Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank all the members who have contributed to this debate. The Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is about delivering fairness and certainty for workers in the black-coal mining industry and supporting employers. The bill creates a practical, time limited pathway for employers to resolve unpaid levies in a manageable way so workers can access their lawful entitlements without delay. The bill also introduces an effective penalty for late levy payments that promotes employers' timely compliance with their obligation and contributes to the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme's long-term sustainability.

I'd like to acknowledge the work of the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee and thank all those who made a submission for their constructive engagement. The committee's report recognised the importance of resolving longstanding uncertainty while protecting workers' entitlements and highlighted practical issues around timeframes, historical records and prior long service leave payments. The government has listened carefully, and, shortly, the government will be moving amendments to respond directly to these matters. The government's amendments provide targeted refinement to the bill by allowing limited flexibility to extend opt-in timeframes for individual employers, broadening the use of reasonable assumption when historical records are missing or incomplete and ensuring that employers are not required to pay twice for long service leave they've already provided. Together, these changes along with the bill support participation in the payment arrangements, protect workers' entitlements and ensure the bill operates fairly and as intended. I commend the bill to the House.

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