The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) has taken enforcement action against Tomago Aluminium Company Pty Ltd, a self-insured employer in New South Wales, issuing a total of $31,000 in civil penalties.
The penalties stem from an audit conducted in February 2025, which revealed that Tomago Aluminium had not met certain requirements under the Workers Compensation Act 1987, specifically sections 37 and 38, which relate to the management and payment of workers compensation claims.
A $20,000 penalty was imposed for these breaches. In addition, SIRA levied an $11,000 penalty after Tomago Aluminium did not provide requested documents and information by the deadline specified under section 238AA of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.
Tomago Aluminium has paid both penalties. Following the audit, SIRA classified the company as high-risk and imposed special licence conditions. These conditions include the implementation of a remediation plan, which SIRA will oversee to ensure ongoing compliance.
SIRA stated that it “acknowledges the response, remediation, and actions that Tomago has undertaken and will continue to engage regularly with Tomago to monitor its compliance with the legislation and any special licence conditions.”
Liverpool City Council (LCC), also a self-insured employer, has been fined $20,000 by SIRA for not notifying the regulator of a significant incident within the required timeframe.
The incident involved the loss of an external hard drive believed to contain personal information related to workers compensation insurance.
According to SIRA, LCC became aware of the data loss in July 2024 but did not notify the regulator until January 2025, after being prompted by a show cause notice.
This delay constituted a breach of section 181(4) of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 and a failure to meet the council’s self-insurer licence conditions.
SIRA determined that the delay in notification and the potential exposure of sensitive information warranted a civil penalty.
LCC attributed the oversight to reduced staffing levels at the time and has since increased internal resources to strengthen compliance with notification requirements.
SIRA reminded self-insurers of the importance of internal governance and timely reporting, stating that it expects all licence holders to have processes in place to meet regulatory obligations.
In addition to recent enforcement actions, SIRA has released its strategic plan for the next three years, titled “SIRA 2028.”
The plan outlines key priorities for the regulation of insurance schemes in New South Wales, including a focus on customer outcomes, operational efficiency, accountability, and digital transformation.
