We are responsible for the Commonwealth’s Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act). The WHS Act applies to the Commonwealth, public authorities and a small number of companies (non-Commonwealth licensees).
Work health and safety (WHS) law in Australia is legislated and regulated separately by each of Australia’s state, territory, and Commonwealth jurisdictions. WHS laws are largely harmonised across the jurisdictions through a set of uniform laws (the model WHS laws). All jurisdictions other than Victoria have adopted the model WHS laws. Victoria has similar duties and responsibilities under its Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic).
The Commonwealth works closely with the states and territories through Safe Work Australia to develop and maintain the model WHS laws. The model WHS laws are comprised of the model Work Health and Safety Act, model Regulations and model Codes of Practice.
State and territory WHS regulators are each responsible for enforcing and regulating their jurisdiction’s WHS laws. In the Commonwealth jurisdiction, the regulator is Comcare.
Meetings of Work Health and Safety Ministers
Ministers responsible for WHS from the Commonwealth and each state and territory meet to discuss and advance WHS matters of national importance.
Communiqués from past meetings:
- Meeting of 31 October 2025, including Workplace Relations Ministers
- Meeting of 18 September 2024
- Meeting of 10 May 2024, including Workers' Compensation Ministers
- Meeting of 22 March 2024
- Meeting of 13 December 2023, including Workplace Relations Ministers
- Meeting of 27 October 2023
- Meeting of 28 February 2023
- Meeting of 3 December 2021
- Meeting of 20 May 2021
Recent updates
On 31 October 2025, Commonwealth, state and territory WHS Ministers met combined with WR Ministers to discuss a number of key WR and WHS priorities, including an update on the best practice review of the WHS laws.
Related links
- Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety 2008
- Occupational health and safety harmonisation
- Workers' compensation