Queensland Bar Association
OrganisationReferenced in 2 bills
Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020
This bill makes it easier for first responders to claim workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It creates a presumptive system where PTSD in eligible workers is automatically assumed to be caused by their work, removing the burden on injured workers to prove the connection. This responds to evidence from Beyond Blue and other reviews that first responders experience mental health conditions at substantially higher rates than the general workforce.
Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill creates new criminal offences for using 'dangerous attachment devices' during protests — specialised equipment like steel tubes, concrete-filled drums, and tripods designed to make it difficult and dangerous for police to remove protesters. It was introduced after a series of climate, mining, and animal welfare protests caused significant disruptions across Queensland, including a $1.3 million cost when a protester delayed coal trains at the Port of Brisbane for 14 hours. The bill passed with amendment.