New Advisory Panel announced for WA’s Resources Safety

WA’s Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) has announced the establishment of a new Ministerial Advisory Panel (MAP) at Resources Safety to develop and implement major safety legislation amendments.

The first MAP meeting was recently held with former BHP Billiton External Affairs Vice-president Ian Fletcher appointed as the independent chairperson.

Mr Fletcher has also recently been appointed as the chair of the State Government’s Regional Development Council (RDC).

The panel is made up of representatives from government, industry groups and unions with the aim of increasing stakeholder engagement and face-to-face briefings to ensure all stakeholders are informed and have the opportunity to provide input to the process of legislative change.

The panel will provide advice to the Minister of Mines and Petroleum Bill Marmion on the safety legislation reform process, and also feed information back to their respective organisations.

It is anticipated that the panel will operate until December 2014 and that meetings will be held bi-monthly.

Resources Safety Executive Director Simon Ridge said the objective of the panel was to deliver a best practice safety regulatory regime for the Western Australian resources sector based on practical risk management.

“This will take due account of current reforms in occupational health and safety regulation which are part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Business Regulation and Competition reforms,” Mr. Ridge said.

“Our aim is to deliver a best practice legislative model based on cost recovery thereby ensuring efficient service delivery to industry.”

Advice to the Minister will focus on the following:

• Legislative reform and the development of guidance material to support these changes.
• Strategies which will increase the safety capabilities of both industry and the regulator.
• Performance reporting criteria and appropriate governance arrangements.
• Communication and implementation of safety reforms, to ensure a common understanding.

Ministerial Advisory Panel members

• Mr Ian Fletcher Independent Chairperson
• Mr Simon Ridge Executive Director, Resources Safety Division, Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP)
• Mr Greg Stagbouer Director, Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA)
• Mr Kevin Wolfe Business Development Manager, Monadelphous (representing Australian Pipeline Industry Association- APIA)
• Ms Karin Lee Manager Safety and Risk Services, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCI WA)
• Ms Miranda Jane Taylor Senior Policy Advisory, Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)
• Mr Richard Kern Regional Manager Asia Pacific Newmont (representing Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA -CMEWA)
• Mr Justin Fromm Senior Policy Officer, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC)
• Mr Stephen Price Secretary, Australian Workers Union
• Mr Glenn McLaren State Organiser, OHS Advisor, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU)
• Mr Gary Wood Secretary, Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Mining and Energy Division WA District
• Mr Chris Oughton Director, Kwinana Industries Council (KIC)
  Mr Michael Tooma Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
  Mr Nick Zovko Regulatory Policy Manager, Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA)
  Mr Lew Pritchard General Manager Business Development, DMP
  Ms Jennifer Shelton Principal Policy Officer, DMP