Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697640882209.pdf (Australia)
SEAJllIEN' S COMPENSATION BILL 1964 EXPLANATORY NOTES I J Department of Shipping and Transport, Melbourne.

October, 1964.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL The general purpose of the Bill is to I ::~::~;:;::~:::~:::::::::;:m~;:~~::,:::::::::on Commonwealth Employees' Compensation Act, which are ~ to be similarly raised.

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CLAUSE 1 SHORT TITLE ANTI CITATION - - It is proposed that the Act may be cited as the Seamen's Compensation Act 1964, and that the Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Seamen' a Compensation Act 1911-1964.

J CLAUSE 2 COMMENCEMENT It is proposed that the Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

J CLAUSE 3 (Section 5A) MEDICAL BENEFITS.


Section 5A of the Act requires the employer of a seaman in respect of whom compensation is payable under the Act to pay the cost, not exceeding £350, of such medical treatment and ambulance services in r·elation to the injury or disease involved as are, in the opinion There is also a of the Minister, reasonably necessary.
proviso which makes the employer liable to pay such amounts in excess of £350 as appears to the Minister to be reasonable in the circumstances, The amount of £350 referred to is to £500, in line with a similar increPse to Commonweal th Employees' Compensation Act.

being increase-'_ be made in t'he I CLAUSE 4 (Section 5D) MAXIMUM COMPENSATION.
The maximum amount of compenaation payable in respect of an injury or injuries caused by any one accident, except where an injury results in death or total and permanent incapacity, is being increased from £3,000 to £4,300, in line with the related amendment to be made to the Commonwealth Employees' Compensation .Act.

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r ;; J CLAUSE 5 (First Schedule) SCALE AND CONDITIONS 01' COMPENSATION.
r The main details are as follows:- This clause effects various increases in the scale of compensation set out in the First Schedule to the Act which are in line with similar increases being made in the scale under the Commonweal th Emp 1 oyees 1 Compensation Act.

Paragraph (a) The additional a.mount of £,, 00 peyable in respect of each dependent child under paragraph (1.

)(a)(i) is being replaced with a weekly payment of £ 1.

2.
2.

6 until the child attains the age of 16 years, with a minimum of £,:00 in respect of each child (see paragraph (i).

Paragraph (b) The amount of weekly incapacity payment to an adult seaman is being increased from £10 to £11.11.0.

Paragraph .

( c) The amount of the weekly payment in respect of the wife of an incapacitated seaman is being increased from £2.10.0 to £2.14.6.

Paragraph (d) This amendment is consequential upon that under paragraph (b).
Para;iraph ( e 2 The minimum sum to which a lump sum payable in respect of the death of a seaman may be rea_uced by the amount by which any lump sum paid to him before his death exceeds the total of all weekly payments, which would have been paye.ble hed such payments continued until his death, is being increased from " j ./2 CLAUSE 5 (First Schedule) Page 2 1 '"" £400 to an amount of£~.
Paragraph (f) The amount of the weekly incapacity payment tu a seaman who is a minor and is not entitled to adult rates of pay is being increased from £7.5.0.

to £8.13.3.

Paragraph (g) This amendment is conseq_uential upon that under paragraph (b).
Paragraph (h) This amendment provides that the additional amount of compensation payable where the weekly payments in respect of a dependent child have ceased before they have amounted to £100 may be paid to such persons and for such purposes as the Minister directs.
Paragraph (i) The weekly payments provided under paragraph (a) cease when the child is sixteen or on marriage or death but where such payments cease before the aggregate total has reached £100 an additional amount of compensation is payable eq_ual to the difference between that aggregate and £100.
I CLAUSE.6 (Third Schedule) COMPENSATION FOR SPECIFIED INJURIES This clause repeals the existing Schedule of compensation for specified injuries payable under section 5B and replaces it with a new Schedule in which the rates of compensation for those injuries have been increased in similar proportions to the increase from £3,000 to £4,300 in the maximum amount of lump sum compensation.
r & f. ) CLAUSE 7 ADJUSTMENT OF WEEKLY PAYMENTS ALREADY APPLYING This clause ensures that where, immediately before the date of commencement of the amending Act, a person is receiving, or is entitled to receive, payments under the Act, or where, in respect of a seaman to whom the Act applies, death occurs or the final degree of injury becomes assessable after the date of commencement of the amending Act, the new higher rates will be payable. '

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