Section 6 (1A)

Section 6 (1A) indicates:

“For the purposes of this section:

(a)a journey from a place of residence is taken to start at the boundary of the land where the place of residence is situated; or

(b)a journey to such a place of residence is taken to end at that boundary.”

OPERATIONAL ADVICE No 96/003 Amendments to the SRC Act

This expansion of the Act means that, irrespective of the type of residence an employee has, in each case the boundary of the residence forms the commencement or finish of a journey.

Claims for injuries occurring within the residence boundary and sustained on and from 15/01/1996 are no longer compensable.

Example

An employee leaves the front door of her residence to walk to the bus stop on her way to work.

She falls down her front steps and sustains an injury to both legs.

Compensation is not payable, as the journey has not yet commenced.  The employee is still within the boundaries of her residence.

However, boundaries relating to the place of work have not been clarified.  Therefore, the rule of thumb for work boundaries is as follows:

  • if the whole building is occupied by the employer, the main entrance to the building is the boundary;

  • where a complete floor is used by the employer, the boundary begins and ends getting into and out of the lift/s on that floor; and

  • where there is an office only situated on a floor, the door to that office is the boundary.

Source URL: https://clik.dva.gov.au/military-compensation-reference-library/historical-information/comcare-operations-manual/volume-five-complex-liability/part-four-journeys/between-residence-and-work/defining-place-residence/section-6-1a