Policy Advice, Coordination and Cabinet Support

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

Cabinet Services provides Cabinet and Cabinet Committee processes and whole-of-government performance management and reporting.

Policy Advice and Coordination, and Cabinet Support’s strategic objective in the department’s Strategic Plan 2017–21 was to lead the public sector to achieve strong policy outcomes for the government.

Key achievements 2017–18

• Led the development across the government of Our Future State: Advancing Queensland’s Priorities, which is the government’s plan to advance Queensland—both now and into the future and established the whole‑of‑government governance arrangements for implementation.
• Finalised the list of government election commitments and ministerial charter letters and arrangements for monitoring and reporting on implementation following the State Election in November 2017.
• Provided support to the Premier and Cabinet in five Governing from the Regions meetings across Queensland to further engage with regional issues, and four off‑site Cabinet meetings.
• Developed policies to diversify Queensland’s economy by facilitating investment, encouraging innovation and planning for infrastructure development that creates jobs.
• Encouraged businesses to establish in Queensland, to bring economic benefits and jobs through the Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund and the Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.
• Provided secretariat, policy and analytical support to the Premier’s Business Advisory Council and the Working for Queensland Interdepartmental Committee.
• Supported the Premier to drive the government’s North Queensland policy agenda and priority projects for economic development including:
  • coordinating the Northern Australia White Paper Implementation and Engagement Strategy
  • supporting Queensland’s participation at the Ministerial Forum on Northern Development.
• Supported implementation of the government’s Strategic Blueprint for Queensland’s North West Minerals Province, which is aimed at facilitating a strong and prosperous future for the region.
• Established the Queensland Anti‑Cyberbullying Taskforce to develop a framework for addressing cyberbullying in Queensland.
• Supported the government’s reform agenda for justice and communityrelated initiatives, including:
  • a whole-of-government and community action plan to improve social cohesion
  • the government’s five-point plan to reduce youth crime in Townsville, and supported the independent Townsville Community Champion in engaging the local community in addressing youth crime
  • ensuring an independent evaluation of initiatives to tackle alcohol‑related violence
  • finalised Action on ice, the government’s plan to tackle ice use in Queensland, after undertaking extensive community consultation across Queensland.
• Supported the implementation of the Department of Housing and Public Works’ 10-year strategy to provide safe and affordable housing to Queenslanders.
• Facilitated Queensland’s disaster management and counter-terrorism arrangements to ensure they remain responsive to the current and emerging risk environment.
• Continued to support the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and Queensland Security Committee.
• Supported and monitored delivery of initiatives such as:
  • reforms on personalised transport
  • implementation of the recommendations of the Strachan Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Rail Train Crew Practices
  • the independent inquiry into the tow truck industry
  • funding arrangements for early childhood, school, tertiary and vocational education and training sectors
  • the Gas Action Plan.
• Provided strategic oversight to Queensland’s response to historical firefighting foam chemical contamination.
• Provided strategic support for the successful delivery of the government’s election commitment to reinstate laws that will help reduce Queensland’s land clearing rates and end broad scale clearing of remnant vegetation for high‑value agriculture and irrigated high‑value agriculture.
• Contributed to the detailed business case and government funding decisions in relation to Rookwood Weir.
• Facilitated cross-agency collaboration on the development of a new financial assurance system and improved mine rehabilitation processes for resource projects in Queensland, including through the creation of the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Bill 2017 and associated regulations.
• Contributed to the development of a new levy on material sent to landfill as a key component of a comprehensive waste strategy for Queensland.
• Supported Queensland’s participation at the Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Forum.
• Continued to coordinate, develop and provide leadership for implementation of domestic and family violence and child safety initiatives including:
  • supporting the operation of the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council
  • the government’s response to relevant child safety and youth detention centre reviews
  • supporting the Child Protection Reform Leaders Group, Child Protection and Domestic and Family Violence Reform IDCC, and the Domestic and Family Violence Executive Group.
• Led the Queensland Government response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
• Continued to lead the government’s response to the challenge of climate change through co-chairing the Climate Change Interdepartmental Committee with the former Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, and ongoing involvement in initiatives to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
• Supported the policy settings to stimulate the advancement of renewable energy, including hydroelectricity, while maintaining affordable and secure supply.

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 and Coordination, and Cabinet Support service area.

Notes:

1. This service standard informs on overall satisfaction of the service and is derived from an annual client survey. Clients are ministers, chiefs of staff, directors‑general and their departments’ cabinet legislation and liaison officers and senior policy officers. In 2017–18, DPC introduced a new satisfaction scale in its survey. This has resulted in the establishment of new baselines.
2. This service standard informs on the total cost per hour for the provision of policy advice. The calculation methodology applied to determine average cost per hour is– the total operational expense per annual period, plus a percentage of centralised costs, divided by the total cumulative recurrent standard hours per annual period.
3. This service standard measures costs incurred by Cabinet Services in supporting Cabinet to govern from the regions and community receptions. Support costs include venue and equipment hire, and costs associated with DPC staff preparing for and attending the meeting/reception. In 2017–18 there were five meetings held at Cairns, Gold Coast, Wide Bay, Ipswich and Mackay/Whitsunday. Travel costs are dependent on the location where the meeting/reception is held.

Future directions for 2018–19

• Deliver the Cabinet, Cabinet Committee and Parliamentary legislative agenda and processes, Governing from the Regions program and the implementation, monitoring and reporting of government priorities and election commitments.
• Support, coordinate and contribute to the delivery of Our Future State: Advancing Queensland’s Priorities.
• Coordinate policies to diversify Queensland’s economy by facilitating investment and encouraging innovation.
• Stimulate the advancement of renewable, reliable and low-cost energy supply to support Queensland’s community and industry growth.
• Continue to provide secretariat, policy and analytical support to the Premier’s Business Advisory Council.
• Continue to provide secretariat support to the Queensland Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce in development of a framework and recommendations to address cyberbullying of children and young people in Queensland.
• Continue support for protection of the environment and ongoing involvement in initiatives to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
• Provide strategic support for the delivery of the government’s Great Barrier Reef commitments through the revised Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.
• Respond to the challenges of climate change including the government’s flagship $500 million Land Restoration Fund; growing Queensland’s advanced resource recovery, recycling and waste industry; and reinstating a sustainable vegetation management framework.
• Support policy settings for the growth of a productive and prosperous food and fibre sector that will generate long-term jobs, underpinning the economies of our regional and rural communities.
• Provide strategic leadership for:
  • addressing native title compensation settlement in Queensland
  • the delivery of government commitments related to Murray‑Darling Basin reform.
• Contribute to the implementation of the Queensland Bulk Water Opportunities Statement and related bulk water infrastructure planning.
• Support the review of Queensland’s native timber production policy, progress of reforms under the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027, and review Queensland’s drought policy setting.
• Contribute to the development of a comprehensive waste management strategy (underpinned by a waste disposal levy) to increase recycling and recovery and create new jobs.
• Provide strategic support for the delivery of the government’s Climate Change Response commitments being actioned through the Queensland Climate Transition Strategy and the Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy.
• Coordinate cross agency collaboration to implement the government’s commitments to protect the environmental values of the rivers in the Channel Country.
• Contribute to the development of the 10-year roadmap for the arts, cultural and creative sector in order to grow a vibrant and sustainable arts, cultural and creative sector in Queensland.
• Coordinate Queensland’s disaster management and counter‑terrorism arrangements, including support for the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and the Queensland Security Cabinet Committee.
• Coordinate, develop and provide leadership on the implementation of the recommendations for domestic and family violence prevention, including the ongoing operation of the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council.
• Continue to oversee the independent evaluation of initiatives to tackle alcoholrelated violence.
• Deliver further phases of a $3.2 million ice information campaign, to enhance public awareness of the nature and effects of ice and where and how to find them.
• Support the delivery of initiatives such as:
  • enhancing the transparency and accountability of local governments in Queensland through implementing the integrity reforms agreed in the government response to the Crime and Corruption Commission report Operation Belcarra: A blueprint for integrity and addressing corruption risk in local government, and to the A fair, effective and efficient framework report by the independent councillor complaints review panel
  • coordinating various advisory councils and taskforces providing an opportunity for community leaders to work with the Queensland Government to help shape policy and initiatives
  • supporting the independent Townsville Community Champion in advocating for community driven solutions to address youth crime in Townsville; and assisting in the community engagement process.

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