New Workers' Compensation Board premises officially opened

Workers' compensation claims hearings will take place in vastly improved facilities with the opening of new premises for the Workers' Compensation Board.

Productivity and Labour Relations Minister Yvonne Henderson this afternoon officially opened the new headquarters in Rheola Street, West Perth.

The board now had four courts and four conference rooms.  This was a big improvement on the two-court arrangement at the board's former location in Hay Street.

"Workers' compensation claims can be a traumatic experience for all parties involved and much of this trauma can be overcome if hearings and conferences can be held with due regard to privacy," Mrs Henderson said.

"There are about 30,000 claims for workers' compensation made in Western Australia each year.

"Of these, about 3,000 go to the board for determination.

"Most of these cases are settled out of court but around 200 go through the due process of a full trial.

"It therefore is important that facilities are adequate so that participants can hold pre-trial conferences in private."

The board's new address is 15 Rheola Street, West Perth - telephone 324 6666; fax 324 6600.