As of 1 July 2025, SafeWork NSW is officially an independent regulator and the Minns Labor Government has appointed Janet Schorer as its inaugural SafeWork NSW Commissioner to further strengthen its efforts to protect workers.
SafeWork NSW priorities for the year are set and the first Regulatory Statement as an independent regulator is now available.
The Annual Regulatory Statement 2025-26 signals our shared commitment to fostering safer and healthier workplaces by highlighting our regulatory approach to:
- strengthening enforcement of work health and safety laws
- targeting larger and well-resourced organisations with timely and decisive regulatory action
- maintaining tight supervision of workplaces with dust exposure risks
- enforcing compliance with physical and psychosocial risk management.
Drawing on data, evidence, and stakeholder and community insights, we also identified our five priority areas for action:
- Falls from heights
- Harms to workers in the health care and social assistance sector
- Managing psychosocial risks at work – including sexual harassment
- Exposure to hazardous substances including asbestos, crystalline silica and welding fumes
- Injury from mobile plant, vehicles or fixed machinery.
To learn more about our regulatory priorities and how we plan to deliver them, read our Annual Regulatory Statement 2025-2026.