Hard-working businesses would be slugged with more red tape and compliance costs under a plan to introduce new AI laws into NSW Parliament. 

An alliance of business and industry groups is calling on the NSW Government to reconsider rushing through the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill 2025.

The bill would give unions unprecedented access to commercially sensitive digital systems, as well as imposing a significant regulatory burden on hundreds of thousands of NSW businesses.

Under the guise of safety, permit holders would be given open access to their “digital work systems,” including AI, automation, and routine scheduling tools.

The group of 10 – including Business NSW, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Australian Industry Group – is calling on NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis to consult business.

“Businesses need less red tape not more; yet this bill is imposing significant new compliance burdens on businesses without any meaningful safety improvements for workers,” Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter said.

“The NSW Government must listen to the concerns of businesses about the consequences of this policy. There should be a clearer definition of the problem this policy seeks to address.

“NSW should not race ahead of the rest of the nation and impose onerous new regulations on the use of AI in business operations. Business NSW strongly supports nationally harmonised WHS laws.

“This legislation, if passed, is a departure from national WHS harmonisation, and this will impose further costs on businesses.

“We encourage the NSW Government not to rush to implement policy before the consequences are properly understood.”

About Business NSW

Formerly the NSW Business Chamber, Business NSW is the peak policy and advocacy body which has been representing businesses in NSW since 1826. We represent almost 50,000 businesses.

MEDIA CONTACT: BEN PIKE – 0429 993 822