Policy Advice, Coordination and Cabinet Support

Policy Division provides detailed briefings and advice to the Premier on social, legal, economic, environment and performance policy, from design and development through to coordination and implementation.

Cabinet support is provided through Cabinet Services. Cabinet Services’ key roles include the provision of expert advice to facilitate the operation of Cabinet and its related processes in the administration of all Cabinet information, custodianship of Cabinet records from current and previous governments and direct logistical support to Ministers in Cabinet meetings.

DPC plays a role in enabling Queensland industry, business and regions to thrive and prosper. We help to create job opportunities and economic development through innovation, investment and infrastructure.

Key achievements 2015–16

• Led a whole-of-government initiative to develop the state’s $20 million biofutures strategy, which is a 10-year roadmap and action plan to create a new industry and the jobs of the future that it will support. As part of this work, DPC established and led an interdepartmental committee and supported the Biofutures Cabinet Committee to develop this plan.
• Supported the Working Queensland Cabinet Committee and developed options for it to consider to support the government’s jobs and economic development agenda.
• Drove Queensland’s counter-terrorism arrangements, including support for the Premier in her role as Chair of the Queensland Security Committee, and liaised with the Commonwealth and other state and territory jurisdictions through the Australian and New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC).
• Established the Social Cohesion Implementation Committee to deliver a co-ordinated whole-of-government approach to build social cohesion and religious tolerance in schools and the community and prevent extremism.
• Led Queensland’s input into the development of the National Ice Action Strategy.
• Facilitated the whole-of-government response to the report of the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence, Not Now, Not Ever—Putting an End to Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland and the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy.
• Drove the reform of the child protection system and the response to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry’s final report, Taking Responsibility: A Roadmap for Queensland Child Protection and the strategic directions document Supporting Families Changing Futures.
• Coordinated the signing of the final Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and Queensland Government Transition to a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
• Organised the Northern Queensland Economic Summit 2015.
• Facilitated the development of Queensland’s Climate Change Policy Framework.
• Led Queensland’s disaster management arrangements, including support for the Premier in her role as Chair of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee.
• Coordinated the development of the government’s response to the Queensland Greyhound Racing Industry Commission of Inquiry resulting in oversight of the implementation of the review’s recommendations.

Continued to work for Queensland regions by:

• supporting the Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland
• hosting meetings of the Premier’s Business Advisory Council
• coordinating a series of business roundtables in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Mount Isa, which engaged more than 130 business leaders and stakeholders who directly informed development of the Advancing North Queensland—Investing in the future of the north plan
• conducting interdepartmental committee meetings and successfully delivering the Northern Australia White Paper Implementation and Engagement Strategy
• engaging an independent organisation to undertake an evaluation of the government’s tackling alcohol-fuelled violence policy.

Our performance

The following service standards in DPC’s Service Delivery Statements were used by the department and the government to assess overall performance of the policy advice, coordination and Cabinet support service area.

Notes:

1. This service standard informs on overall satisfaction levels with the quality, timeliness and support provided by DPC and is derived from an annual client survey. Customers are Ministers, Directors-General and their agency’s Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officers and Senior Policy Officers.
2. This service standard provides information on the average cost to coordinate Community Cabinet meetings. The wording of this service standard has been amended to clarify what is included in the measure. This service standard measures costs incurred by DPC in coordinating two day Community Cabinet meetings in regional and rural Queensland. Costs of coordinating the meetings, such as venue and equipment hire, as well as costs associated with DPC staff preparing for and attending the events, such as salary, travel and accommodation, are included in the measure. The target for 2015–16 has been calculated by the average cost of events coordinated in 2014–15. Five (two day) Community Cabinet meetings were held during the financial year.

Future directions for 2016–17

• Continue to support the government’s jobs and economic development agenda by creating jobs for Queenslanders through:
  • working across government to continue to drive the implementation of the government’s $405 million whole-of-government Advance Queensland agenda to diversify the Queensland economy and to create the jobs of tomorrow
  • working across government to continue to drive the implementation of the Advancing North Queensland—investing in the future of the north plan to create jobs and to develop the region’s economy
  • working with the Department of State Development to assess applications for the $40 million Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund to attract businesses to Queensland to support new jobs
  • working with other agencies to finalise the development of, and to progress the implementation of, industry roadmaps, including the biofutures industry roadmaps, to create the knowledge-based jobs of the future.
• Support the Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland to drive the Queensland Government’s North Queensland policy agenda and priority projects for economic development through:
  • coordinating the Interdepartmental Committee on Northern Australia
  • the continuation of the department’s North Queensland Office in Townsville
  • supporting Queensland’s participation in the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (a major long term initiative offering up to $5 billion over five years in concessional finance to encourage and complement private sector investment to infrastructure that benefits Northern Australia).
• Lead Queensland’s reform program for ending domestic and family violence, including progressing the implementation of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy and the provision of secretariat support to the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council.
• Drive Queensland’s child protection 10-year reform program resulting from the 2013 Child Protection Commission of Inquiry, including progressing the implementation of the 121 recommendations and the recently released strategic directions document Supporting Families Changing Futures.
• Coordinate the civil litigation reforms in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sex Abuse.
• Work with the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) and other agencies to respond to the QFCC Report Remembering Tiahleigh–A report into Queensland’s children missing from out-of-home care.
• Facilitate whole-of-government and community action plan to improve social cohesion and reduce the risk of violent extremism.
• Facilitate the implementation of recommendations from the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry.
• Facilitate the reform agenda for justice-related initiatives, including a new suite of laws to target all forms of serious organised crime that are stronger, fairer and more effective responses to organised crime in Queensland.
• Work on the whole-of-government response to contamination caused by the use of fire-fighting foams (for example, at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre).
• Lead the whole-of-government response to climate change through:
  • development of statutory guidelines to support delivery of new Chain of Responsibility legislation
  • financial assurance arrangements for mine site rehabilitation.
• Support initiatives to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
• Guide the implementation of the Environmental Protection Amendment Act 2016 to ensure companies that become insolvent take responsibility for environmental obligations.
• Coordinate Queensland’s participation with the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.

Case study

Working for Queensland in the regions

The Queensland Government’s Working Queensland Cabinet Committee (the committee), chaired by the Premier, provides leadership and direction on the government’s highest priority—job creation.

While the government’s job creation initiatives are being implemented throughout Queensland, many regional areas are facing challenging times, with the downturn in the resources sector and continuing drought conditions contributing to higher rates of unemployment.

Regional Queensland was front and centre when the Premier announced the Working Queensland Cabinet Committee meetings would take place regionally in 2016.

This provided a hands-on opportunity for the Premier, Ministers and Directors-General to meet with local governments, business, industry and community stakeholders in the regions to hear about the challenges and opportunities facing their communities and engage in ideas about job creation.

The committee’s first meeting in 2016 was held in Townsville on 20 January, which was immediately followed by the Premier’s launch of a jobs stimulus package to accelerate capital works and infrastructure projects in North Queensland. This package has subsequently been rolled out across the state to speed up investment, create local jobs and help transition regional communities.

The committee subsequently met in Mackay, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, Cairns, Charters Towers, Maryborough and Toowoomba in the lead up to the preparation of the 2016–17 State Budget.

The insight gained through the regional tour of the committee, as well as a series of government-led regional employment forums, informed the development of new job creation initiatives. This included the $100 million Back to Work regional employment package that will support the creation of up to 8000 jobs and provide an economic boost to the regions.

Case study

Domestic and family violence prevention

DPC consulted with the Queensland community in coordinating a whole-of-government response to implement the recommendations made in the landmark Not Now, Not Ever: Putting an End to Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland report (Not Now Not Ever report) into domestic and family violence prevention.

After the report was handed down in February 2015, DPC held 15 community roundtables at various locations around Queensland to discuss the recommendations and ways to champion cultural change. Participants at these roundtables included representatives of Indigenous women and men; ethnic groups; people with disabilities; the elderly; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community and representatives from business, legal, health, religious and education sectors.

DPC worked with multiple government agencies to produce a whole-of-government response to the report, with the Premier announcing in August 2015 that the government would accept or support all of the 140 recommendations.

One of the key recommendations of the report called on the government to develop a first-of-its-kind Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy for Queensland. To ensure this strategy was informed by the community, DPC led a three-month consultation process, with more than 1200 individuals contributing to the development of the strategy through roundtables, online surveys and public information hubs.

The final Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016–26, released in early 2016, outlined the government’s vision and overarching framework for change. It has a strong focus on stopping the violence before it happens, and supporting those living with violence. It acknowledges that the vision of a Queensland free from domestic and family violence will require long-term commitment from all the community and steady action over time. The strategy will be supported by a series of four successive action plans that will guide government and community efforts to help realise its objectives.

To ensure accountability, the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council has also been established to provide independent oversight of implementation of recommendations of the Not Now, Not Ever report and the group will report back to the Premier on progress. Chaired by the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, the Council consists of representatives from key sectors in the community and government.

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