Fire and Emergency Services Act 1998

Subject to subsection (4), the compensation for an injury to a volunteer to be provided by an injury policy is to be of the amount and for the purposes that would apply under the WCIM Act if the volunteer were a worker and suffered that injury and the WCIM Act (with the appropriate changes) applies accordingly.

Where, under the WCIM Act, an amount of compensation to be provided by an injury policy depends on weekly earnings, references to weekly earnings are taken to be references to the greater of —

the benchmark weekly earnings; or

either —

if the volunteer is a self‑employed or unemployed person, the actual weekly earnings received by the volunteer; or

in any other case, the volunteer’s pre‑injury weekly rate of income calculated in accordance with the WCIM Act section 54.

The regulations may limit, with respect either to an individual volunteer or to volunteers generally, the amount of compensation for which a responsible agency is required by section 36ZQ(2) to insure.

The regulations may limit, with respect either to a single claim or to claims generally, the amount of compensation for which a responsible agency is required by section 36ZQ(3) or (4) to insure.

A responsible agency may effect insurance which provides a greater amount of compensation than is required under this section.