Question regarding WorkSafe's decision not to prosecute the Shire of Yalgoo CEO for non-compliance with improvement notices, citing resource limitations. The answer defends WorkSafe's actions and highlights increased inspector numbers.

AnsweredQoN 5296Legislative Assembly
Asked
6 August 2019
Portfolio
Industrial Relations

QuestionView source ↗

I
refer to a WorkSafe investigation into conduct within the Shire of Yalgoo in
2017, and ask: (a) Why
didn’t WorkSafe prosecute Shire of Yalgoo Chief Executive Officer Mr Silvio
Brenzi for non-compliance with improvement notices issued in December 2017; and (b) Considering
Acting Director of WorkSafe Service Industries and Specialists Directorate
Sally North wrote in a letter to Mr Graham Bassell dated 13 November 2018 that
one of the factors for not prosecuting Mr Brenzi was “limited resources of the
inspectorate”, are Machinery of Government changes limiting the ability of
WorkSafe to adequately carry out its functions to protect workers: (i) If
not, why does WorkSafe have limited resources; and (ii) Why
was Mr Brenzi’s non-compliance not deemed actionable by WorkSafe?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
17 September 2019
Responded by
Minister for Industrial Relations
Response time
12 days
(a) Although the improvement notices issued in December 2017 were not initially fully complied with, compliance with these notices has since occurred and have been verified by WorkSafe.
(b) No
(i) All government agencies have finite resources and are required to make decisions about how to most effectively deploy those resources. It should be noted that the number of Inspectors employed by Worksafe was cut under the previous Government from 103 to 93. Subsequent to the Machinery of Government changes, DMIRS has increased Inspector numbers to 99. Enabled by its prudent management of the State Budget, the Government has committed to employing a further 21 Inspectors.
(ii) The Shire of Yalgoo CEO complied with the requirements of the improvement notice.

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