The NSW Government has now appointed the inaugural SafeWork Advisory Council, part of the Minns Government’s process to establish a standalone regulator.

Master Builders NSW has membership of the Council and has nominated David Soloman, Executive Offer Safety to represent us.

The Council was created through changes to the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Standalone Regulator) Act 2025 to strengthen SafeWork NSW’s governance framework and ensure the regulator has access to diverse strategic advice on work health and safety risks, priorities and emerging issues.

Under the Council’s tripartite model, its membership brings together representatives of workers, employers, workplace safety experts to provide strategic advice to SafeWork NSW and the NSW Government.

The role of the Advisory Council is to:

• monitor emerging risks and trends in the field of work health and safety
• advise the SafeWork Commissioner on the strategic direction and priorities of SafeWork NSW
• advise the SafeWork Commissioner or the Minister on any matters referred to the Advisory Council by the SafeWork Commissioner or the Minister, and
• perform any other functions conferred on the Advisory Council by or under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 or the regulations, or another law.

The commencement of the Advisory Council will support SafeWork NSW in its regulatory efforts to prevent fatalities, serious injuries and illness.

Under the Act, the SafeWork Commissioner is required to consider the Council’s advice when setting the regulator’s strategic direction and priorities.

In 2025 there were 60 fatalities in NSW workplaces, with most of these occurring in the construction, transport and warehousing, and agriculture sectors.

The formal commencement of the SafeWork NSW Advisory Council brings to a close the work of the SafeWork NSW Interim Tripartite Reference Group. The group served as an interim measure prior to the establishment the Advisory Council.

More details on the Advisory Council can be found on the SafeWork NSW website.

Construction Safety Round table 

Master Builders was also represented at another of the NSW Government's new WHS initiatives, the Construction Safety Roundtable. 

The Roundtable brings together industry specialists from construction firms, industry associations and unions to discuss ways to improve safety. 

Safework NSW's compliance activity shows that most construction businesses are doing the right thing but that a cohort of employers have inadequate safety systems. 

There have been 13 deaths in the construction industry in NSW alone since July 2025. 

Falls from height remains the top cause of traumatic fatalities in the State’s building and construction industry, as well as a significant cause of injuries in the sector.

Over the past year SafeWork has recorded:

• 5 x more Requests for Service in the construction industry than in any other industry (6,698 in 2024/2025) (4,872 this financial year - to March 2026)
• 3 x more incidents than any other industry (2,087 in 2024/2025) (1,609 so far this financial year – to March 2026)
• Between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2025, there were 401 serious injuries from falls from heights in NSW