As foreshadowed in a previous alert, with the election of a Labor government in Queensland, the industrial relations landscape is set for another shake up.

Last week, a media release was issued by the Minister for Industrial Relations, Curtis Pitt. The Minister has flagged that the following reforms, among others, will soon be implemented:

• Restoring immediate right of entry provisions for WHS permit holders (e.g. union representatives) where there are suspected safety concerns. This will mean, for example, that such permit holders will no longer be required to give 24 hours notice before attending a worksite;
• Re-establishing the Electrical Safety Commission; and
• Returning Labour Day to May from 2016.

The Minister has also announced the proposed establishment of an Industrial Relations Reference Group, which will include academics, government and union representatives, to review the State’s industrial relations laws. It is proposed that this review will make recommendations to the Government for legislative reform for introduction in the first half of 2016.