Attorney-General
Minister for Industrial Relations
(Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate)
Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General
Assistant Minister for Women
Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations
Senator the Hon Amanda Stoker
Joint media release
The Australian Government today released its response to the independent review of the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Scheme (the Coal LSL Scheme). Established in 1949, the Coal LSL Scheme has over $2.1 billion in funds under management on behalf of over 130,000 employees.
On 1 June 2021, the Government announced that KPMG would undertake an independent review of the Coal LSL Scheme in recognition of the significant evolution in operating environment and workforce composition that had impacted the black coal mining industry in recent decades.
Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations Senator Michaelia Cash and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations, and Assistant Minister for Women, Queensland LNP Senator Amanda Stoker welcomed the KPMG Report: Enhancing certainty and fairness: Independent Review of the Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Scheme, which includes 20 recommendations, and thanked all the individuals and organisations that participated in the consultations during 2021.
The Government has accepted all 10 recommendations directed to it and will take action to legislate based on the clear direction for reform set out by the independent review. The Government will support Coal LSL to implement the remaining operational recommendations that will make it easier for employees and employers to understand and comply with the Scheme.
“Implementation of the changes recommended by the independent review will ensure that the Coal LSL Scheme, and the Corporation that manages it, model the highest standards of governance, with appropriate and robust safeguards in place,” Minister Cash said.
“The much needed reform recommended by the independent review will deliver certainty, fairness, transparency and accountability and ensure that the Coal LSL Scheme continues to serve the employees and employers in the black coal mining industry.”
The Government will work closely with stakeholders to implement recommendations sensibly and in a timely manner. These reforms will safeguard employee entitlements including those casual employees covered by the scheme, remove unnecessary administrative impost on businesses and individuals and position the scheme to meet the needs of the industry in the future.
“The Government is clear that all Australian employees deserve to receive their fair wages and entitlements. The Government is focused on having the right settings in place to make sure that hard-working coal workers receive their lawful long service leave entitlements through the Coal LSL Scheme,” Senator Stoker said.
The report and Government response are available on the Attorney-General’s Department website.
