The Foundation is a group of Australian and New Zealand compensation regulators, insurers and claims management organisations.

The PIEF conference, to be held in Sydney in October 2008, will involve international speakers from compensation schemes across Australia, New Zealand and North America.

They will present on a range of topics, including return to work, industry capability, medical management, scheme comparisons and service delivery to injured workers and motorists.

“The Foundation is vital in ensuring that Australia and New Zealand become centres of excellence in delivering health and return to work outcomes for those that experience a personal injury,” said Mr Blackwell.

“WorkCover is excited that this conference will tackle the pressing issues and challenges facing accident compensation schemes here and internationally.

“For the first time in Australia a conference has been designed and developed for our industry by our industry,” he said.

Mr Blackwell also welcomed the staging of the PIEF’s inaugural Excellence in Personal Injury Management Awards as part of the conference.

The awards will celebrate and showcase achievements being made across Australasia, and acknowledge their importance to the broader community,” said Mr Blackwell.

“They will encourage the industry to lift the bar and better deliver on the community’s expectations for personal injury support,” he said.

Visit www.pief.com.au for more information.

Media contact: John Kirby or Wendy McKenzie (02) 4321 5474 or 0413 186 799