Within the first two hours of the Injured Workers Support Network setting up a stall at Post Office Lane, about 20 people stopped by.

Member Annette Thorncraft said the group meets on the third Wednesday each month and it’s important to raise people’s awareness of the group.

“We’re here to support injured workers with advice, help and stand together because it’s [difficult] to get through the system,” Mrs Thorncraft said.

“People of all different age groups, all different industries, there’s no one type of person who gets injured, it’s across all industries.

“At the moment the system is slanted towards the insurance companies having all the power and workers don’t have any rights but we can show you your rights.”

Member for Orange Phil Donato and union representatives also attended the stall to share support for injured workers.

Mr Donato said he would like to see legislation changed to help people who were injured at work because at the moment the system is against injured workers but it should be about rehabilitation and getting them back into the workforce.

“I’ve seen a lot of work place injuries whether it be physically or psychologically, it’s always hard for injured workers, often they are battling with insurance companies and often insurance companies are trying to save money and it becomes an ongoing process over many months,” Mr Donato said.

“That weighs people down, it’s really not fair on injured workers that they have to be treated like that.

“They should really be supported so they can get back to work. 

Injured Workers Support Network western region representative Joe Maric also attended and said under the current system workplace injuries are assessed by doctors paid by the insurance companies.

He said people with injuries rated at less than 20 per cent were also only covered for five years and if they were still unable to go back to work after that time they had to go on Centrelink benefits.

Mr Maric said people with a higher rating did have more coverage and those with an injury rating of 30 per cent or higher had coverage for life but they were the most serious cases.