NSW Workers Compensation Changes July 1 2026

July 1 marks the commencement of the NSW Government’s workers compensation reforms. These reforms are intended to better align the state’s workers compensation, industrial relations and workplace health and safety systems.

The commencement of these reforms requires a range of operational, business and process changes to be made by insurers and employers so that the new requirements are applied correctly and properly communicated to affected workers.

To support implementation, SIRA has published a range of guidance and information materials which are now available on the SIRA website. These materials are intended to help insurers, employers, workers and their representatives understand the changes, and support consistent application of the new arrangements from today.

The website also contains key materials that must be used from today, including the Workers Injury Claim Form and Decision Notice Summary. Insurers and employers should ensure these materials are adopted and used in accordance with the new requirements, and that workers are made aware of them and supported to use those materials that are important for them.

You can access the materials on the SIRA website.

SIRA encourages all insurer, employers and other to key stakeholders to actively engage with these materials and share them with relevant teams within your organisation, and with the workers that might require this information to support their workers compensation claim.

As these changes are embedded within the workers compensation scheme, SIRA will work closely with stakeholders to support consistent application of the changes in line with insurer and employer responsibilities.