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27th Annual National Workers’ Compensation Summit

Australia’s leading platform for legislative updates and workers’ compensation case studies

11-12 August 2026 | Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention & Event Centre

BUY A PASS Register Your Interest

overview

The way in which we work is changing, and so too is the place, and how often we work there. Automation is increasing, new forms of work are emerging and hybrid workplaces are now commonplace. One constant, though, is that employees continue to be injured carrying out their work.

The 27th Annual Workers’ Compensation Summit will look at the evolving workplace and assess how current workers’ compensation schemes reflect modern times. How well do schemes cater to psychological injuries, and how effective are workplace well-being programs in preventing harm? As the political landscape changes, we will analyse WHS policy development and assess its likely impact on workers’ compensation and the health and safety of all workers, irrespective of how, when, and where they work.

Book your tickets early to save up to $400!

2026 Speakers

Mandy Young

Chief Executive, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)

Jason Lardelli

Executive Director, Return to Work Victoria, WorkSafe Victoria

Sam Jenkin

Chief Health and Safety Officer, WorkSafe Victoria

Jacqueline Agius

Work Health and Safety Commissioner & Labour Hire Licence Commissioner, WorkSafe ACT

Lidia Stojanovski

Senior Manager Value Based Health Care, Victorian Transport Accident Commission

Grant Blake

Clinical Psychologist, Intensive Trauma Treatment Centre

Dr David Brentnall

Managing Director, Axis

Olivia Pantelidis

Director, Barwon Local Health Service Network

Karli Edgerton

Manager, Health & Wellbeing, Eagers Automotive

Cathy Connors

Health and Wellbeing Manager, Essential Energy

Marian M

Wellbeing & Mental Health Strategist, Consultant

Gift Musiwa

Director & Founder, Sanete Consultancy

Olga Nowicka

Workers’ Compensation Leader, Payment Governance Specialist

Agenda

8:50 am

OPENING REMARKS | Opening remarks from the Chair

SCHEME DIRECTION, WORKFORCE SAFETY & WELLBEING, AND EVIDENCE BASED RECOVERY

9:00 am

KEYNOTE | SIRA Updates for 2026

Mandy Young, Chief Executive, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)

9:30 am

KEYNOTE ADDRESS |Review & Performance of the Scheme Post Legislative Reform Industry

Jason Lardelli, Executive Director, Return to Work Victoria, WorkSafe Victoria

10:00 am

Morning Tea and Networking Break

10:30 am

  • Key legislative updates across states and territories and what they mean for employers
  • How regulators are responding to rising psychological injury claims
  • The tension between national consistency and jurisdictional autonomy
  • Regulatory expectations for employers, insurers and providers in 2026–2030
  • Insights into upcoming reforms and policy directions

11:10 am

KEYNOTE | WorkSafe ACT

Jacqueline Agius, Work Health and Safety Commissioner & Labour Hire Licence Commissioner, WorkSafe ACT

11:40 am

  • Delivers structured, evidence‑based trauma treatment that improves functional outcomes and reduces long‑term psychological injury
  • The role of intensive, targeted interventions in supporting recovery for individuals with complex trauma presentations
  • Integrating clinical best practice with real‑world service delivery to improve consistency, safety and treatment quality
  • Lessons on early intervention, assessment quality, and sustainable recovery pathways

12:10 pm

  • Equips leaders to support mentally healthy, high‑performing teams across dispersed workforces
  • Provides practical early‑intervention approaches for identifying and responding to psychosocial risks
  • Demonstrates how integrating wellbeing and safety strengthens organisational culture
  • Shows how data can drive meaningful, sustainable change in complex operational environments

12:40 pm

Lunch and Networking Break

1:40 pm

  • Outcomes from an intensive trauma program achieving >90% loss of PTSD and complex PTSD diagnoses with presently no dropout
  • Extremely short treatment turnaround times (< 1 to 2 months from intake to discharge)
  • Years of first-line, technical intervention delivered in just four days
  • Already operating for FIFO clients to overcome accessibility barriers

2:10 pm

  • MSDs too often escalate instead of recovers:Early overmedicalisation, through unnecessary imaging, repeat consultations, and opioids can unintentionally lock workers into longer disability.
  • Systems shape behaviour more than symptoms: Jurisdictional rules, funding models, and certification requirements often drive care pathways, not clinical evidence.
  • The trajectory can be changed early:When best‑practice, evidence‑based intervention is applied upfront, escalation is avoided and confidence‑led recovery is unlocked.
  • The exciting opportunity:Employers and insurers who enable best practice early intervention are seeing faster return to work, better worker experiences, and materially lower claim costs.

2:40 pm

Afternoon Tea & Networking Break

3:10 pm

FIRESIDE CHAT| Psychosocial Management

Lidia Stojanovski, Senior Manager Value Based Health Care, Victorian Transport Accident Commission

3:50 pm

  • Why wellbeing and psychological safety are now core WHS and performance priorities
  • How organisational culture shapes mental health outcomes and recovery trajectories
  • Practical strategies for embedding wellbeing‑centred practices at scale
  • Measuring psychosocial risk and tracking wellbeing improvements over time
  • Real examples of organisations shifting behaviour and culture, not just policy

4:30 pm

  • How one organisation redesigned work practices to reduce physical risk
  • Practical tools for identifying early warning signs in distributed teams
  • What worked, what didn’t, and what surprised them
  • Lessons that can be applied across industries

5:00 pm

END OF CONFERENCE & CLOSING REMARKS | Closing remarks from the Chair

8:50 am

OPENING REMARKS | Opening remarks from the Chair

WORKPLACE WELLBEING, EARLY INTERVENTION, INJURY MANAGEMENT & RETURN TO WORK

9:00 am

KEYNOTE | Navigating Emerging Challenges in Workplace Wellbeing

Sam Jenkin, Chief Health and Safety Officer, WorkSafe Victoria

9:30 am

  • Holistic BPS Approach – Traditional BPS models focus on personal factors, but true recovery requires addressing workplace, treatment, and scheme-related environmental influences.
  • Data-Driven Early Intervention – data to identify at-risk workers early, guiding case managers in providing tailored, evidence-based support.
  • Strategic Risk Management – The BPS Risk Management Handbook and Customers Experiencing Vulnerability Framework ensure consistent, structured interventions for diverse claimant challenges.
  • Proven Outcomes & Case Study Success – A targeted intervention program reduced psychological claim costs, cut claim duration by 133 days, and improved return-to-work rates.
  • Future Innovations – Advancements in AI, data utilization, value-based healthcare, and scheme redesign will further enhance recovery outcomes and drive meaningful industry-wide change.

10:00 am

Morning Tea and Networking Break

10:30 am

  • How early contact, tailored support and employer collaboration reduce claim duration
  • Insights from national data on psychosocial and complex claims
  • Practical strategies for improving worker engagement and preventing long‑term disability
  • Case examples demonstrating measurable improvements in recovery and RTW outcomes
  • What sustainable, person‑centred claims management looks like in 2026–2030

11:00 am

  • Responding to rising demand and workforce pressures
  • Integrated care models improving flow and continuity
  • Digital transformation reshaping service delivery
  • Building a resilient, future‑ready workforce

11:30 am

  • Why communication is so important when it comes to injury management and health and wellbeing
  • Different types and methods of communication
  • Lived examples of effective communication styles and case files

12:00 pm

Lunch and Networking Break

1:00 pm

  • How payment delays, inaccuracies and operational complexity can impact worker trust, engagement and return to work outcomes,
  • Why payment experience should be viewed as part of the broader workers’ compensation journey.

1:40 pm

  • Workplace rehabilitation approaches that build functional capacity, support recovery, and enable safe reintegration into work.
  • Integrated injury management models that align clinicians, employers and case managers to reduce delays and improve communication.
  • Effective return to work strategies for hybrid, remote and complex work environments, ensuring duties match recovery stage.
  • Collaboration for sustainable outcomes across insurers, employers and rehabilitation providers to prevent escalation and support long term recovery success.

2:10 pm

  • Adapting claims and injury management processes for large, dispersed and shift based workforces
  • Using operational and safety data to identify risk early and support timely intervention
  • Evolving expectations for employers in high risk, safety critical industries
  • How large organisations can strengthen return to work capability across diverse roles and locations

2:50 pm

Afternoon Tea & Networking Break

3:10 pm

  • Immediate same‑day supervisor contact (“zero‑day”) to maintain workplace connection and prevent early disengagement
  • Shift worker mindset from medicalisation to seeing RAW as part of clinical recovery
  • Replace “fit/unfit” GP decisions with capacity‑based RAW plans tailored to real duties
  • Address psychosocial barriers early — stigma, fear of judgement, low supervisor support
  • Use meaningful, role‑specific duties and weekly “Assess–Adjust–Achieve” reviews to keep recovery on track

3:50 pm

  • Reducing delays and confusion through clearer communication between workers, supervisors and claims teams
  • Using simple, timely information to support early intervention and prevent escalation
  • Aligning operational leaders and injury management teams to improve recovery and RTW outcomes.

4:20 pm

END OF CONFERENCE & CLOSING REMARKS | Closing remarks from the Chair

Sponsors

Gold Sponsor

Partners

Host Partner

Pricing

Packages Price
Conference + Dinner$2895+GST Standard Rate
Packages Price
Conference + Dinner$3895+GST Standard Rate

Standard rate expires 30 June 2026

If you would like to purchase an additional dinner ticket, please email [email protected].
Note: Your conference registration already includes one dinner ticket.

Insights

How to achieve more with less, when handling workers’ compensation claims
Read more >>

Mentally healthy workplaces – a necessary reform for our mental health
Read more >>

How to create mentally healthy workplaces – an interview with Ian Firth, SafeWork NSW
Read more >>

The impact of megatrends on WHS and workers’ compensation policy
Read more >>

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We recognise that it’s not just about the way we produce our events and products but recognising that we have a role to play in providing a space to work in partnership together with our markets to inspire the sustainable development of the industries we serve.

To read more on our latest sustainability reports and Faster Forward initiatives – click here.

when & where

11 - 12 Aug 2026

Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention & Event Centre
80 Western Beach Rd,
Geelong VIC 3220

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contact

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General Information & Registration
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Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
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Sponsorship & Exhibition Manager
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Conference Manager
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