Am I covered by workers compensation if I am injured travelling to work?

It depends on your state. Queensland still covers an ordinary commute over the direct route to your home property boundary, and the ACT private-sector scheme covers a reasonably direct commute. New South Wales covers a commute only where there is a real and substantial connection between your employment and the accident (since the 2012 amendments), and the Northern Territory only covers non-motor-vehicle or employer-requested journeys. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Comcare do not cover an ordinary commute.

Which Australian states cover journey claims for the daily commute?

Queensland and the ACT cover an ordinary home-to-work journey. New South Wales gives limited cover (a real and substantial connection to employment must exist, though exempt occupations such as police, paramedics, firefighters and coal miners keep broader cover). The Northern Territory covers only non-motor-vehicle or employer-directed journeys. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Commonwealth (Comcare) do not cover the ordinary commute.

What if I had a car accident commuting to work — which scheme pays?

If your state does not cover the commute under workers compensation, a road-crash injury is usually handled by the compulsory third-party (CTP) or motor-accident scheme instead. In Victoria that is the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). In the Northern Territory an ordinary commuting car crash goes to the Motor Accidents Compensation (MAC) scheme. Each state has its own CTP scheme for road injuries, so check the motor-accident insurer in your state.

Is travel for work — between sites or to a client — covered?

Yes. Travel you do as part of your job — between work sites, to a client or off-site meeting, or when you are on call and directed to attend — is generally covered as travel in the course of employment in every Australian workers compensation scheme. This is different from your ordinary commute. Cover can still be lost if you make a substantial personal deviation from the work trip.

Why was journey cover removed in some states?

Several schemes wound back journey cover to contain costs and align workers compensation more closely with injuries that arise out of the work itself. Tasmania removed journey cover in 1995, the Commonwealth (Comcare) removed it in 2011, and New South Wales narrowed it in 2012 to require a real and substantial connection to employment. Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia have long excluded the ordinary commute, treating road injuries through their motor-accident schemes instead.

Journey Claim Checker — Injured Travelling to Work?

Check whether an injury travelling to or from work is covered by workers compensation in your state — journey claims are not covered everywhere.

Last verified: 21 June 2026

Journey claims are not covered everywhere. Queensland and the ACT cover an ordinary commute; New South Wales and the Northern Territory cover it only in limited circumstances; Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Comcare do not. Travel for work is generally covered in every scheme. This tool tells you the rule for your state.

Check if your travel injury is covered

Choose your state or territory and the kind of journey, and the tool tells you whether the injury is likely covered by workers compensation in that scheme and the key rule that applies. This is general information — confirm your cover with the scheme.

1. Your state or territory

2. What kind of journey was it?

Select the journey type above to see whether your injury is likely covered.

Get notified when rates change

Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.

Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.

Recommended partners

Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.

Authorised Employment Hero Partner

Employment Hero

Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.

Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.

See Employment Hero

Law Tram — lawyer matching

Law Tram

Matched with the right Australian lawyer for your situation — unfair dismissal, underpayment, workplace injury, debt, tenancy and more. Many lawyers offer a free first consult and no-win-no-fee arrangements.

Best for: anyone whose workplace or personal legal issue needs proper advice, not just a calculator.

Find a lawyer

IT, Microsoft & cyber partner

Frontrow Tech

Microsoft 365, Copilot rollouts, Essential Eight, Privacy Act 2026 and board-level cyber compliance for Australian SMBs. Where pay and HR end, your data and IT obligations begin.

Best for: SMBs running on Microsoft 365, anyone hitting cyber/privacy compliance, boards wanting an outside read on IT risk.

See Frontrow

Affiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.

Next steps: if your injury may be covered, use the Workers Comp Claim Navigator to see how to lodge a claim in your scheme, and check the Workers Comp Time Limits so you do not miss a deadline. For more workplace safety and injury tools, visit the Safety Hub.