Community engagement

Community Cabinet

Community Cabinet provides a forum for members of the public to participate and engage, through a scheduled meeting process, with relevant Ministers, Assistant Ministers and senior government officials.

For each two day Community Cabinet meeting an information brochure is handed out at the forum providing participants tips on how to get the most out of these meetings.

Community Cabinet meetings are held throughout the year at different regional and metropolitan locations. During 2012–13 meetings were held at the following venues:

• Townsville
• Whitsundays
• the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) Show
• Cairns
• Goondiwindi
• Kingaroy
• Fraser Coast
• Burdekin
• Thursday Island.

All departments provide valuable support for Community Cabinet meetings. For example, DPC works with the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services to advise local community groups that Community Cabinet will be in their area and describes the opportunities the event provides for the region.

Events

During 2012-13, the department was involved in a range of community activities that encouraged community participation and engagement in government initiatives. These projects provided an opportunity for Queenslanders to connect with each other, the government and the state. Some of these events are described below.

Australia Day

Each year the department, in conjunction with the National Australia Day Council, coordinates Australia Day activities. Australia Day events and activities held in 2012-13 included:

• the Queensland Australian of the Year Awards, announced in Brisbane in November 2012, with winners representing the state at the Australian of the Year Awards announced in January 2013
• the annual Australia Day Lunch attended by representatives from the business, government and not-for-profit sectors to celebrate our achievements as a nation
• the Australia Day Festival at The Parklands, South Bank, which highlighted local community and professional artists to create an all day celebration
• the Celebration of Faiths event, which encouraged a diverse gathering of religious faiths across South East Queensland, increasing awareness and acceptance of multiculturalism within our community
• a 21-gun salute at The Parklands, South Bank
• the Australia Day Ambassador program, through which 40 high achieving, inspirational Queenslanders from diverse fields and backgrounds were sent to 28 local councils to join in a total of 40 Australia Day celebrations across the state
• the Australia Day regional program that encouraged Local Government Authorities and community organisations to celebrate outstanding members of their community through Australia Day Achievement and Local Government awards
• the national Australia Day in the Office program that encouraged Australians to celebrate with their work colleagues on Wednesday 25 January, and awarded one registered business in Queensland with catering for their celebration
• the Ultimate Aussie Dish social media competition, that saw Queenslanders enter their favourite Aussie Dish recipe on the Australia Day Queensland Facebook page, with the winner flown to Melbourne to meet the MasterChef judges.

Queensland Week

Each year the department hosts Queensland Week to celebrate Queensland’s official separation from New South Wales as an independent colony. In 1859 Queen Victoria signed the Letters Patent authorising Queensland’s separation, which is commemorated on 6 June each year.

In 2013, Queensland Week ran from 1-9 June, with celebrations including:

• a Citizenship Ceremony attended by more than 600 candidates from 70 countries who became Australian citizens
• the Queensland Greats Awards honoured Mr Tim Fairfax AM, Associate Professor Dimity Dornan AM, Mr Stefan Ackerie, Professor G.Q. Max Lu FAA FTSE and Mr Herb Wharton. The Australia Red Cross Society was also recognised for their lifelong contribution to Queensland
• the Great Queensland Week Adventure Trail encouraged teams to answer clues, solve riddles and complete physical challenges on a course that took participants through South Bank, Kurilpa Park and Roma Street Parkland.
  The Adventure Trail started and finished at The Courier-Mail Piazza in the Parklands, South Bank on Sunday 9 June 2013.
• A free program of live entertainment and activities was held in the Piazza from 12.30 p.m. as Adventure Trail participants made their way back to the finish line. The Adventure Trail was open to all ages and levels of fitness and ability. Participants registered online in groups of two to 10 people at a cost of $10 per team.
• The entertainment and activities at the Piazza were open to the general public at no cost.
• Team prizes were awarded for best name, best costumes and most enthusiastic cheer as well as a grand prize draw for overall team and overall individual.
• the Queensland Day in the Office statewide program encouraged working Queenslanders to share the celebration of our state birthday with their work colleagues on Thursday 6 June 2013.
• To support communities and businesses wishing to hold a Queensland Day celebration, Events Coordination developed an online registration form and a downloadable toolkit of event planning and marketing support materials.
• Di Bella Coffee sponsored the Queensland Day in the Office program by providing and distributing an incentive in the form of Di Bella Coffee introductory packs to all registrants and providing a $2000 prize for the Queensland Day in the Office competition
• the Ultimate Queenslander social media campaign encouraged Queenslanders to share photos on the Queensland Week Facebook page, with the winner flown to Hayman Island to meet cricketer Matthew Hayden
• the Queensland Week Sponsorship Program encouraged Queenslanders to celebrate and commemorate Queensland Week in a way that reflected the unique culture, heritage and aspirations of their own community. A total of 13 Queensland Week celebration programs were sponsored with events and activities held across 19 locations.
• Queensland Week events sponsored as part of the
  2013 program were:
• Queensland Week Family Fun Day
• Queensland Week Ubobo Bush Festival
• Queensland Week Chronicles of Flinders – 150 Year Celebrations
• Our Queensland Our Bloomin' Beautiful Blackbutt Queensland Week Celebration
• Queensland Week Bush Spirit Festival
• Queensland Week Inter-Island Tug-of-War
• Murweh Queensland Week Celebration
• Queensland Week Celebrations Mackay Style
• Three Endangered Animals - A Queensland Week production
• Queensland Week Surfers’ Paradise Beach Picnic
• Queensland Week Indigenous Music Showcase
• Queensland Week “Lowkey” Music Festival
• Queensland Week Whitsunday Window Display Competition.
• Other key community engagement activities included:
• Queensland Reconciliation Awards
• Olympic Welcome Home Parade
• Government pavilion at the Ekka
• Australia Day II - Bundaberg
• Rise and Shine Queensland tour.

Other key community engagement activities included:

• Queensland Reconciliation Awards
• Olympic Welcome Home Parade
• Government pavilion at the Ekka
• Australia Day II - Bundaberg
• Rise and Shine Queensland tour.

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