Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Act 2025

This Act establishes a scheme for courts to make Commonwealth workplace protection orders to prevent personal violence against Commonwealth workers or in Commonwealth workplaces.

A person engages in personal violence if the person causes, or threatens to cause, harm or a reasonable fear of harm to another person in a way that interferes with the functioning of the Executive Government of the Commonwealth. This may include interfering with the ability of a Commonwealth worker to do their job or of a person to safely access Commonwealth benefits or services.

A Commonwealth worker is a person that carries out work in any capacity for the Commonwealth, including contractors, security guards, volunteers, and persons employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984.

Any place where a Commonwealth worker ordinarily goes, or is likely to be, while carrying out that work can be a Commonwealth workplace. This may include mobile service centres, mobile shopfronts, an emergency relief centre, or a work vehicle. However, it does not include a place that is owned or occupied by a court of a State or Territory.

An application for a Commonwealth workplace protection order may be made by the following persons (called authorised persons) or their delegates:

If a court decides to make a Commonwealth workplace protection order, the court may impose any conditions the court considers necessary or desirable to prevent further personal violence by the respondent or to ensure the safety of a Commonwealth worker or Commonwealth workplace.

It is an offence to contravene a condition of a Commonwealth workplace protection order.

This Act is intended to operate concurrently with State and Territory laws. It is not intended that the existence of a Commonwealth workplace protection order would prevent a protective order being applied for or made against the respondent under a State or Territory law.