s son, Ben, was killed in a workplace incident in 2012. She is the founder of Will It Your Way Inc, and an active advocate for workplace health and safety, and the rights of families affected by such incidents. Mrs Catanzariti played a pivotal role in the 2018 Senate inquiry report They never came home – the framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia. Her goal is for stronger safeguards, more rigorous investigations, successful prosecutions and support for families in cases of industrial deaths, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
- Andrea Madeley (co-chair) - Ms Madeley’s 18 year old son, Daniel, lost his life in 2004 after he was pulled into a horizontal boring machine while working as a 1st Year Apprentice Toolmaker. In 2006, Ms Madeley founded VOID (Voice of Industrial Death), a support group for families impacted by a fatal work incident. In 2024, Ms Madeley was appointed by the Government of South Australia to the South Australian Advisory Committee as a victim’s advocate. In 2019, Ms Madeley was admitted to practice law as a Lawyer and Barrister in the Supreme Court of South Australia. She currently practices law in South Australia, with a focus on representing injured workers and families impacted by a workplace death.
- Julieann Buchanan - Ms Buchanan is an occupational therapist with over 30 years’ experience in safety, workers compensation, and occupational rehabilitation across public and private sectors. She has supported workers through life-changing incidents, including being onsite during an act of violence that resulted in a workplace death. She has led post-incident responses, investigations, and system-wide improvements through executive roles, advisory committees, and as a WorkCover Tasmania Board member. With postgraduate training in rehabilitation, ergonomics, management, and ageing, she brings both professional insight and lived experience to her commitment to doing what she can to prevent serious work incidents and ensure accessible person-centred, trauma-informed support for workers and their families.
- Janelle Rowswell - Ms Rowswell worked as a police officer for the Australian Federal Police for over 20 years, including in child exploitation investigations. She is a First Nations woman and sits on the board of directors for Toora Women and previously served on the board of directors for Women’s Legal Centre in the ACT.
- Paul Younger - Mr Younger brings over 15 years of combined service in the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Border Force Marine Unit. He has successfully advocated—alongside the Community & Public Sector Union—for enhanced safety measures for Marine Unit officers and improvements to the Comcare process. Drawing on personal experience with workplace suicide and mental health challenges, he is passionate about strengthening psychosocial supports in the workplace. Mr Younger is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and plans to pursue a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy to help reduce stigma and promote wellbeing.
The establishment of the committee was provided for under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 in December 2023 as part of the amendments under the Closing Loopholes Act 2023.
The committee’s establishment follows the recommendations from the 2018 Senate Inquiry report, They never came home – the framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia. The report identified the need for bereaved families and seriously injured workers and their families to have the opportunity to give feedback to the Government.
The establishment is also consistent with Safe Work Australia’s National principles to support families following an industrial death.
Terms of reference
The terms of reference govern the day-to-day operations of the committee.
Committee achievements
The committee is developing a workplan to identify key priorities and upcoming projects for the duration of their 3-year term.
The committee’s key achievements since it was established in 2025 are outlined below.
Contact details
If you would like to engage with the committee, please contact the secretariat via email at fiwac@dewr.gov.au. Please note members can only respond to requests made through the secretariat.
Helplines and Support Contacts
Lifeline
13 11 14, by text on 0477 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
24 hours, 7 days a week
Beyond Blue Support Service
1300 224 636 or www.beyondblue.org.au
24 hours, 7 days a week
Griefline
1300 845 745 (8am to 8pm) or https://griefline.org.au/ or online forum (24 hours, 7 days a week)
Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
13 YARN (13 92 76) or https://www.13yarn.org.au
24 hours, 7 days a week