The Crisafulli Government in Queensland has announced a significant decision to freeze WorkCover premiums for the 2025-26 financial year, providing much-needed financial relief to employers across the state while maintaining comprehensive workers’ compensation coverage. This decision comes as businesses continue to navigate challenging economic conditions, including rising operational costs, labour shortages, and ongoing recovery from recent natural disasters.
WorkCover Queensland’s premium freeze represents a substantial commitment to supporting business sustainability while ensuring injured workers continue to receive the care and compensation they need. The decision affects thousands of Queensland employers across all industries, from small family businesses to large corporations, collectively saving the business community millions of dollars in anticipated premium increases.
The premium freeze has been made possible through a combination of factors, including improved claims management, enhanced return-to-work programs, and strategic investments in injury prevention initiatives. WorkCover Queensland’s data shows that these proactive measures have resulted in better outcomes for both injured workers and employers, with faster recovery times and reduced long-term costs.
“This premium freeze demonstrates our government’s commitment to supporting Queensland businesses while maintaining the integrity of our workers’ compensation system,” said a spokesperson for the Crisafulli Government. “We recognise that businesses are facing significant cost pressures, and this decision provides tangible relief while ensuring workers remain protected.”
Concurrent with the premium freeze announcement, WorkCover Queensland has launched an ambitious expansion of its medical and allied health provider network. The organisation is actively recruiting medical professionals, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and other specialists to join a new statewide panel that will provide services to injured workers. This initiative aims to reduce treatment delays, improve access to care in regional areas, and enhance the overall quality of rehabilitation services.
The expanded provider network addresses longstanding concerns about service availability, particularly in regional and remote Queensland communities where access to specialised rehabilitation services has been limited. By establishing a comprehensive panel of qualified providers, WorkCover Queensland aims to ensure that all injured workers, regardless of their location, can access timely and appropriate treatment.
Industry groups have praised both initiatives, noting that the premium freeze provides immediate financial relief while the expanded provider network promises better outcomes for injured workers. “This balanced approach recognises that supporting business sustainability and worker welfare are not competing objectives but complementary goals,” commented a representative from the Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The premium freeze also reflects broader economic policy considerations, with the Queensland Government recognising that excessive cost burdens on businesses can ultimately harm both employment opportunities and the state’s economic competitiveness. By maintaining stable WorkCover premiums, the government aims to support business confidence and investment while preserving the robust worker protection framework that Queensland businesses and workers rely upon.
This decision positions Queensland as a leader in balancing worker protection with business sustainability, potentially influencing approaches in other Australian jurisdictions facing similar economic pressures.
