New Ministerial Council System
At its meeting on 13 February 2011, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) COAG agreed to establish a new Council System to better enable COAG to focus on, and progress, nationally significant reforms.
Under the new Council System, the COAG Select Council on Workplace Relations has been established to progress the COAG reform tasks. The Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council (WRMC) ceases to exist and its remit has been withdrawn, except in cases where the WRMC is referred to by name in instruments such as legislation, treaties and Inter-Governmental Agreements.
The new COAG Select Council on Workplace Relations will ‘convene’ as the WRMC for the purposes of exercising any decisions or responsibilities under these instrument(s) until such references are amended. Under the new Council System all other outstanding obligations of the WRMC have been transferred to the new Select Council.
For more information, please visit the COAG Select Council on Workplace Relations.
Former Workplace Relations Ministers' Council
The WRMC was a non-statutory body comprising Commonwealth, state and territory ministers for workplace relations and work, health and safety (WHS), previously known asthe Labour Ministers’ Council, was first established in 1970.
The objective of the WRMC is to provide a forum for ministers to discuss workplace relations, workers compensation and OHS issues of mutual interest and to make recommendations to Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
The Council generally met twice a year, with additional meetings as required. Meetings were chaired by the Commonwealth minister with responsibility for workplace relations.
The Departments of Workplace Relations Advisory Committee (DOWRAC) was a meeting of senior officials from Commonwealth, state and territory departments of workplace relations and OHS workers compensation issues. These meetings usually preceded a WRMC meeting, however they may also be held as required.
Australian, State and Territory Workplace Relations ministers have released a new communiqué following a meeting of the Workplace Relations Ministers' Council (WRMC) on Wednesday 10 August 2011.