By Emma Pollard and Chris Logan
The current WorkCover premium on average is about $1.15 for every $100 of wages - it will increase to a $1.30. (7pm TV News QLD)
The State Government says an overhaul of WorkCover Queensland was needed in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Changes to come into effect from July include in increase in premium rates for employers and an amendment that requires workers to prove employers were at fault.
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Lawrence Springborg says State Government mismanagement is to blame for the scheme's problems and the Government is punishing business to make up for it.
"Twelve months before anyone had even invented the term global financial crisis, WorkCover Queensland had went from being in the black to being in the red - about a half-a-billion-dollar turnaround," he said.
But Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick says there will be broad support for the changes.
"This is something that lawyers, trade unions, employers have brought to the table when we've been meeting, so we don't anticipate that there'll be a significant reaction to this," he said.
"But what it does - it brings fairness into the system to ensure that where ever you're injured in Queensland, everyone is treated fairly."
However, Australian Industry Group spokesman Chris Rodwell says it will cost business about $150 million a year
Mr Rodwell says the changes do not address the scheme's main problems.
"Certainly a big let-down for industry," he said.
"The biggest problem with this scheme is it allows for unfettered access to common law.
"In every other state in this country, there's a threshold that's set there so not everyone can access common law and they deal with a statutory process.
"So if the government wants to get the scheme back into shape it needs to deal with that big problem."
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) spokesman David Goodwin says the only good news is injured workers will have to prove employers breached a duty of care.
"If there is any silver lining, that's it," he said.
Queensland unions say thousands of injured workers will be worse off under the changes to Queensland's workers' compensation scheme.
Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) spokeswoman Amanda Richards says some injured workers will be worse-off.
"The move to the Civil Liabilities Act will impact on workers who are making damages claims and have an impairment of less than 10 per cent," she said.
"The payouts that they will receive once the legislation is amended will be less than what they would have."
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