SWMS requirements by state: QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT

SWMS requirements are broadly the same across Australia, but the law, the regulator and a few details differ by state. Here's what applies in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and the other states and territories.

The SWMS rules are almost the same everywhere in Australia, because every state and territory except Victoria has adopted the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws. The core duty is the same in each: if you are doing high risk construction work (HRCW), a SWMS must be prepared before the work starts, the work must follow it, and it must be kept and reviewed.

The differences are mostly in which regulation number you cite, which regulator you deal with, and a few local rules on top.

Quick reference

In the model WHS states and territories, HRCW is defined in regulation 291 and SWMS content in regulation 299. Always check the current version of your local regulation.

Queensland (SWMS QLD)

Queensland uses the model HRCW list. Any construction work with a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres needs a SWMS, including housing construction.

Queensland also has extra fall rules for housing construction work. Where the fall risk is 3 metres or more, or the roof slope is over 26 degrees, fall prevention controls such as edge protection must be in place, or fall arrest controls such as catch platforms where prevention isn't practicable. Administrative controls and PPE alone aren't allowed for these falls. If you rely on lower-order controls for a fall of more than 2 metres, the SWMS must explain why fall prevention or fall arrest wasn't used. Roofers and carpenters in QLD should write these controls into the SWMS. See the roofing SWMS and working at heights SWMS.

New South Wales (SWMS NSW)

NSW remade its regulation as the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025, in force from 22 August 2025. The SWMS content requirement is still regulation 299. SafeWork NSW publishes a SWMS template in its housing industry site safety pack.

Victoria (SWMS VIC)

Victoria hasn't adopted the model WHS laws. SWMS duties sit in Part 5.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017:

• HRCW is defined in regulation 322 and has 19 categories, because tunnels are listed separately. The traffic category covers roadways and railways.
• Duties fall on employers and self-employed persons, not "PCBUs".
• If the SWMS isn't complied with, the work must stop and not resume until it complies or is reviewed (regulation 327). It must be reviewed when the work changes or controls aren't working (regulation 328), and a copy kept for the duration of the HRCW (regulation 329).
• For asbestos removal, an asbestos control plan prepared under regulation 272 is taken to be the SWMS for the airborne fibre risk.

Victorian SWMS should cite the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017, not the WHS Act.

Western Australia (SWMS WA)

WA moved to the WHS framework in 2022. SWMS duties for general industry are in the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022. Many WA sites also use a JSEA (Job Safety and Environmental Analysis). A JSEA can be useful, but it isn't a substitute for a SWMS where HRCW is involved. See our JSEA template.

South Australia (SWMS SA)

South Australia's SWMS duties come from the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA), which are based on the model WHS laws. The regulator is SafeWork SA. HRCW is defined in regulation 291 and SWMS content is set out in regulation 299, the same numbering as the model regulations.

SA's 2-metre rule from 1 July 2026

Until 30 June 2026, South Australia was the outlier: falls work only counted as HRCW where there was a risk of falling more than 3 metres. From 1 July 2026 the threshold dropped to more than 2 metres, in line with the model WHS Regulations and the other states. This applies to all construction work, including residential construction. If you work in SA, check that any older SWMS template that still says "3 metres" is updated.

The other 17 HRCW categories are the same as the model list, for example trenches or shafts deeper than 1.5 m, energised electrical installations, powered mobile plant, asbestos, confined spaces, traffic corridors and tilt-up or precast concrete. See the full HRCW list.

SWMS template SA: what it must cover

Under regulation 299 and SafeWork SA guidance, an SA SWMS must:

• identify the work that is HRCW
• state the hazards and risks
• describe the control measures
• describe how the controls will be implemented, monitored and reviewed
• take into account the circumstances at the workplace
• take into account the WHS management plan, if it's a construction project
• be set out so the workers who use it can readily understand it.

SafeWork SA says it should also record the date and location of the work, who is responsible for installing and maintaining the controls, and the names of workers consulted. More detail: what a SWMS must include.

Who prepares the SWMS in South Australia

The duty sits with the PCBU whose workers do the HRCW, including self-employed people. In practice the subcontractor usually prepares it and the builder reviews it. A builder can prepare it with the subcontractor if workers and HSRs are consulted.

• Subcontractors must give the principal contractor a copy before the HRCW starts.
• The principal contractor's WHS management plan must cover how SWMS are collected, assessed, monitored and reviewed.
• If the SWMS isn't being followed, the work must stop (when safe) until it is complied with or reviewed.

SafeWork SA's guidance is that a generic SWMS is not acceptable unless it is reviewed and made site-specific.

SafeWork SA publishes a sample SWMS template (updated for the 2-metre threshold), an example SWMS for first-fix carpentry and a SWMS self-assessment checklist on its Safe Work Method Statements page.

Our SWMS generator lets you pick South Australia and drafts with the SA WHS Act and Regulations references and the 2-metre falls trigger. Creating an account and drafting are free; PDF download is on the $20 AUD/month or $200/year plan.

Tasmania, ACT and NT

These follow the model WHS Regulations closely: the 18 HRCW categories, regulation 299 content, and the same duties to keep, follow and review the SWMS. WorkSafe ACT publishes a SWMS template and a completed sample.

What changes in your SWMS by state

• The legislation you cite. Victoria uses the OHS Act and Regulations. Everywhere else uses the local WHS Act and Regulations.
• Local codes of practice. Each regulator adopts codes of practice, for example on falls, excavation and construction work. Reference the ones that apply to your work.
• QLD housing fall rules at 3 metres or a roof slope over 26 degrees.
• SA moved its falls trigger from 3 m to 2 m on 1 July 2026. Update older SA templates.
• Terminology. Victoria says "employer or self-employed person" and WA sites often ask for a JSEA as well.

A state-aware SWMS in minutes

When you create a SWMS with our SWMS generator, you choose the state and it drafts the document with that state's legislation references. Review and edit it for your site before use. Creating an account and drafting are free with no card. PDF download is on the $20 AUD/month plan.

Next: what a SWMS must include and the HRCW list.

Sources: NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025, reg 299; Victorian OHS Regulations 2017, regs 322 to 329; Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Managing the risk of falls while working on roofs in housing construction; WorkSafe WA, Safe work method statement for high risk construction work; WorkSafe ACT, Safe Work Method Statements; SafeWork SA, SWMS for high risk construction work; SafeWork SA, High-risk construction work changes from 1 July (1 July 2026). General information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions