289Everyone to have a reasonable opportunity to make and comment on submissions

289 Everyone to have a reasonable opportunity to make and comment on submissions

(1) The FWC must, in relation to each annual wage review, ensure that all persons and bodies have a reasonable opportunity to make written submissions to the FWC for consideration in the review.

(2) The FWC must publish all submissions made to the FWC for consideration in the review.

(3) However, if a submission made by a person or body includes information that is claimed by the person or body to be confidential or commercially sensitive, and the FWC is satisfied that the information is confidential or commercially sensitive, the FWC:

(a) may decide not to publish the information; and

(b) may instead publish:

(i) a summary of the information which contains sufficient detail to allow a reasonable understanding of the substance of the information (without disclosing anything that is confidential or commercially sensitive); or

(ii) if the FWC considers that it is not practicable to prepare a summary that would comply with subparagraph (i)—a statement that confidential or commercially sensitive information in the submission has not been published.

(4) A reference in this Act (other than in this section) to a submission under this section includes a reference to a summary or statement referred to in paragraph (3)(b).

(5) The FWC must ensure that all persons and bodies have a reasonable opportunity to make comments to the FWC, for consideration in the review, on the material published under subsections (2) and (3).

(6) The publishing of material under subsections (2) and (3) may be on the FWC’s website or by any other means that the FWC considers appropriate.