COMMONWEALTH
EMPLOYEES’ COMPENSATION.
No.
15 of 1954.
An
Act to amend the Commonwealth Employees’
Compensation Act 1930-1951, and for other purposes.
[Assented
to 20th April, 1954.]
BE
it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of
Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short
title and citation.
1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth
Employees’ Compensation Act 1954.
(2.) The Commonwealth Employees’ Compensation Act 1930-1951
is in this Act referred to as the Principal
Act.
(3.) The
Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Employees’ Compensation Act 1930-1954.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it
receives the Royal Assent but the amendments of the Principal Act effected by
sections four, five, six and seven of this Act shall be deemed to have taken
effect on the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four.
Injury
while travelling to or from employment, &c.
3. Section nine a of
the Principal Act is amended by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) the words “medical, surgical or hospital
treatment” and inserting in their stead the words “medical treatment”.
Medical
benefits.
4. Section eleven of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from
sub-section (2.) the words “One hundred and fifty pounds” and inserting in
their stead the words “Two hundred pounds”.
Maximum
compensation.
5. Section thirteen of the Principal Act is amended by omitting
from sub-section (1.) the words “One thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds”
and inserting in their stead the words “Two thousand three hundred and fifty
pounds”.
First
Schedule.
6. The First Schedule to the Principal Act is amended—
(a) by omitting from clause (i) of
sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1.)
the words “One thousand five hundred pounds” and inserting in their stead the
words “Two thousand three hundred and fifty pounds”;
(b) by omitting from clause (i) of
sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1.)
the words “Seventy-five pounds” and inserting in their stead the words “One
hundred pounds”;
(c) by omitting from clause (iii) of
sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1.)
the words “Fifty pounds” and inserting in their stead the words “Sixty pounds”;
(d) by omitting from sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1.) the words “Six
pounds” and inserting in their stead the words “Eight pounds fifteen shillings”;
(e) by omitting from clause (i) of
sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1.)
the words “One pound fifteen shillings” and inserting in their stead the words “Two
pounds five shillings”;
(f) by omitting from clause (ii) of
sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1.)
the words “Fifteen shillings” and inserting in their stead the words “One pound”;
(g) by omitting from clause (i) of sub-paragraph (c) of paragraph (1.) the words “Six pounds” and inserting in their
stead the words “Eight pounds fifteen shillings”;
(h) by omitting from clause (ii) of
sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1a.) the words “Two hundred pounds” and
inserting in their stead the words “Four hundred pounds”;
(i)
by omitting from clause (iii) of sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1a.)
the words “Four pounds ten shillings” and “Six pounds” and inserting in their
stead the words “Six pounds ten shillings” and “Eight pounds fifteen shillings”,
respectively;
(j) by omitting from the proviso to
paragraph (5.) the words “expenses of burial” and inserting in their stead the
words “expenses of the employee’s funeral”; and
(k) by omitting from paragraph (10a.) the words “One thousand five hundred
pounds” (wherever occurring) and inserting in their stead the words “Two
thousand pounds”.
Third
Schedule.
7. The Third Schedule to the Principal Act is repealed and the
following Schedule inserted in its stead:—
THE
THIRD SCHEDULE. Section
12.
Compensation
for Specified Injuries.
Nature
of Injury. | Amount
Payable. |
£ | s. | d. |
Loss
of both eyes...............................................................................................................................
| 2,350 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of an only useful eye, the other being blind or absent..............................................................
| 2,350 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of one eye, with serious diminution of the sight of the other...................................................
| 1,762 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of one eye..................................................................................................................................
| 940 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of hearing..................................................................................................................................
| 1,645 | 0 | 0 |
Complete
deafness of one ear............................................................................................................
| 470 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of both hands.............................................................................................................................
| 2,350 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of right arm or greater part of right arm....................................................................................
| 1,880 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of left arm or greater part of left arm........................................................................................
| 1,692 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of lower part of right arm, right hand or five fingers of right hand..........................................
| 1,645 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of lower part of left arm, left hand or five fingers of left hand.................................................
| 1,480 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of right thumb...........................................................................................................................
| 705 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of left thumb..............................................................................................................................
| 634 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of right forefinger......................................................................................................................
| 470 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of left forefinger........................................................................................................................
| 423 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of right middle finger................................................................................................................
| 376 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of left middle finger..................................................................................................................
| 352 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of right ring finger.....................................................................................................................
| 329 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of left ring finger.......................................................................................................................
| 305 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of right little finger....................................................................................................................
| 305 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of left little finger......................................................................................................................
| 282 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of total movement of joint of right thumb................................................................................
| 329 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of total movement of joint of left thumb...................................................................................
| 305 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of right thumb...................................................................................
| 376 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of left thumb.....................................................................................
| 352 | 10 | 0 |
Loss,
of portion of terminal segment of right thumb involving one-third of its
flexor surface without loss of distal phalanx or joint........................................................................................................................
| 329 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of portion of terminal segment of left thumb involving one-third of its
flexor surface without loss of distal phalanx or joint........................................................................................................................
| 305 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of right forefinger...........................................................................
| 282 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of left forefinger.............................................................................
| 258 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of right middle or ring finger..........................................................
| 258 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of left middle or ring finger............................................................
| 235 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of right little finger.........................................................................
| 235 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of left little finger...........................................................................
| 211 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of right forefinger.............................................................................
| 235 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of left forefinger...............................................................................
| 211 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of other finger of right hand.............................................................
| 188 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of distal phalanx or joint of other finger of left hand................................................................
| 169 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of hand and foot........................................................................................................................
| 2,350 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of both feet................................................................................................................................
| 2,350 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of leg above knee......................................................................................................................
| 1,762 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of leg below knee......................................................................................................................
| 1,527 | 10 | 0 |
Loss
of foot........................................................................................................................................
| 1,410 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of great toe................................................................................................................................
| 470 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of any other toe.........................................................................................................................
| 188 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of two phalanges or joints of any other toe...............................................................................
| 150 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of phalanx or joint of great toe..................................................................................................
| 235 | 0 | 0 |
Loss
of phalanx or joint of any other toe...........................................................................................
| 141 | 0 | 0 |
Adjustment
of weekly payments, &c., under prior Acts.
8.—(1.) Where, at the first day of January, One
thousand nine hundred and, fifty-four, a person was receiving weekly payments
under the Commonwealth Workmen’s
Compensation Act 1912 or was receiving, or was entitled to receive, weekly
payments in accordance with the First Schedule to the Principal Act, he is,
from and including that date, entitled to receive weekly payments in accordance
with the Principal Act as amended by this Act.
(2.) Where,
before the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, an
employee sustained an injury or contracted a disease in respect of which weekly
payments in accordance with the First Schedule to the Principal Act would have
been payable at that date if he had been incapacitated for work at that date,
and he was not, at that date, so incapacitated, but after that date he became
or becomes incapacitated for work as a result of the injury or disease, weekly
payments in respect of that incapacity shall be in accordance with the
Principal Act as amended by this Act.
(3.) Where,
after the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, death
resulted or results from an injury or a disease which was sustained or
contracted before that date and in respect of which compensation was payable
under the Principal Act, compensation shall be paid in respect of that death in
accordance with the Principal Act as amended by this Act.
(4.) Where, at
the first day of January, One. thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, an
employee was receiving, or was entitled to receive, weekly payments in
accordance with the First Schedule to the Principal Act in respect of an injury
or injuries sustained or a disease contracted before that date, the provisions
of section thirteen of the Principal Act as amended by this Act apply in
relation to the injury, injuries or disease.
(5.) Where,
before the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, an
employee sustained an injury or contracted a disease—
(a) which, after that date, resulted or
results in an injury specified in the Third Schedule to the Principal Act as
amended by this Act; and
(b) in respect of which compensation
would have been payable under the Principal Act if the injury referred to in
the last preceding paragraph had resulted before that date,
the
amount of compensation payable in respect of that injury is the amount
specified in the second column of the Third Schedule to the Principal Act as
amended by this Act opposite the reference to the injury in the first column.