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SearchArchives for October 2011
27 October, 2011
PS call to spearhead
Indigenous jobs
Senior Public Service managers across Australia have been called on to copy their private sector counterparts and go into bat for Indigenous employment.
Writing in the new-look magazine of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, Public Administration Today, the National President of the IPAA, Percy Allan called on the senior echelons of the PS to pledge more jobs for Indigenous Australians.
“Indigenous success stories tell us those who find work have far fewer problems than those who don’t,” Mr Allan said.
“To find work, Indigenous Australians need skills and opportunities to escape the downward spiral of hopelessness and despair that many regrettably view as the natural fate for Australia’s original peoples.”
His plea echoes a similar call by Commonwealth’s Special Minister of State, Gary Gray for Federal Public Service Chiefs to lead by example in hiring more Indigenous employees.
Mr Gray said he expected the Australian Public Service to be doing more towards achieving the 2018 target of a further 100,000 private and public sector jobs for Indigenous Australians.
The IPAA magazine looks at other aspects of Indigenous affairs, including The Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure Report to the Australian Government, which recommended 25 existing Indigenous-specific programs across the Commonwealth be closed immediately, and 51 others be consolidated into 18.
The report said Commonwealth Government expenditure on its Indigenous-specific programs amounted to some $3.5 billion annually and that it had yielded dismally poor returns to date.
Public Administration Today also features articles supporting its Indigenous employment theme by Public Service Chiefs including Federal Auditor General, Ian McPhee, former Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman, Allan Asher and the Australian Public Service Commission.
It is distributed nationally and read by public sector employees in all three tiers of Government, Statutory Authorities and not-for-profit organisations.
Mr Allan’s comments can be found in the PS News Feature pages at this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Transport plan to
drive for 20 years
A 20-year plan for transport in the South East has been unveiled by the Ministers for Transport and Main Roads.
Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk and Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said the Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated Regional Transport Plan for South East Queensland gave a clear direction for future transport projects.
“This is a 20-year blueprint to further develop South East Queensland’s busy transport system to ensure we meet the needs of this rapidly growing community,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said the population of South-East Queensland was expected to nearly double from 2.7 million people in 2006 to 4.24 million in 2031, a population the size of Sydney but spread over an area about three times the size.
“To meet challenges such as population growth, climate change and traffic in the region, we need to change the way people move,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said Connecting SEQ 2031 would guide all levels of government in prioritising investment in public transport, roads, active transport and freight, delivering the maximum benefit across the whole transport system.
Mr Wallace said the $1.9 billion Dinmore to Goodna Ipswich Motorway project was the perfect example of the kind of project covered by the plan.
“This project will widen eight kilometres of the Ipswich Motorway from four to six lanes, including major interchanges, shared bike pedestrian paths, and new road and pedestrian bridges,” Mr Wallace said.
“This plan provides a vision for economic and social growth of our state.”
He said other projects included the first section of a Brisbane subway connecting Toowong to Newstead/Bowen Hills; Gold Coast light rail; a Northern Busway; expansion of the Springfield to Richlands Rail corridor; Port of Brisbane Motorway upgrade; Bruce Highway upgrade – Caloundra Road to Curra; Pacific Motorway upgrade – Nerang to Tugan; and connected and managed motorways to complete the motorway network and improve overall performance.
He said the timing for the projects would be outlined in future years through the Queensland Infrastructure Plan (QIP), which was released for consultation in July and provides a clear outline of short-term infrastructure projects, as well as forward planning for longer-term infrastructure priorities.
For more information or to download a copy of Connecting SEQ 2031 visit this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Queen’s visit is
crowning glory
The recent visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh has drawn attention to Queensland State Archives’ latest exhibition ‘The British Royals: a Queensland story’.
Minister for Government Services, Simon Finn said the visit by the Queen and Duke was the latest of many to Queensland by the British Royal Family.
“The British Royals: a Queensland story exhibition shines a spotlight on the British Royal family’s visits to our State,” Mr Finn said.
“It contains a fascinating collection of photographs, records and memorabilia dating back to the early to 1900s.”
He said he opened the exhibition in July this year as a tribute to the many royal visits to Queensland.
“It has already had more than 2,000 visitors and is of great interest to followers of the British Royal Family, and indeed to anyone who simply appreciates Queensland’s history,” he said.
“I encourage Queenslanders to head out to the Queensland State Archives office at Runcorn to see this impressive exhibition – it’s well worth a visit.”
Mr Finn said the exhibition was inspired by an eventful year for the Royal Family in 2011 which included a wedding and two milestone birthdays.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 85th birthday on 21 April and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh turned 90 on 10 June.
“This year will also be remembered by royal watchers for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April.”
Mr Finn said the flurry of excitement and significant royal events had reignited an interest in the monarchy.
“The exhibition is an excellent opportunity to connect with the history of Queensland and features just the tip of the iceberg of Queensland State Archives’ extensive and impressive collection,” he said.
The exhibition can be seen at Queensland State Archives in Compton Road, Runcorn between 9am and 4.30pm weekdays and the second Saturday of each month.
27 October, 2011
Building audit to
nail problems
The Building Services Authority (BSA) has embarked on a program of compliance audits at building sites in flood-affected areas of Brisbane and Ipswich.
Minister for the Building Industry Simon Finn said BSA was conducting the flood audit in conjunction with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) this week.
“The audit teams are planning to visit about 6,300 active building sites during the five-day operation,” Mr Finn said.
“The audits are designed to protect home owners by ensuring contractors are licensed, that they have compliant contracts in place and that home warranty insurance has been paid where applicable.”
He said this helped to protect current and future home owners, protect contractors from unfair competition from unlicensed operators and helped to maintain building standards.
He said the audits were being conducted by 10 two-person teams, consisting of a BSA building inspector and compliance inspector.
He said a QRA staff member was also expected to be part of each team.
“The audits are designed to protect and help people, so the building inspectors in the teams will also be available to provide building advice to home owners and contractors, if required,” Mr Finn said.
He said a typical fine for a first-time unlicensed offender was $2,000, while the maximum penalty was $25,000 for an individual.
Mr Finn said the BSA and Queensland Reconstruction Authority staff would assess post-flood recovery progress during the audit.
He said the BSA and QRA had worked together on audits earlier this year in Emerald and the Cyclone Yasi-affected Cassowary Coast in Far North Queensland.
27 October, 2011
Broadband network
nudged to Nudgee
Plans announced by the National Broadband Network (NBN) to include Nudgee in its first national roll-out plan have been applauded by the Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Simon Finn.
Mr Finn said the release of the 12-month plan was well received in Queensland.
“The NBN is a $9 billion investment in Queensland,” Mr Finn said.
“The inclusion of Nudgee to the Brisbane’s north rollout is an exciting addition, along with the expansion of the State’s first release site.”
Mr Finn said Nudgee had been added to the communities scheduled for connection to the NBN, which included Aspley, Goodna and Toowoomba.
“In the Toowoomba area, new estates built in Grantham will be connected to the NBN with the first premises expected to be connected by the end of the year - an important milestone in restoring and revitalising a community devastated by flooding earlier this year,” Mr Finn said.
“We will also see a significant expansion to the Townsville release site, including the central business district, bringing the total number of premises either connected, or scheduled for connection in Townsville, to more than 40,000.”
He said more than 100,000 premises in Queensland were now on the 12-month schedule for connection to the NBN.
He said the arrival of the NBN would be a critical catalyst for social and economic transformation across the whole state.
“Not only will the NBN change our ways of doing business, it’s also likely to create new industries, products and services,” Mr Finn said.
“For our communities and for individuals, higher-speed broadband will enrich their lives, bringing better connections with others and more opportunities for learning and improved healthcare, among other benefits,” he said.
27 October, 2011
Union’s survey is
women’s wish list
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has launched its annual What Women Want survey.
Now in its sixth year, the CPSU survey is the largest survey of women undertaken by an Australian trade union.
Last year, nearly 10,000 women completed the survey, which was conducted in partnership with the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
Deputy National Secretary of the CPSU, Kristin van Barneveld said the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life had joined the partnership for the first time this year.
“The CPSU’s annual What Women Want survey of women raises important questions about women and work,” Dr van Barneveld said.
“Last year’s survey revealed significant gaps between the availability of flexible working conditions and the number of women accessing them.”
She said it showed that having a technical right to flexible working conditions did not always mean women would get to use them.
“The survey results give us a clear picture of women’s working lives and what our priorities need to be to improve conditions that provide flexibility and work life balance,” she said.
“The involvement of the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life has seen the survey expand this year to include questions on environmental issues.”
Dr van Barneveld said results from previous surveys had been used in the 2011 round of enterprise agreement negotiations, which assisted the CPSU in securing improvements for women.
She said improvements included superannuation payments on periods of unpaid parental leave; control over hours of work and reasonable compensation for additional hours worked; flexible working conditions to ensure work life balance; and paid maternity leave in addition to the Government scheme of paid parental leave.
The 2010/11 survey report is available at this PS News link and to take part in this year’s survey go to this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Bureau storms in for
cyclone season
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued its annual outlook for the tropical cyclone season and it’s all bad news for Australia’s four cyclone-prone regions.
The Bureau is expecting an above average number of cyclones right across northern Australia.
Climate Prediction Manager at the Bureau, Andrew Watkins, said climate models were trending toward another La Niña event, which led them to expect a slightly higher than average number of tropical cyclones.
Dr Watkins said however, no two La Niña events were the same.
“The Southern Oscillation Index, a key climate driver, was (positive) 11.7 in September this year, compared with (positive) 25 at the same time last year,” Dr Watkins said.
“While this La Niña may be weaker than the last, this doesn’t mean we can expect fewer tropical cyclones than the previous season.
“In other words, we can’t afford to be complacent.”
Climatologist with the Bureau, Joel Lisonbee said before a tropical cyclone formed it was difficult to predict its exact strength and path and whether it would make landfall.
Mr Lisonbee said however that the Bureau had a solid body of historical data which gave forecasters a likely range in which to work.
“Along the east and west coasts, less than half of all cyclones affect the coast, with most staying out to sea,” he said.
“However, along the north coast more than half of all cyclones will impact coastal regions.”
He said during a La Niña, warmer waters in the western Pacific and regions to the north of Australia, and associated changes in circulation helped focus tropical cyclone activity in the Coral and Timor seas.
“Generally we divide Australia into four regions,” Mr Lisonbee said, “with the average number of tropical cyclones in the eastern region (Queensland) being four, northern region (Northern Territory) being three, and western region (Western Australia) being seven. “The north western sub-region, which includes Western Australia and the Northern Territory, is highly active and with an average of five tropical cyclones,” he said.
More information about the Bureau’s tropical cyclone outlook can be obtained from this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Cyberbullying
report a hit
A draft report into cyberbullying has proposed that students be ‘licensed’ to use mobile phones at school and that an anti-cyberbullying ‘app’ be developed for mobile phones.
Education Minister Cameron Dick said the report’s 12 recommendations were thoughtful and thought-provoking
Mr Dick said the recommendations, which were being considered by the Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence (QSAAV), related to the appropriate use of mobile phones in schools and the issue of cyberbullying.
“In his report, Dr Carr-Gregg makes the point that cyberbullying is related to relationships and behaviours, not technology,” Mr Dick said.
“As such, our policy responses should be educational, focusing on behavioural aspects rather than legal or technical aspects.”
He said one of the most interesting recommendations was that Queensland schools design and introduce a mandatory mobile phone licence system.
“Dr Carr-Gregg recommends that the system operate similar to driver licence systems, including students completing a short web-based test before being permitted to bring or use mobile phones or other communication devices to school,” Mr Dick said.
“He says that communication tools such as phones are similar to cars.
“That is, a student needs to reach a certain level of proficiency with both to avoid accidents and avoid trouble with the law.”
He said another recommendation was the development of a bullying application, or ‘app’, that students could download for use on their mobile phones.
“Other recommendations relate to strengthening the policies and procedures adopted in Queensland schools with regard to mobile phone use,” Mr Dick said.
He said forming the QSAAV last year was historic, inasmuch as it was the first time the three education sectors in Queensland – State, Catholic and independent – had combined to tackle issues affecting everyone across the spectrum.
“I have reconvened the Alliance to review what progress has been made by schools since the release of the 2010 Working Together report,” Mr Dick said.
He said the report was presented to the Alliance this month, which would then provide advice and recommendations to the government on the way forward.
27 October, 2011
Minister drops line
for fishing input
The State’s fishing enthusiasts have been invited to make their views known on a number of Fisheries regulations.
Minister for Fisheries, Craig Wallace extended the invitation saying it was an opportunity for fishers to provide feedback on issues important to them.
“I am very interested in finding out what recreational fishers think about a limited take of female mud crabs,” Mr Wallace said.
“Protection measures have been in place for ‘Jennys’ in Queensland for about 120 years, and while we need to continue to ensure sustainability of female mud crabs, I am interested to know what fishers think about a relaxing of restrictions.”
He said it had been illegal since the 1890s to take any female mud crabs in Queensland.
“What we are seeing is an abundance of ‘Jennys’ in Queensland waters,” Mr Wallace said.
“Fishers have only been allowed to catch male muddies so ‘bucks’ rarely grow larger than 15cm before they are caught.”
He said according to fishing experts, once females grew to more than 16cm, they could no longer breed as they found it difficult to mate with smaller males.
“Often families go crabbing and only catch one or two big females, so I am asking what Queenslanders think about allowing a limited take of these big ‘Jennys’,” Mr Wallace said.
He said an appropriate take could be one large female per boat per fishing trip, one large female per person per fishing trip or a limited number of females for a specific period of time.
“This is about getting the balance right between sustainability and Queenslanders’ right to enjoy recreational fishing,” the Minister said.
“We have some of the world’s best seafood on offer here in Queensland and as a keen fisherman myself, I want Queensland fishers to be able to enjoy the sensational catches our waters have to offer while sustaining stocks for the future.”
Mr Wallace said he regularly received feedback from fishers that some of the State’s regulations could be confusing, such as the various size limits which applied for the take of Cod in Queensland.
“Different bag limits for different species can lead to uncertainty when fishing and I would be interested to hear from fishers how these rules could be simplified,” Mr Wallace said.
He said comments should be sent to callweb@deedi.qld.gov.au by 30 November 2011.
27 October, 2011
Police take names
for identity theft
The Australian Federal Police have unveiled an online survey to help members of the public find out how well they are protecting their identity against ID fraud.
The initiative has been applauded by the Federal Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Brendan O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor said the Australian community needed to realise how serious identity crime was and to understand the devastating effects it could have on an individual’s life.
“This survey allows members of the public to test how vulnerable they are to identity crime and take remedial measures if they need to,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the survey was part of National Identity Fraud Awareness Week which ran last week and covered safety tips such as checking ATMs for signs of tampering before use; shredding bank statements and other documents instead of putting them in the recycling bin; and deleting spam emails from the deleted email folder.
“I encourage all members of the public to take the online survey,” he said.
“A 30-second community service announcement was aired on television throughout the week and could be downloaded and viewed on the AFP’s website.”
Manager of Special References at the AFP, Chris McDevitt said identity crime cost the Australian community hundreds of millions of dollars each year and according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics at least five per cent of the Australian population had been a victim of personal fraud, of which one fifth was identity fraud.
“Identity fraud is an emerging threat to Australia and is growing rapidly,” Commander McDevitt said.
“Be aware that identity fraudsters are specialists at manipulating their victims, including their trust, friendliness, loneliness, fears, concerns or financial situation.”
He said National Identity Fraud Awareness Week was held each October to raise public awareness about identity crime issues and the protective measures available to the public.
He said in addition to the survey the AFP would broadcast a 30 second community service announcement on national TV for the month of October.
To take part in the survey visit this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Trade strategy to
do the business
A new trade and investment strategy has been developed with the goal of doubling the State’s exports by the year 2020.
Acting Premier Andrew Fraser said the new targeted Trade and Investment Strategy 2011-2016 provided the framework to boost Queensland’s exports to $100 billion and create jobs.
Mr Fraser said to achieve the target there needed to be a diversified approach.
“We have set out four targets for 2016 to provide focus for our efforts,” Mr Fraser said.
He said strategic targets for 2016 included increasing the value of knowledge-intensive goods and services exports by 75 per cent, from $6 billion in 2009/10 to $10.4 billion and increasing the export value of small to medium-sized enterprises by 30 per cent, from $2 billion in 2009/10 to $2.6 billion.
He said other strategic targets included increasing by 50 per cent the value of the capital attracted to Queensland by businesses assisted by the Queensland Government - from $923 million in 2009/10 to $1.4 billion; and increasing the export value of emerging global markets by 75 per cent, from $21.8 billion in 2009/10 to $38 billion.
“The growth of Queensland trade and investment is vital to our economy because it drives prosperity and creates jobs,” Mr Fraser said.
He said the new trade strategy would drive growth by tapping into emerging export markets, boosting the value of knowledge-intensive exports and pursuing an aggressive strategy to attract investment to Queensland.
“Trade and Investment Queensland will provide services and support to help our exporters meet the challenges of a changing global market, seize opportunities in emerging economies and grow their businesses through international trade,” Mr Fraser said.
He said a culture of innovation was alive and well in the Queensland exporting community and this spirit was never better exemplified than in the aftermath of the summer of natural disasters.
“Following last summer’s devastation, companies looked to new markets as an opportunity to recover from the economic hardship endured across the State,” Mr Fraser said.
“Assisting businesses to continue to innovate remains vital to our economic bottom line, and taking advantage of global business opportunities is an important part of that.”
27 October, 2011
Rail line project
fast-tracked
Work has begun on a new 9.5km rail line from Brisbane to one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.
Premier Anna Bligh said the $475 million Richlands to Springfield project was being fast tracked and it was great to see work underway on another piece of rail infrastructure for South East Queensland
Ms Bligh said more than 21,000 people currently lived in greater Springfield.
She said the area’s population was expected to reach 105,000 during the next 20 years and the new infrastructure would meet the growing region’s needs.
She said Richlands station, part of the $800 million stage one of the Darra to Springfield project, was opened early to help after the floods and 2,500 trips were already being made every weekday on the line.
“The new 9.5km rail line is expected to take two million work hours and will create about 3,200 jobs during construction,” Ms Bligh said.
“This investment will provide residents with a clean, green alternative to car travel.”
She said the new line would encourage people to use public transport as their preferred way to travel, ultimately reducing reliance on local roads.
“During morning peak the new rail line could potentially take up to 2,500 cars off the Centenary Highway, with the train trip from Springfield Central to Brisbane expected to take about 40 minutes,” Ms Bligh said.
Minister for Transport, Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Springfield community would benefit from the two new stations being built as part of the project – Springfield Central Station near the Orion Shopping Centre and Springfield Station near Woodcrest College.
Ms Palaszczuk said the project was scheduled to be finished in 2013.
“This will be part of an integrated public transport alternative,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Both new stations will link with buses and the South East Queensland cycle path network.”
27 October, 2011
Schools awards
pass the test
The 2011 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools have been presented.
Minister for Education, Cameron Dick said the Awards highlighted some of the outstanding programs being run in Queensland State schools.
“We have an outstanding State school system in Queensland and the Showcase Awards celebrate the best of the best,” Mr Dick said.
“The winners have been recognised for driving programs that significantly improve student learning outcomes.”
He said the innovations being piloted by schools could be shared with other schools around the State which helped drive up performance.
He said the 24 state finalists were nominated for eight categories.
“The awards cover eight categories encompassing early, middle and senior phases of learning, academic excellence, inclusive and innovative practices, leadership and partnerships with industry or the community,” Mr Dick said.
He said the State winners included Bald Hills State School for excellence in the Early Phase of Learning for its Kick Start to Learning program; Gin Gin State High School for excellence in the Middle Phase of Learning for its alternative pathways program; Brisbane School of Distance Education in the Senior Phase of Learning for its Freedom to Learn - Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime program; and Centenary Heights State High School for excellence in Inclusive Education for its Flexi School Campus youth attainment and transition program.
Other state winners included Goodna State School for Leadership in its Moving On Up - nothing’s going to stop us now! program; Bulimba State School for Innovation in its Young Minds Grow in this Garden program; Cairns West State School for Academic Excellence in its Academic Success Guarantee program; and the Gold Coast Special and Secondary Schools Cluster for Excellence in Community or Industry Partnerships for its My Future, My Choice program.
Schools in the cluster included Currumbin Community Special School, Helensvale State High School, Mudgeeraba Special School, Nerang State High School, Southport Special School and Upper Coomera State College.
Mr Dick said the eight State winners each received $20,000 in development grants to add to the grants of $5,000 for being State finalists and $1,000 for being selected as one of this year’s 67 regional winners.
A full list of the winners and finalists is at this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Tourism puts China
on its plate
Tourism Queensland has released a discussion paper to snare a greater share of the burgeoning China market.
Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, Jan Jarratt said work was well advanced on developing the new Project China Strategy, with industry feedback critical.
“Sustainably growing our share of the China market and giving Chinese visitors a great experience involves everyone,” Ms Jarratt said, “and I want industry to have their say, with consultation open until December.”
She said the discussion paper raised issues from better catering for Chinese travellers to diversifying target markets such as attracting different age groups and destinations.
“So it is important for industry to think about these issues and give their feedback,” she said.
Ms Jarratt said the resulting Project China Strategy would map out a long-term vision to grow Queensland’s share of the China market, with potential spending by Chinese visitors in Australia tipped to reach $7-9 billion by 2020.
She said China was already Queensland’s third largest international market and one of the fastest growing, with 198,000 Chinese visiting Queensland in the year ending June 2011 – 25 per cent more than 2010.
“With Chinese visitor numbers forecast to continue growing by double digits over the next few years, it’s vital that our tourism industry has the skills, products and experiences to ensure they have the best possible Queensland experience, and when they go home they tell their friends and family that Queensland is where Australia Shines,” Ms Jarratt said.
She said topics raised in the discussion paper included fine-tuning the State’s aviation strategy; educating the Queensland tourism industry about Chinese travellers’ behaviours and expectations; ensuring marketing efforts were focused on specific geographic areas in China; engaging key industry partners; preparing and developing Queensland’s tourism industry to deliver high quality experiences to Chinese visitors; and the potential for Chinese investment in Queensland tourism infrastructure.
Ms Jarratt said Tourism Queensland already had a strong presence in China focusing on relationships with key industry partners and aggressive marketing and retail activities to attract Chinese visitors.
She said feedback on the discussion paper would close on 2 December and be incorporated in the new 2012-2016 China market strategy.
More information is available from this PS News link.
27 October, 2011
Vitamin campaign
good for tourism
A new $4 million tourism campaign has been launched encouraging visitors to come to Queensland to ‘recharge their batteries’.
Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, Jan Jarratt said the Vitamin Me campaign promoted Queensland as the quintessential holiday destination.
“Queensland is known for its bounty of natural resources and Vitamin Me showcases the powerful natural elixir that we offer holiday makers from around the world and across Australia,” Ms Jarratt said.
“Vitamin Me is the name given to that feeling of relaxation you get from a Queensland holiday.”
“It’s a fun, creative idea that demonstrates why Queensland is Where Australia Shines.”
Ms Jarratt said Australians alone had stockpiled more than 123 million days of annual leave.
“While we are one of the hardest working nations in the world, Australian families are well overdue for a break,” Ms Jarratt said.
“Queensland is the cure-all for busy jobs, hectic lives and day-to-day pressures.”
She said there was also a $10,000 Vitamin Me holiday prize give away to encourage visitors to the State with Tourism Queensland devising an online test for Vitamin Me levels, with entrants in the running to win the prize.
Ms Jarratt said while the Vitamin Me campaign was a fun way of reminding Australians of the benefits of taking a holiday, the effect of overwork on physical and emotional wellbeing was well-documented.
She said the Vitamin Me campaign aimed to drive bookings during the peak summer holidays, with the promotion having started on 22 October using cinema, online, radio, print and outdoor activities.
Ms Jarratt said Queensland tourism operators were offering a range of holiday deals as part of the promotion.
27 October, 2011
Crisis centre to be
centre of crises
A new Crisis Coordination Centre has been opened in Canberra to manage national responses to large scale natural disasters or acts of terrorism.
Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland opened the new Australian Government Crisis Coordination Centre saying the purpose-built secure facility would monitor risks to Australia and Australians 24 hours a day, seven days a week and had capacity for up to 100 officers from Commonwealth, State and Territory Agencies on-site during a crisis.
“The Crisis Coordination Centre connects Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies to centralise Australian Government actions during national emergencies,” Mr McClelland said.
“Operating from its temporary premises from September 2010, the CCC coordinated Australian Government assistance during the Queensland floods, Tropical Cyclone Yasi, the New Zealand earthquake and Victorian floods.”
He said while State and Territory authorities were the first responders during times of disasters, the Australian Government had a critical role in coordinating support from other States, the Australian Defence Force, Commonwealth Agencies and overseas.
“The new $14 million CCC facility includes a large operational room, linked video conferencing facilities with the States and Territories, crisis coordination rooms as well as secure premises that can be used during a national security incident,” Mr McClelland said.
“It also features high-speed and secure communications for officers from all agencies to link back to their home agency.”
He said the new CCC premises would mean staff were ready to move instantly from a 24/7 monitoring state to a response state whenever an emergency arose.
He said during a ‘steady’ state the CCC was staffed by around 20 officers from Emergency Management Australia, reporting information to the Australian Government on all potential known hazards, and undertaking contingency planning and preparation for crisis response.
“This includes threats such as natural disasters and man-made disasters, including security and cyber threats,” Mr McClelland said.
“We hope that there will be no need activate the full capabilities of the CCC this summer – but we can be confident that if a crisis occurs that we will be able to respond quickly and effectively.”
27 October, 2011
And in Other News...
New directive on TOIL
The Minister for Education and Industrial Relations has issued a Field Directive clarifying the award entitlements that apply to staff taking accrued time off in lieu.
Directive 12/11 Field Staff takes effect from 24 October 2011, replaces Directive 10/07 of the same name. and can be accessed at this PS News link.
Pay consultations start
Former Federal MP Arch Bevis has been asked to consult with interested parties on the application of pay equity across the State’s social and community services sectors.
Regulations were due to begin on 1 October 2011, however the Government repealed the Regulations on 30 September 2011 after concerns by some employers and peak organisations in the sector about the impact of the regulations on some providers.
Consultation with industry stakeholders will commence shortly.
Free internet in town
Brisbane council is offering free Wi-Fi in 20 public areas.
Residents can now surf the internet in Brisbane Parks, with access to wireless internet in other public spaces throughout the city.
Wi-Fi technology has also been upgraded in 34 Brisbane City Council libraries.
Signage will be installed to help people identify where Wi-Fi hotspots are and the full list of wireless internet locations is available at this PS News link.
Pool owners running out of time
Homeowners have less than two weeks to register their swimming pools to avoid a fine of up to $2,000.
Owners who fail to register their pool by 4 November face on-the-spot fines of $200 or a maximum court penalty of $2,000.
Registration can be made at this PS News link or by calling 1800 340 634.
Birth numbers a record
Australia set another record for births in 2010 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
More than 297,900 births were registered during the year, the highest ever registered in a calendar year.
The average age of a mother in 2010 was 30.7 years; first-time mums averaged 28.9 years, and the average dad, 33.1.
All these ages had increased slightly from 2009.
More details can be found in the Bureau’s report Births, Australia, 2010.
Further information is also available for free download from this PS News link.
Journalist award to ABC
Kirstin Murray of ABC TV has won the inaugural Older People Speak Out (OPSO) Sport and Recreation award for her news segment Clerks of the Course.
The OPSO awards, which have been running for 18 years, recognise journalists for positive reporting of seniors and seniors’ issues.
The winning article told the stories of three older Stewards, including the history of their injuries and their take on life.
OPSO is a volunteer organisation of older people which works closely with communities, government and the media through consultation and advocacy to promote positive ageing.
Health applications extended
The deadline for applications to join the Governing Councils of the new Local Health and Hospital Network has been extended until 4 November 2011.
More than 400 applications have been received to-date and hundreds more Queenslanders have started an application online and are yet to complete it.
Each Council is seeking a mix of people including those with business, financial, legal and human resource expertise as well as those experienced in the delivery of clinical services.
20 October, 2011
Boards dressed up for
more women members
The campaign for appointing more women to boards and committees has been stepped up with Cabinet approving the second stage of a strategy that would see women make up 50 per cent of all new appointments within three years.
Minister for Women, Karen Struthers said stage two of the Women on Boards Strategy was now ready to implement.
“National and international research has consistently highlighted the organisational benefits associated with women in leadership roles,” Ms Struthers said.
“As of March 2011, women represented 42.2 per cent of new appointments to government boards – the Women on Boards Strategy is addressing this imbalance.”
She said stage two of the strategy comprised three key elements: activating networks; forward planning; and putting women forward.
“Activating networks will encourage Ministers to network with an aim to boost the number of skilled women on the Queensland Register of Nominees,” Ms Struthers said.
“Forward planning is about Ministers giving agencies enough lead-up time to find appropriate nominees and putting women forward is just that – the Ministers actively seeking out and putting forward the best female nominees.”
Ms Struthers said the private sector was also recognising the benefits of increasing the representation of women in leadership positions with the Bank of Queensland vowing to employ more women in senior roles.
She said the bank had revealed its target to have 25 per cent of its senior management roles filed by women by 2015.
Ms Struthers said the Bank’s decision was a step in the right direction with women making up only 10.8 per cent of Queensland company boards.
20 October, 2011
State puts energy
into review
An independent review of government-owned energy corporations has been commissioned to examine their capital infrastructure programs.
Ordered by the Minister for Energy, Stephen Robertson, the review will look at Energex, Ergon Energy and Powerlink Queensland.
Mr Robertson said the review would build on the work undertaken in the Somerville Review seven years ago and would determine whether the network was still being delivered in an efficient manner to provide for a secure and reliable system.
“Times have changed since the original Somerville Review so it’s judicious we have another close look at the network,” Mr Robertson said.
“It’s all about ensuring Queensland’s electricity network remains resilient in the face of extreme weather events and continues to meet the challenges of growing energy demand; including demand growth from our booming resources sector.”
“It’s equally important we ensure that our secure and reliable network continues to be delivered in an economically-efficient manner.”
Mr Robertson said the new independent review would be led by Darryl Somerville who also chaired the 2004 review.
He said other members of the expert panel included the Commissioner for Electrical Safety, Jack Camp and Stephen Blanch, an energy and management expert with 45 years experience in Australia and overseas.
“The 2004 Somerville Review resulted in significant improvements to the capacity, reliability and security of the Queensland electricity network,” Mr Robertson said.
“Since then we have invested more than $12 billion in building and improving Queensland’s electricity network.
He said had resulted in improvements to electricity supply reliability of more than 15 per cent across the Energex and Ergon networks over the same period.
Mr Robertson said it meant Queensland would never return to the days of widespread blackouts and brownouts.
He said the panel would review reports by the energy providers on the delivery of the electricity network and provide advice to government on the appropriateness of any proposed changes for a more efficient and cost-effective delivery of a secure network.
He said the panel would provide a final report to government by the end of next month.
20 October, 2011
PS retirees to be
put to work
A program that attracts retired volunteers with administrative and other skills to assist rural communities beat the skills shortage is being evaluated by a PhD student at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
The student, Nadine Brayley is hoping to enlist 500 participants to complete an online survey to gauge how popular the volunteering concept would be among retirees and she is particularly interested in present and former Public Servants who were retired, semi-retired or planning to retire in the next two years.
Ms Brayley said the Retired Professionals Rural Volunteering Project involved QUT, the Queensland Department of Communities and La Trobe University (Victoria) and had the support of the Queensland Public Service Commission, the Office for Volunteering and Volunteering Queensland.
She said the project would explore the feasibility of engaging retired and semi-retired professionals as short term, project based volunteers in rural areas, as a means of alleviating skill shortages in regional Australia.
She said the skill areas specifically being considered included public service administration, information technology, human resource management, finance and accounting.
“The general concept is that suitably qualified and experienced retirees (fully retired/semi-retired) will be matched with rural agencies (not for profit and Local Government Authorities) to provide professional skill assistance on a ‘short term’ basis - either face to face or through E-volunteering,” Ms Brayley said.
She said volunteers would visit the rural area and work with one or several agencies for a period of two weeks to several months at a time.
She said examples of potential volunteering roles included strategic planning, preparing competitive grant applications, website development and annual auditing/book keeping.
Ms Brayley invited retired or semi-retired PS staff, or those planning to retire in the next two years to complete the survey.
She said it would take about 20-25 minutes to complete and included no information that could identify the respondent.
Ms Brayley said information from the survey would be used to inform a number of volunteering trials in 2012.
The survey is available at this PS News link.
20 October, 2011
Fire ants now in
the firing line
Biosecurity Queensland has given an enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’ to new aerial surveying technology that helps it find fire ants.
The agency has hailed the new equipment as the most significant step forward in the eradication of fire ants since they were detected in Queensland 10 years ago.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies, Tim Mulherin said fire ant nests were clearly being captured with the new thermal and multispectral cameras.
“In just four weeks, Biosecurity Queensland has flown over more than 7,000 hectares where fire ants may have spread and nests as small as 10cm have been identified,” Mr Mulherin said.
“I’m thrilled to see the successful use of this technology which will be heralded as a model for eradication programs in other countries.”
Mr Mulherin said fire ant nests were significantly hotter than the surrounding area so they could be seen quite clearly with the new thermal technology.
“The cameras arrived in Brisbane in mid-September and were mounted onto a helicopter straight away,” Mr Mulherin said.
“The focus for the aerial survey program has been to obtain crucial local data while the weather was suitable.”
Mr Mulherin said the aerial survey activity was being wound down as the warmer weather kicked in.
“The focus will shift to the analysis of the aerial survey data and images we’ve gathered across 7,000 plus hectares, which is more than half the total ground-based surveillance area we achieved using field staff last year,” Mr Mulherin said.
He said fire ant nests could be easily recognised in the images after just a few minutes of training.
“The next stage is to analyse the imagery using the innovative software we’ve developed in Australia,” he said.
“The program improves its performance constantly.
“Every survey flight strengthens our capacity to detect the next nest as the software hones its ability to pinpoint fire ant nests.”
Mr Mulherin said ground crews would then be despatched to confirm and destroy the suspected fire ant nests using precise GPS coordinates.
“That ability to survey large areas quickly and efficiently is a key breakthrough for the fire ant eradication program.”
He said that as soon as ground temperatures cooled off around March next year, Biosecurity Queensland officers would be back in the air again.
20 October, 2011
Holiday poll ahead
of its time
Early counting in the public poll to move the Queen’s Birthday public holiday to the second half of the year is showing “overwhelming’’ support for the move with a week and half of voting to go.
Premier Anna Bligh said the discussion paper Getting the balance right: A proposal on holidays in Queensland also looked at allocating an extra public holiday when Christmas, Boxing, or New Year’s days fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
“This year both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on the weekend,” Ms Bligh said.
“One of the things we wanted to know was whether the law should be changed to ensure these holidays are recognised on both the actual date when they fall on a weekend, as well as an additional day the following week.
“That means those who work on these days have access to the same number of public holidays and penalty rates as workers on a standard Monday-to-Friday week.”
Ms Bligh said the Government had already received 14,400 responses and the overwhelming majority were positive.
“Consultation closes on 31 October and if the support is the same we will take a submission to Cabinet soon after that,” Ms Bligh said.
She said the results so far showed that 81 per cent agreed with the principle of the reallocation of the student free days and 60 per cent welcomed the opportunity for creating an extended Easter Break for students.
She said 96 per cent supported moving the Queen’s birthday to a Monday in October, while 91 per cent supported creating additional public holidays when Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day fell on a weekend.
Ms Bligh said consultation with the Queensland Tourism and Industry Council also indicated strong support for the proposed changes.
She said the review was seeking feedback on three proposals relating to holidays in Queensland including moving the Queen’s Birthday to create a new Summer Public Holiday; allocating an extra public holiday when Christmas, Boxing, or New Year’s days fell on a weekend; and expanding state school Easter holidays from six days to two weeks.
Ms Bligh said that most public holidays were currently clustered in the first half of the year, particularly in the period between March and June.
“There are no Statewide public holidays in the six months between the Queen’s Birthday public holiday in June and Christmas Day in December and we are the only State that has no public holiday in the second half of the year,” Ms Bligh said.
20 October, 2011
Treasurer adds value
to GST debate
A State Government submission to a Federal Government Review of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has called for a fairer slice of the GST pie for Queensland.
Treasurer, Andrew Fraser said Queensland’s submission to the Review outlined the fact that royalties amounted to just seven per cent of revenue assessed in the GST distribution, but accounted for 76 per cent of that assessed for GST revenue distribution.
“This is a fundamental injustice in the current arrangements,” Mr Fraser said.
“All Australian States and Territories contribute GST funding to the national pool, but it is the resource states of Queensland and Western Australia who contribute the lion’s share which is diverted to the less economically-robust States.”
He said after the redistribution, Queenslanders were left with $236 per person from mining revenue, while Victoria – a state with barely a fraction of a resources sector – received $352 per person.
“This is the case because the current mining assessment – the mechanism which judges how much funding a State receives from mining and how much should be distributed to other States – is robbing Queensland and Western Australia blind,” Mr Fraser said.
He said gone were the days when New South Wales and Victoria were the key drivers of the national economy.
“It is Queensland and Western Australia that are the driving forces of the nation’s growth,” Mr Fraser said.
“As our economy and our State grows, so too does our population and its demand on infrastructure and services.”
He said in order to provide essential services and infrastructure, GST was an increasingly important funding source for the States.
“That’s why the distribution of the national pool is an increasingly important debate in this country,” the Treasurer said.
“Queensland and Western Australia too are firmly entrenched today as the donor States.”
“The review must put in place the distribution levers that support resource States like ours because the success of Queensland and Western Australian is the success of the entire nation.”
20 October, 2011
Shore response
a sure thing
Six members of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service’s Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) are on their way to New Zealand to help with clean up and recovery efforts following the damaging oil spill in the Bay of Plenty.
Minister for Environment, Vicky Darling said the team would be sent to Tauranga after oil spilled from a cargo vessel that ran aground on 5 October 2011.
“SCAT team members have been trained to nationally recognised standards and their skills in foreshore assessments, incident management and oiled wildlife response will be invaluable in the affected areas,” Ms Darling said.
“SCAT team members have significant recent experience in such incidents having performed vital work in Queensland following incidents involving the Pacific Adventurer in Moreton Bay in 2009 and the Shen Neng 1 in Gladstone in 2010.”
Ms Darling said information provided by the SCAT crews would play a key role in planning and prioritising clean-up efforts.
“The SCAT crews will map the affected areas measuring the size of the affected area and the scale of the oil impacts and indicating the type of habitat affected,” Ms Darling said.
“New Zealand authorities will use this information to best direct their response efforts.”
She said Queensland’s internationally recognised oiled wildlife response expert Mike Short arrived in New Zealand last weekend and was already assisting the response efforts.
“Mr Short is the Statewide coordinator for oiled wildlife response for Queensland waters and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and led the wildlife recovery operation following the Pacific Adventurer spill,” Ms Darling said.
“He began working in oiled wildlife responses in 1996 and has been involved in responses in Queensland, Victoria, the Timor Sea, New Zealand, Thailand, Brazil, South Africa, Spain and the USA.
“He has been assisting the oiled wildlife response operations though planning, training local NZ personnel and directly through response activities at the wildlife rehabilitation centre at Tauranga.
Ms Darling said further members were on standby to assist if required.
She said the SCAT crews were being sent following a request from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for shoreline assessment teams.
“Sadly, there has already been some loss of bird life due to the oil spill and many beaches and islands have been affected,” Ms Darling said.
“Sending our trained and experienced SCAT crews will help to limit the damage and promote the recovery of the affected area,” she said.
20 October, 2011
More switching on
to power saving
Queensland’s ClimateSmart Home Service has grown into the biggest in-home energy reduction program in the country according to the Minister for Environment, Vicky Darling.
Ms Darling announced that the scheme had signed up 300,000 households who were taking on the ClimateSmart challenge in the hope of saving money on electricity bills.
Ms darling said nearly a million Queenslanders had taken up the ClimateSmart challenge.
“Thank you Queensland – so far your savings combined are equal to taking almost one million cars off the road for a year – and I applaud your commitment to reducing our State’s carbon footprint,” Ms Darling said.
“Every hour an average of 29 services are being delivered anywhere in Queensland – whether you are in Cairns, Brisbane, Mt Isa, Rockhampton or Stradbroke Island you can benefit from the ClimateSmart Home Service.”
She said the wireless power monitor, standby power eliminators and other ClimateSmart products were genuinely useful in helping householders save energy and water by using appliances more efficiently without making huge lifestyle changes.
“I encourage Queensland householders who haven’t signed up yet for a service to do so today – it’s not too late to start savin’ bundles and join the ClimateSmart community,” Ms Darling said.
She said Queenslanders joining the service could save up to $480 on electricity bills and help cut up to 2.5 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
“I’d also like to congratulate the ClimateSmart ‘green collar’ team of more than 90 electricians and 40 call centre and support staff who are out talking to Queenslanders every day to help householders reduce their energy bills.”
Ms Darling said for $50, ClimateSmart Home Service customers received more than $400 in products and services that included a visit from an electrician to conduct a household power assessment; five compact fluorescent bulbs and an installed water-efficient showerhead; an installed wireless energy monitor; an installed set of four stand-by power eliminators; electric hot water system thermostat adjustment; a tailored personal energy savings plan including a personal energy efficiency target; and post service support to help households continue to manage their electricity use better.
She said for more information or to book a service, phone 133 600 or visit this PS News link.
20 October, 2011
Planning changes put
call-ins on hold
Changes to the planning laws that would require the Minister to consult with affected members of the community before ‘calling in’ a development application have been introduced into Parliament by the Minister for Local Government, Paul Lucas.
Mr Lucas said targeted consultation would become compulsory under amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act.
He said the amendments were necessary following the Supreme Court’s Landel decision in 2009 in which it was made clear that affected parties needed to be able to make representations to the responsible Minister prior to a call-in being decided.
“That’s what these amendments will achieve,” Mr Lucas said.
“Under the new laws, affected parties will have a set period of time to make their views known.”
He said the time allocated for the parties present submissions to the Minister would depend on a number of circumstances but would ultimately mean an informed decision could be made.
“Following the Landel decision, we have been seeking the views of affected parties but doing this in the timeframes allocated before the decision,” Mr Lucas said.
“These new laws will allocate specific timeframes so people have time to submit their views and the responsible Minister has time to form an appropriate decision about whether or not a call in is warranted.”
Mr Lucas said in his two terms as Planning Minister he had been involved in 10 call-ins of which eight had been decided.
“Of the eight decided call-ins, five were refused and three were approved,” Mr Lucas said.
“One was subject to a further information request.”
“Every single one of those cases were in favour of the Council technical recommendation, and to this day I never turned a Council refusal into an approval.”
Mr Lucas said the legislation would go to a Parliamentary Committee before being considered by the Parliament.
20 October, 2011
Better childcare
comes into play
All State and Territory Governments, including Queensland, have signed up to Australia’s first truly national regulatory system for early childhood education and care services.
The move has been hailed as a significant milestone in boosting quality and transparency in Australian child care centres.
Federal Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis said the evidence was clear that the quality of the experiences children had in their first five years of life had a profound influence on their future wellbeing.
“With more children than ever before being enrolled in early childhood education and care, those early experiences are being increasingly shaped by their child care experiences,” Ms Ellis said.
“The regulations that all States and Territories have signed up to will mean that parents can now have confidence that no matter where they live and no matter what child care centre their child is attending – they will be receiving an appropriate standard of care.”
She said the Australian Government had committed an additional $2 million to print and distribute a comprehensive set of supporting materials for child care centres to assist with the harmonisation of regulations.
These materials would be available soon through the new national body, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
Ms Ellis said the National Quality Framework was being implemented by all Australian Governments and would start to take effect from 1 January next year.
The Minister said it would improve educator-to-child ratios so that each child received the individual time and attention he or she needed.
20 October, 2011
Homeowner survey to
bring message home
A major survey of Queensland homeowners is to be conducted to identify trends in the patterns of household energy use and attitudes towards energy saving and conservation practices.
Minister for Energy, Stephen Robertson said the Queensland Household Energy Survey 2011 would provide a snapshot of current and potential future energy demands and assist with electricity network planning in the short and long term.
“The household energy survey, to be conducted by research firm Colmar Brunton on behalf of Queensland’s energy companies Ergon Energy, Powerlink Queensland and Energex, follows similar research conducted during the past two years,” Mr Robertson said.
“Around 3,500 households are expected to participate in this year’s online survey to gauge household appliance penetration, usage attitudes and behaviours.”
Mr Robertson said the two previous surveys had revealed a number of interesting trends including a desire by residents to reduce their overall energy use, but also a surge in energy-intensive appliances which has driven up peak electricity demand.
“The 2010 survey, which was released in March, found Queenslanders for reasons of comfort, entertainment and lifestyle were increasingly filling their homes with air conditioners and a raft of high energy consuming appliances,” Mr Robertson said.
“The survey revealed 74 per cent of South East Queensland homes now have air-conditioning – almost treble that from just 10 years ago.”
Mr Robertson said the survey also revealed that there were around 1.6 million air-conditioning systems in South East Queensland – up by more than 150,000 in the past 12 months with an average of almost 3,000 systems being installed each week.
“And this trend looks like continuing with the report predicting that 85 per cent of South East Queensland homes will have at least one air-conditioner installed by 2016 and the average home will have two or more systems,” Mr Robertson said
He said one of the most pleasing aspects of the 2010 household report was that 75 per cent of those surveyed thought it was important to reduce their energy consumption and save money.
“The key benefit for all here is that by reducing the impact of peak demand the broader community stands to gain, especially with a flow through to electricity prices,” the Minister said.
He said the 2011 Survey had already commenced and would run online until early November.
20 October, 2011
Mental health awards
recognise headway
The 2011 Queensland Mental Health Achievement Awards have been presented with Government-run programs and Public Service staff recognised for their achievements.
Executive Director of the Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Directorate, Aaron Groves, said the annual awards were an opportunity for the mental health sector and the broader Queensland community to celebrate excellence in mental health care.
Dr Groves said two joint Department of Education and Training and Department of Communities recovery oriented training initiatives were honoured in the Awards.
He said the Certificate IV in Mental Health course won the ‘Government service/program - research and education’ category, while the Recovery-Oriented Mentoring Project was named as a finalist.
“Since their introduction in 2008, the awards have honoured outstanding individuals, groups, organisations and programs whose efforts have helped foster leadership, innovation and continuous improvement in mental health care in Queensland,” Dr Groves said.
“Certificate IV in Mental Health courses are now delivered from a recovery-oriented perspective across 15 TAFEs.”
He said two ABC television journalists were also honoured in the Awards – Paul Lockyer who won the media category and Kathy McLeish who was a finalist.
“For these two ABC journalists and their crews, the awards acknowledge that their efforts in reporting the human impact of natural disasters is valued by their peers, the general public and the mental health sector,” Dr Groves said.
“Paul Lockyer provided Queenslanders with the first reports from flood-devastated
Grantham.”
“Through empathetic reporting, he became closely involved with the local community and spent time getting to know affected locals and their stories.”
“Kathy McLeish’s report, ‘Emotional fallout’, raised awareness of the mental health impact of the summer natural disasters,” Dr Groves said.
“Her report highlights the emotional effect of the disasters on individuals and communities and the limited capacity of flood-affected service providers to respond.”
Dr Groves said this was the fourth year Queensland Health had partnered with the non-government organisation Open Minds to deliver the Queensland Mental Health Achievement Awards.
He said there was a strong field of almost 90 nominations received from individuals, organisations, clinicians, clinical teams, businesses, communities and media outlets, demonstrating the breadth and vibrancy of the mental health sector.
He said more information about the 2011 Queensland Mental Health Achievement Awards finalists and winners was available from this PS News link.
20 October, 2011
Care workers trained
in mental health
A new mental health and emotional wellbeing project has been launched for older Queenslanders.
Minister for Mental Health, Curtis Pitt said the Older Person’s Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (mhWISE) project would deliver mental health awareness training to 800 Home and Community Care workers across Queensland.
“These workers do a great job providing services which enable thousands of Queenslanders to live independently in their own homes,” Mr Pitt said.
“With this extra training they will also be equipped to identify signs of mental ill health, such as depression, and social isolation.”
He said the skills of the Home and Community Care were to be enhanced so they could reach and support those who needed help most.
Mr Pitt also announced that the Cairns Co-Responder Trial would be extended.
He said the Queensland-first service helped people with a mental illness who were involved in police call outs.
He said that as part of the trial, a designated mental health clinician accompanied police on call-outs where someone was suspected of suffering a mental health issue and made an assessment of the person’s mental health needs on the spot.
“Since its inception, the Cairns Co-responder team has had over 300 interactions with 127 individuals,” Mr Pitt said.
“The feedback from carers and consumers to the trial has been extremely positive.
“They feel that crisis situations have been managed very professionally and with respect by the Co-Responder team.”
Mr Pitt said there had been a 13 per cent reduction in the frequency of contacts with people who before the trial, had had a high rate of contact with the police.
“This service is about providing an appropriate and timely response in a crisis situation involving a person with a mental health related issue,” Mr Pitt said.
“By extending the trial for an extra six months, we’ll be able to get a clearer picture of how successful the service is by having more data.”
20 October, 2011
Caring and sharing
in new carers’ plan
A new Carers Action Plan has been launched to provide a blueprint for ensuring Queensland carers get the support they need in their role as carers.
Minister for Disability Services, Curtis Pitt said the Queensland Carer Action Plan 2011-14 focused on delivering support and services to meet the varying needs of Queensland’s estimated 500,000 carers.
Mr Pitt said this week’s Carers Week, which runs to Saturday (22 October) was the perfect time to launch the Queensland Carer Action Plan.
He said the plan was based on three areas – recognition and respect for carers; support for carers; and carers’ participation.
“Priorities include improving carers’ health and wellbeing, increased community access for carers and supporting carer participation in education, training and the workforce,” Mr Pitt said.
“Carers often need help and support to juggle their role as carers with their education or work commitments, or simply to find time to spend with family and friends.
“Supporting carers is everyone’s business and that’s what this plan is all about.”
Mr Pitt also launched the Carer Tribute Gallery which will be established to shine a spotlight on Queensland carers.
“In 2010 the estimated replacement value of informal care provided across Australia was $40.9 billion,” Mr Pitt said.
“But the true value and contribution of carers is both inestimable and irreplaceable.
“That’s why we’re acknowledging the contribution of Queensland carers through the Carer Tribute Gallery.”
Mr Pitt encouraged people to nominate a carer to the tribute gallery.
He said the value of carers was officially recognised through the Carers (Recognition) Act 2008.
“We’ve also introduced a Carers Charter and established the Queensland Carers Advisory Council and Office for Carers,” Mr Pitt said.
“And through the Carer Business Discount Card, we provide eligible carers with discounts on goods and services from participating businesses.”
He said this was in addition to the Companion Card, which promoted fair ticketing for people with a disability.
Mr Pitt said to nominate a carer for the tribute gallery people should go to this PS News link before 31 December 2011 and to view the Queensland Carer Action Plan 2011-14 they should visit this PS News link.
20 October, 2011
Police link with
SupportLink
The Queensland Police Service is to roll out its SupportLink project across the State following trials in North Brisbane, Pine Rivers, Logan and Rockhampton.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said SupportLink was aimed at assisting young people address issues that were often identified as contributing factors in the development of criminal and self-harming tendencies and anti-social behaviour.
Commissioner Atkinson said the Supportlink partnership had allowed the Queensland Police Service to replace initial fax-back type programs with more efficient and accountable processes such as E-referrals.
He said the relationship with SupportLink in Queensland started with the Coordinated Response to Young People at Risk project, which commenced in 2002.
Commissioner Atkinson said SupportLink commenced in Queensland in May 2010 and the partnership with the Police Service was only made possible with the support of Xstrata Coal.
“This initiative is one project that I am confident will have a lasting impact,” Commissioner Atkinson said, “on police officers, the broader Queensland community and in particular the lives that will be changed, in a beneficial way, due to the efforts of the support agencies.”
He said the use of SupportLink throughout Queensland had facilitated 7,566 referrals made by 1,547 police officers to date.
He said referral activity had occurred in metropolitan areas as well as regional, rural and remote areas, delivering support to Queenslanders regardless of their geographical location.
20 October, 2011
Healthy plans for
Cape health plan
A new, integrated and family-centred model of health care that encourages people to take ownership of their own health outcomes is being developed in the Cape York Health Service District.
Chief Executive of the Health District, Susan Turner said the Cape York Integrated Health Care System project was designed to engage communities, families and individuals to improve health outcomes and minimise avoidable hospitalisations.
“Our current health care system is very medically oriented and tends to focus more on dealing with the more acute manifestations of physical and mental health problems,’’ Ms Turner said.
“What we’re looking at is a more preventative model that is far more culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities because it gives them the capacity to improve their own health outcomes and to sustain that improvement.”
“What we want is to ensure that developing mental and physical health conditions are identified very early on and addressed at the community and family level before they degenerate to the point where acute medical care is required.”
Ms Turner said the new system would also deliver better coordination of health and social services among the varying service providers, both government and non-government.
She said the District had received $1.8 million in funding for the next three years to develop the detail for the new model and implement a pilot project.
She said the framework for the new, Indigenous-friendly model of care currently was being finalised.
“We then plan to test the new model of care through a pilot project involving the communities of Weipa, Napranum and Mapoon from January 2012,” Ms Turner said.
“If it proves successful there, we will start rolling it out across the rest of the Cape District.”
She said the new integrated health care system recognised the vital role primary health care workers played in the prevention of chronic diseases and the management of existing conditions and sought to provide services sooner by reducing, and where possible eliminating, barriers to access
“We will do this through the use of appropriate appointments systems, community-based services and the use of an electronic patient management system and shared electronic record to ensure that the right information gets to the right place at the right time,” Ms Turner said.
20 October, 2011
And In Other News...
New schools safety program
A new safety education program has been introduced to teach school children about how to avoid spinal injuries and stay safe on the road.
The Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT) program will to deliver important safety messages to children across Queensland and is designed to inspire young children from Prep to Year 7 to be safe when riding their bicycle, swimming or being a passenger in a car.
SEAT presentations are free and schools can get more information from this PS News link.
QBuild apprentice shines
QBuild refrigeration mechanic, Liam Janetzki has won a silver medal at the WorldSkills Championships in London.
The 22-year-old from the Darling Downs finished second on 540 points in the final, just four points behind the gold medal winner from Brazil.
The final involved the installation of refrigeration on a single door freezer, within 12 hours and an air conditioning unit within four hours.
QBuild is one of the largest employers of building trade apprentices in Queensland.
New go card incentives
New go card incentives are to include free travel for frequent users and more off-peak discounts to encourage more people to use the public transport network.
The new rewards for frequent users are to maximise the use of available seats.
A 10-journey cap will be introduced, while the off-peak discount for go card will also be boosted from 15 to 20 per cent on all journeys between 9am and 3.30pm, after 7pm, and on weekends and public holidays.
The changes are being introduced from the beginning of 2012, when new fares will also be introduced.
Learner drivers in hotseat
Learner drivers who drive unaccompanied stand to lose their licences under proposed tough new road safety rules.
Between May 2010 and May 2011, 13,824 infringements were issued to unaccompanied learner drivers and riders so the penalty is to be increased from one demerit point to four.
Learner drivers risk suspension if they accumulate four or more demerit points in a 12 month period.
The current penalty for learners who drive unaccompanied is a $160 fine and one demerit point and the proposed changes come into effect by early 2012.
Outworker code examined
The Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland will conduct an evaluation of the clothing outworker code of practice, which has been in operation for more than nine months.
The evaluation will focus on the administrative aspects of the code and involve key industry stakeholders such as unions, retailers, manufacturers and employer organisations.
The code was introduced to protect the rights of vulnerable and exploited workers in the clothing and textile industry.
The evaluation will be conducted over the next months and a report prepared for government when the evaluation is completed.
Gully and creek named
Ryans Gully and Post Office Creek in the D’Aguilar Range have been formally named following public consultation.
The two areas were officially added to the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) place name database.
Ryans Gully is located near the township of D’Aguilar and is named after Thomas Ryan who owned 78 acres in the parish of Durundur until his death in 1955.
Post Office Creek is located near Woodford and was originally named after the nearby former Woodford Post and Telegraph Office which closed in 1934.
Landlords win tax break
Investment property owners involved in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council’s land swap program are to be eligible for capital gains tax (CGT) relief due to the floods last summer.
About 40 per cent of the properties eligible to be swapped as part of the program are investment properties and the Federal measure allows taxpayers to choose a CGT exemption when they participate in an Australian government agency program that provides replacement assets to taxpayers affected by a natural disaster.
Statue shortlist decided
Three international artists have been shortlisted to create a $1 million outdoor sculpture to mark 20 years of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.
The winning scuptor will be selected from Huang Yong Ping, Michael Parekowhai and Rirkrit Tiravanija in November.
The artists will now develop a detailed proposal for consideration by the selection committee, made up of representatives from the gallery, Events Queensland and the Indigenous community.
The winning sculpture will be unveiled at the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in December 2012 and be placed on the banks of the Brisbane River at GoMA’s eastern corner.
13 October, 2011
PS tests positive in
attitude survey
The results of public surveys measuring the community’s perceptions of the Public Service and Local Government have been released by the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).
The surveys reveal that the PS enjoys a positive image among Queenslanders with interactions seen as supportive and positive.
Complaint handling at the Local Government level could be improved however.
Chairperson of the CMC, Martin Moynihan said the surveys were conducted as part of the CMC’s monitoring function and measured the extent to which public sector agencies and employees were meeting the Queensland public’s expectations of service delivery.
“The results from the 2010 survey show that the public has a positive view of Public Service employees,” Mr Moynihan said.
“Interactions with employees tend to be positive, and the results continue to highlight the role of factors such as courtesy and respect in shaping clients’ perceptions of the Public Service in general.”
He said some results indicated that public expectations about complaints handling were not being met.
“Queenslanders are now more likely to believe that not enough is being done to combat corruption in Public Service agencies,” Mr Moynihan said.
He said that consistent with previous surveys, most respondents (87%) believed that corruption would always exist in the Public Service with half (53%) agreeing that the chances of getting caught doing something corrupt in the PS were slim.
Almost all respondents (90%) believed that complaints about the PS should be investigated by an independent body although the respondents who actually made a complaint directed it to the relevant agency (56%) and rarely referred it to an independent body such as the Queensland Ombudsman (6%).
Mr Moynihan said improvements in complaints handling processes and public education about the capacity of PS agencies and oversight bodies to prevent, detect and respond to allegations of misconduct may help reverse the public perception.
The report recommended that the public be informed about the internal mechanisms that agencies had in place to prevent, detect and investigate misconduct, and that agencies’ complaints processing systems and protocols be improved.
The full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Archives a-twitter
over social media
Queensland State Archives has issued a new Public Records Brief on the management requirements for public records created through the use of social media.
The Brief, Social media and public records makes clear that records created in social media are required to be managed just like any other public record.
“The Public Records Act 2002 does not define a record by its format,” the Brief says.
“Public authorities that embrace social media must manage the content created in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements.”
The Brief says social media was characterised by interactivity, information sharing and collaboration.
“Through social media, individuals or groups of individuals create, organise, edit, comment on, combine, and share content online,” it says.
“Content owners post or add content, but the audience also has the ability to contribute content.
“Social media encompasses a number of emerging technologies.”
The Brief says social media was becoming increasingly popular as a business communication tool and there is a need to manage the information resources being created within the various channels.
It says its 2010 Recordkeeping and Web 2.0 Survey found that 10 of the 13 Government Departments were currently - or would soon be - using social media tools including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Brief says public authorities that embraced social media must manage the content created in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements of the Public Records Act 2002, Information Standard 40: Recordkeeping and Information Standard 31: Retention and Disposal of Public Records.
It provides a checklist to identify whether information contained on social media tools should be captured as a public record and says the issues that need to be addressed included policies and procedures, roles and responsibilities, creation and management of records, and retention of records.
The Public Records Brief Social media and public records can be accessed at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
New Commission to be
mental as anything
The Queensland Government is to establish a new and independent Mental Health Commission.
Premier Anna Bligh said the new Commission would be the cornerstone of ongoing reform.
Ms Bligh said the Commission would act as a strong advocate for mental health clients and their families; improve the coordination, effectiveness and performance of mental health services; ensure resources were deployed to where they were most needed; develop a strong evidence base to support government spending; and promote greater transparency in the allocation of resources.
She said international evidence suggested that a dedicated, stand-alone Commission could improve the mental health system’s ability to focus on the individual needs of clients and their families and to provide more effective and coordinated services, ranging from acute care to community-based services.
“As well as supporting further transformation of the mental health system, establishment of the Commission will position Queensland to better respond to emerging priorities, pressures and opportunities and to drive ongoing reform locally and nationally,” Ms Bligh said.
“As an independent body, the Commission will provide strong leadership and advocacy, and will focus on streamlining the mental health system rather than adding another layer of bureaucracy.
Ms Bligh said the Commission would engage continuously with consumers, families, service providers and other stakeholders, ensuring that consumers’ needs and human rights remained paramount at all times and that services remained accessible and well coordinated.
“It will also play a key role in combating the social exclusion, stigma and discrimination which people living with mental illness experience,” Ms Bligh said.
“We are establishing an Advisory Committee of experts and other stakeholders, chaired by Professor Beverley Raphael, to inform the design and development of the Queensland Commission.”
“We look forward to consulting widely over the coming months to ensure we put the right structure in place to continue driving the transformation and reform of Queensland’s mental health system,” the Premier said.
13 October, 2011
Slick response to
oil spill crisis
Oil spill experts from Maritime Safety Queensland are leading a national team in New Zealand where a container ship has grounded on a reef near Tauranga.
Minister for Marine Infrastructure, Craig Wallace said the Maritime Safety Queensland staff had the expertise and experience needed to assist in the “extremely serious” incident.
“Incidents such as the Pacific Adventurer oil spill and the Shen Neng 1 grounding have given our MSQ oil response people a high level of real life experience,” Mr Wallace said.
“We are only too willing to share the knowledge and skills of those experiences where it’s needed.”
He said the oil slick was reportedly streaming from the Liberian registered 236-metre cargo vessel MV Rena, which ran aground 12 nautical miles off Tauranga on the coast of New Zealand’s north island.
He said the ship was carrying 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and about 2,100 containers of various products.
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is answering a request for assistance from New Zealand by providing a team of about seven or eight oil spill response experts drawn from across various States,” Mr Wallace said.
“Maritime Safety Queensland will initially provide two teams of three to be rotated on a week-on, week-off basis.”
“The national team will be headed by Maritime Safety Queensland Marine environment protection manager John Wright.”
Mr Wallace said two more Queensland team members had flown
13 October, 2011
Arts bodies in
the frame
An audit of the systems in place in the Queensland Museum, State Library of Queensland and Queensland Art Gallery has found that two of the three were adequate for the acquisition of exhibitions but that the Gallery would benefit from improved governance.
The audit also found that Arts Queensland was not capitalising on opportunities for collaboration among the three Art Statutory Bodies (ASBs) due to the absence of a Cultural Centre strategy.
In his audit report Acquisition and public access to the Museum, Art Gallery and Library collections, Auditor-General, Glenn Poole said the opportunity existed for Arts Queensland to take a leading role in promoting and developing greater collaboration between the ASBs by developing an Arts and Culture Tourism and Event Strategy, a Cultural Centre strategy and encouraging greater cross promotion and development of exhibitions and programs.
“Arts Queensland, in undertaking its role of advising and supporting the Minister, has good systems in place to engage with the three Art Statutory Bodies (ASBs) at an individual level,” Mr Poole said.
“However, there is a lack of systems to fully capitalise on the unique advantages provided by the co-location of the bodies within the one Cultural Centre.”
He said there was no Cultural Centre strategy or plan to promote a shared and collaborative vision for the precinct and no cultural tourism and events strategy existed to promote and position Queensland within the competitive domestic and international market.
“There is a risk that perceptions about the statutory independence of these three statutory bodies could unnecessarily limit cooperation,” Mr Poole said.
He also said governance of the systems relating to the acquisition of exhibitions by the Queensland Art Gallery was not adequate.
“The Gallery does not apply the same rigorous controls to acquiring exhibitions as it does to the acquisition of permanent works, despite the often considerably greater costs involved,” the Auditor-General said.
“The decision-making and approval process is not documented and there is a lack of appropriately endorsed financial delegations for exhibitions.”
Mr Poole said not documenting the decision-making and approval processes diminished accountability and transparency and failed to provide safeguards for decision makers.
He said the Museum, Gallery and Library all had adequate systems to provide physical and virtual access to their collections and exhibitions.
He made nine recommendations including developing a Cultural Centre strategy and plan, identifying and agreeing on areas of shared objectives and developing common performance measures in those areas, and sharing performance data and feedback.
The Auditor-General’s full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Recordkeepers
log onto blogs
Queensland State Records has published a Public Records Brief advising public sector Agencies on the management of records in the form of blogs.
According to the Brief, Recordkeeping and blogs, a blog is a type of website with entries of commentary or news on a particular subject or a description of events.
It says blogs are becoming increasingly popular in the public sector as a business communication tool used to support engagement with a broad range of clients.
The Brief says a blog could contain public records if its entries provided evidence of decisions or actions taken by a public authority during its business activities and if so, the blog required records management.
The Brief provides advice to public authorities on identifying and managing blogs that were public records.
It provides a checklist to identify whether information contained within a blog would need to be managed as a public record, considering such matters as whether the public authority’s blog provided information about organisational programs or services not captured in another record; whether it gathered information that was later used to inform a decision or a policy position; whether it triggered an action or response by the public authority; or whether it acted as a diary of actions that documented a work process.
The Brief says that if the blog contained public records it should be captured and managed in accordance with the requirements of thePublic Records Act 2002 and associated Information Standards.
It says public records that documented the business activities associated with the blog must be created and captured into a recordkeeping system.
It says blogs captured as public records should be retained for the same length of time as other records documenting the business activity for which purpose the blog was created.
Blog comments captured as public records must maintain the contextual linkages to the business activity or transaction to which they relate.
According to the Brief, public authorities must also ensure that public records created in the use of blogs were appropriately created, managed, retained and disposed of in line with an authorised Retention and Disposal Schedule.
The Public Records Brief Recordkeeping and blogs, can be accessed at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Fine result from
fine collectors
The State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) has reported a record level of fines collected during September.
Queensland’s fine collection agency collected more than $16.87 million in unpaid fines and fees in September, breaking the previous record by $300,000.
SPER said the September collection beat the previous monthly collection record of $16.57 million set in July 2010.
It said the record month of collections came on the back of $16.38 million in August 2011 and brought its total financial year-to-date collections to $46.94 million.
Debts registered with SPER at 30 September 2011 included 828,866 under active compliance, 323,016 under active enforcement, 113,636 under deferral, and 1,356,691 awaiting enforcement.
SPER said debts under active compliance were those in which an arrangement had been entered to finalise the amount owing and could include a payment arrangement, unpaid community service, or within the “time to pay” period.
Debts under active enforcement were those that required enforcement action to be taken since they were overdue and not covered by a repayment arrangement.
SPER said debts under deferral were those awaiting action or deferred from further action, while debts awaiting enforcement were those waiting to be enforced of where additional information was needed before further enforcement action could be taken.
The Registry has now collected $1.09 billion since it began operations in 2000.
It advised anyone with unpaid fines to contact it on 1300 365 635 to arrange payment or discuss payment options.
More information about SPER’s operations is available from this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Campaign gives bang
to resource boom
A new campaign has been launched to encourage Queenslanders to find out about jobs available to them in the resources boom and the training they need to win them.
Premier Anna Bligh said a series of new advertisements would point interested people towards courses and skills training that would help them get jobs in the industry.
“The Work for Queensland – we need you here ads are specifically designed to help Queenslanders grab a piece of the boom in the mining and gas industries,” Ms Bligh said.
She said the ads directed people to a website where they could register for the new Resources 101 course to get ready to apply for jobs onsite, find information on upcoming Work for Queensland job expos, and search special jobs websites for resource sector vacancies.
“Queensland’s economy is on the verge of the next big leap forward,” Ms Bligh said.
“Our resources are more sought-after than ever before.”
“We have the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time and our State is ready to seize this moment.”
Ms Bligh said as many as 38,000 construction and operation jobs would be created in the resource industry between now and 2015.
“I want to see as many Queenslanders plugging into this boom,” Ms Bligh said.
“I want every Queenslander to have the chance to gain from this boom and that is what these ads are designed to help them do.”
Ms Bligh estimated there were up to 3,500 vacancies right now in the resources industry.
“We intend to make sure that as many Queenslanders as possible can take them up.”
She said the Work for Queensland initiative aimed to link job-seekers in areas of high unemployment – Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay-Burnett, Far North Queensland and the Whitsundays region – with job opportunities in the resources sector.
She said the campaign would include television commercials, radio, online and print advertising particularly in the regions where the Expos were being held.
13 October, 2011
Safety watchdog links
up with link project
Brisbane’s Airport Link tunnel project is being inspected daily following the death of a mechanical fitter.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) ordered the increase from fortnightly inspections to daily for the next two weeks.
WHSQ said an official investigation began within hours of the incident on 29 September 2011.
The Airport Link is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia and has been closely monitored by WHSQ and Comcare from the outset.
WHSQ said State and Federal inspectors had been conducting fortnightly compliance checks since work began in 2008.
WHSQ also conducted random, unannounced inspections, as well as responding to specific incidents and complaints during the course of construction.
It reported that the inspections identified a range of workplace health and safety issues typical of large tunnelling projects in particular, but none directly related to the recent fatality.
WHSQ has issued 22 enforcement notices to the principal contractor, Thiess, and various sub-contractors engaged at multiple Airport Link worksites.
The notices have addressed a range of risks, including occupational exposure to dust, plant and moving equipment and falls from heights.
WHSQ said improvement notices had also been issued in relation to matters such as self-rescue devices, access to emergency stations and fire-fighting equipment.
The Agency said its inspectors were conducting 12 other investigations unrelated to the latest incident.
13 October, 2011
Minister floats
boat advice
Boaties have been advised to carry out safety checks on their craft and equipment before hitting the water.
Minister for Marine Infrastructure, Craig Wallace said a simple safety check could save lives.
“Before you take the boat out, take the time to check all of your safety equipment is in working order,” Mr Wallace said.
He urged boaties to check there were enough lifejackets on board and that emergency flares and EPIRBs had not expired.
He also reminded boat owners to take a close look at the hull for damage or deterioration and check all the navigation lights.
“Many rescue calls for breakdowns on the water are the result of fuel problems, so make sure you have enough fuel to get home and that it’s fresh,” Mr Wallace said.
“Pay close attention to the fuel system, particularly any rubber components and fuel lines that can be subject to deterioration, even when the boat is stored.”
He said regular services and checks on a boat’s motor were critical for ensuring the safety of everyone on board.
“Simply starting the motor at home can save a great deal of time and angst,” Mr Wallace said.
“Don’t forget to look at the trailer, the tow hitch, lights, overall trailer condition and the wheel bearings.
“Also check the steering and throttle, engine oil level and condition.”
Mr Wallace said if boat owners had a marine radio, they should check the connections and test it properly by calling the local marine rescue from the ramp before backing the trailer in.
He said another important piece of equipment for any boatie was the emergency position-indicating radio beacon or EPIRB which helped locate people in distress.
“This is something no boatie should leave home without,” Mr Wallace said.
He said free copies of the Queensland Recreational Boating and Fishing Guide are available from Maritime Safety Queensland, other government departments and most chandleries.
13 October, 2011
Healthy messages in
complaints report
The Annual Report of the Health Quality and Complaints Commission (HQCC) reveals that the most common causes of complaints against the health system in 2010-11 were about inadequate treatment, medication, communication and information.
Chief Executive of the Commission, Cheryl Herbert said for the first time the report featured de-identified case summaries of all the investigations closed in the year.
Mrs Herbert said that whenever problems occurred there was an opportunity to review and improve.
“The HQCC aims to maximise the health system’s ability to learn from the experience of healthcare consumers and providers when things go wrong,” Mrs Herbert said.
She said more than half of all complaints received about healthcare organisations in 2010-11 were about public hospitals.
She said this distribution reflected the large number of patients dealt with by public hospitals and the more complex case mix and range of health services they provided.
Mrs Herbert said Queensland public hospitals provided admitted care to 922,738 people and provided 11,083,414 non-admitted patient services in 2009-10.
She said licensed private hospitals accounted for 10 per cent of complaints against organisations followed by medical centres with 8 per cent.
She said the distribution of complaints remained relatively consistent with previous years.
“Doctors and dental practitioners accounted for 93 per cent of the complaints we received about individual healthcare practitioners in 2010-11,” Mrs Herbert said.
“Doctors and dental practitioners provide more complex – and therefore higher risk - health services.”
“They are also often regarded by healthcare consumers as having the primary responsibility for their healthcare.”
The HQCC Annual Report for 2010-11 is available at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Housing plans for
Defence houses
Defence Housing Australia (DHA) has acquired a large parcel of land at Warner Springs in Brisbane to build homes and units for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and others.
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon said the site was worth approximately $35 million and would yield up to 465 residential lots, and two medium density super lots.
Mr Snowdon said DHA intended to retain around 30 per cent of the properties for the ADF and would make the remainder available to the general public.
“The development and project management agreement that DHA has entered into with Peet Limited is another positive example of how DHA is working with other industry leaders in the residential construction field,” Mr Snowdon said.
He said the site was located about 20 kilometres northwest of the Brisbane CBD and 17km from Enoggera Army Base.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said Brisbane has a proud defence history, with Enoggera being an important asset of the Defence Force for more than 100 years.
“I know how important it is for families to have quality housing nearby,” Mr Swan said.
“The purchase of this new land is great news for the local defence community and their families, and it is great news for the local economy and jobs.”
Mr Snowdon said the location of the estate was ideal for Defence members working at Enoggera, making their daily commute quick and easy.
“The acquisition of this site is critical for DHA to help in housing the increasing numbers of Defence personnel posted to the region and to reduce the dependence on the private rental market,” Mr Snowdon said.
He said DHA currently managed 18,000 properties across Australia worth about $9.6 billion.
13 October, 2011
Train station
off the rails
The South Brisbane train station is to close for six weeks for major upgrades and restoration.
Minister for Transport Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the $10 million upgrade project would restore and preserve the 120-year-old rail landmark and include structural maintenance, improved access for people with a disability and upgrading general station facilities.
“This is an important piece of Queensland history,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said the station was a vital commercial centre during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was used as a major terminal until 1986.
“South Brisbane was a popular stop for trams in their day, and a tram stop was located right outside the main entrance of the building,” she said.
“The masonry work and platform furniture are found at only three other stations built by 1901.”
She said all the heritage elements demonstrated the importance of restoring and preserving the station as part of Brisbane’s history for generations to come.
Ms Palaszczuk said most of the work would be carried out during the closure, with some ongoing works including brick restoration to take place next year when the station was open.
“They’ll be doing the major work that would otherwise impact normal station operations to ensure the historic integrity of this inner-city landmark,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“As someone who worked in the station during Expo ‘88, I’m pleased the pink paint is being removed and the historic red brick being revitalised.”
Ms Palaszczuk said train services would still travel through the station while it was closed but would not stop there.
“During the closure, people can go to South Bank station and use regular bus services on the nearby South East Busway at the Cultural Centre and South Bank busway stations,” Ms Palaszczuk said
She said it would be closed from 30 October to 9 December.
More information on the closure, restoration work and transport alternatives is available from this PS News link or this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Bullied kids told
it gets better
The Premier has urged the broader community to get behind an international campaign that encourages young people being bullied due to their sexuality that It Gets Better.
The Premier, Anna Bligh said it was important to acknowledge that life was complex and being a teenager could be tough.
“Bullying is a serious issue that many young people experience and it’s something I take very seriously,” Ms Bligh said.
“I want to say to young people – if you are experiencing a tough time, reach out and seek help.”
She said the campaign was founded in the United States a year ago, and had attracted 22,000 video messages as well as support from the likes of President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
“This initiative has a simple but important message,” Ms Bligh said.
“It Gets Better!”
She said research showed that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender youth who experienced bullying were more likely to suicide than heterosexual young people.
“I want to remind young people that there are people and organisations that can help, and I encourage anyone in need – whether they’re gay or straight – to talk to someone and reach out.
“You are never alone.”
Ms Bligh said anyone could record their own video message and encouraged Queenslanders to join her in reminding young people that it does get better.
More information about the campaign can be found at this PS News link.
13 October, 2011
Tourism doing job
with working visas
A new campaign to lure young English people and Nordic travellers to Queensland has been launched by the Minister for Tourism, Jan Jarratt.
Ms Jarratt said the Work and Play campaign would take some of the stress out of travel for its intended targets as well as offer some great prizes.
“We are offering backpackers a ready-made working holiday complete with a working holiday visa and a real, short-term job in some of Queensland’s top tourism hot spots,” Ms Jarratt said.
“Thanks to the support of our partners and local tourism operators we have 18 free visas on offer – a saving of £270 each – for young Brit and Nordic travellers, along with a short-stay job so they can spend more time, energy and money playing in Queensland.”
Ms Jarratt said some of the jobs available included a guest services agent and housekeeping attendant with the At Hotel Group in the Whitsundays, and waiting positions at Enzo’s on the Beach in Hervey Bay and at Noosa Backpackers Resort.
“We have 37 participating businesses offering prizes or jobs, with short-term work placements available on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane and Moreton regions, the Sunshine Coast, Whitsundays and Far North Queensland,” Ms Jarratt said.
“For those who don’t win a Work and Play ticket, there’s runner up prizes including a holiday to be won.”
Ms Jarrett said the campaign was being conducted by Tourism Queensland in association with UK-based STA Travel and Nordic travel wholesaler Kilroy.
“To be in the running, UK and Nordic residents need to tell us why they deserve to escape their chilly northern hemisphere for some fun in the sun in Queensland,” Ms Jarrett said.
She said Work and Play was estimated to reach millions of young travellers through prominent online and print advertising across STA travel stores and websites, social media activities and email blasts out to the STA and Kilroy networks.
The online competition at this PS News link allows visitors to download a free essential guide to working and playing in Queensland.
Entries close at the end of November and visa conditions would apply.
13 October, 2011
Archives targets web systems
Queensland State Archives has issued a Public Records Brief on the recordkeeping requirements for Web content management systems.
According to the Brief, when choosing and implementing a WCMS, public authorities should ensure that the system has sufficient recordkeeping functionality to be integrated with a recordkeeping system.
Failure to keep full and accurate records of web-based activity will limit an authority’s ability to manage its business effectively and to meet legislative requirements.
The Brief includes a checklist of recordkeeping considerations such as policies and procedures, staff roles and responsibilities, creation, and management of public records, and deletion of records.
MPs pocket payrise
Queensland State MPs are to receive a 2.5 per cent pay increase this year, taking their base salaries to $137,149 from 1 August.
The salary increase applies to all MPs including office holders such as the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, Ministers, the Speaker and the Government and Opposition Whip.
A 3.8 per cent CPI increase in allowances was also approved from 1 July.
Gladstone fish cleared
The Department of Employment Economic Development and Innovation has lifted the temporary fishing closure centred on Gladstone Harbour.
The closure followed locally-caught fish showing signs of illness and reports that some local fishers were unwell after handling these fish.
Results from water quality analysis and fish testing confirmed fish in Gladstone area waters were not considered a food safety or human health issue.
All commercial, charter and recreational fishing activities are again permitted in the area.
No clear link has been established between the diseases in fish and infection cases identified in humans.
DERM releases water plan
The Department of Environment and Resource Managementhas released an amended Barron Resource Operations Plan, which implements key aspects of the Water Resource (Barron) Plan 2002.
The amended plan will provide increased water security and more flexible arrangements for water users in the Upper Barron River catchment.
The plan amendment converts nearly 200 existing surface water licences upstream of Tinaroo Falls Dam to tradeable water allocations that could be traded separate to the land title.
The Plan and a consultation report outlining how submissions were considered is available at this PS News link.
Men get shed on cape
A new Men’s Shed in New Mapoon in Cape York has been officially opened.
The shed will be a gathering place for Indigenous men from five local communities – Bamaga, Injinoo, New Mapoon, Seisia and Umagico – as well as providing mentoring and linking people with health services.
A coordination officer will be employed to deliver support services at the shed such as advice to men on health and wellbeing services and recreational activities.hter ties to India
A Queensland-India Business Council has been established.
The Council consists of business and community leaders providing advice on issues about trade, investment, education, science, tourism and culture.
Members are appointed for three years and consist of volunteers specifically selected for their diverse expertise and knowledge of working in and engaging with India.
India is Queensland’s third largest export market and its second largest international education market.
The Queensland-India Council has been modelled on the Queensland China Council which has been providing independent advice on Queensland-China relations for 22 years.
6 October, 2011
Audit follow-up finds
work still to be done
The Auditor-General has followed up on four audits from 2008 and 2009 to find more than half the 53 recommendations he made for improvement had been acted on.
In his report Follow up of four audits completed in 2008 and 2009, the Auditor-General, Glenn Poole, found that eight of the 10 Agencies audited had fully implemented at least half the recommendations he made and that all but one of the rest had been partially implemented.
He found that in two instances his recommendation has been replaced by alternatives and in one, his recommendation has not been addressed at all.
“Though it is pleasing to find the majority of recommendations and opportunities for improvement fully implemented,” Mr Poole said, “it is concerning that a number of the remaining recommendations and opportunities for improvement are those I found most critical at the time of the original audit.”
He said the four audits he followed up on were the Management of Rural Fire Services in Queensland (No. 3 for 2008), Protecting Queensland’s primary industries and environment from pests and disease (No. 5 for 2008), Transport network management and urban congestion in South East Queensland (No. 3 for 2009), and Providing the information required to make good regulation (No. 6 for 2009).
Mr Poole said one recommendation concerning the legal status of Rural Fire Brigades and their relationship with the Department of Community Safety raised a matter that needed urgent resolution at the time of his audit three years ago and remained unaddressed today.
He said other recommendations covered improvements to risk and accountability structures, allocation and resourcing systems that “threatened the sustainability of the Rural Fire Services”.
“The follow up audit found these very necessary system improvements had not been fully addressed,” Mr Poole said.
He said that his audit of Biosecurity Queensland (No. 5 of 2008) found the Agency’s ability to respond to an elevated number of outbreaks of pests and diseases had been compromised by workforce deployment issues created by ineffective emergency response planning.
“I note that a number of weaknesses identified in the findings underpinning my recommendations remain in place,” Mr Poole said.
“As long as these weaknesses remain in place, Biosecurity Queensland’s capacity to respond effectively and efficiently to pest and disease outbreaks will be encumbered by these systemic challenges.”
Mr Poole said however he was encouraged by the progress made by the four Agencies sharing responsibility for transport network management (No. 3 of 2009)
“I note that all Agencies now have current plans, and that new technology has been placed to collect data and monitor congestion in a number of identified trouble spots,” he said.
“However, until this data is regularly communicated to all responsible Agencies, it will not inform a coordinated and cohesive approach towards transport network and congestion management.”
He said his follow up on information required to make good Regulations (6 of 2009) found that line and central agencies had addressed the weaknesses he identified.
Overall, Mr Poole said he would have expected the more critical recommendations in his reports to have received priority in the Agencies audited.
“Work required for the most critical of solutions is often the most difficult,” he said.
“Work still needs to be done to ensure the full implementation of my recommendations.”
The full text of the audit is available from this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
New eBooks boost
State Library list
The State Library of Queensland’s book collection has been boosted by almost 20 per cent with about 100,000 non-fiction eBooks now available online for free.
Minister for the Arts, Rachel Nolan said reading eBooks instead of traditional print books was a growing trend and the State Library was committed to staying abreast of advances in the industry.
“Today’s announcement is another step forward in the Library’s commitment to digital knowledge sharing, with popular subject areas and titles such as Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids without Religion and Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters: The Healing Power of the Grimm Brothers’ Tales, alongside a range of research areas, now easily accessible online,” Ms Nolan said.
“The focus is research based, so like the State Library itself, eBooks will prove particularly popular with academics, university students and researchers.”
She said all Queenslanders were able to read or download the eBooks using their State Library e-services card, or by upgrading their Queensland public library card.
She said those looking to just broaden their mind on a particular topic would not be disadvantaged.
“This adaptability to new technologies and usage is a trademark of the State Library, and I congratulate them on their reputation as a national leader in the adoption of digital and online content and access,” Ms Nolan said.
She said the eBooks could be read online or downloaded on to an eReader device for offline reading, with the downloaded file simply disappearing at the end of the 24-hour period.
“The 24-hour loan period has been set with research use in mind, but readers can download the eBook again the next day at no cost to continue their reading,” Ms Nolan said.
“The State Library plans to monitor usage of the service and collection and adapt it as they see how readers are accessing and using the eBook collection.”
To apply for a free e-services card and search for an eBook visit this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Smoke alarm campaign
ready to go off
A campaign to remind householders of the importance of smoke alarms has been launched by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS).
Expected to cost $600,000, the campaign will centre around a mail-out to every Queensland home and Post Office box as well as general advertising.
Minister for Emergency Services, Neil Roberts said the 2011 Report on Government Services showed that only around 90 per cent of Queensland homes had a working smoke alarm fitted, despite it being the law.
“Last year we actually saw a decrease in the proportion of Queensland homes fitted with a smoke alarm,” Mr Roberts said.
He said 90.1 per cent of homes had a smoke alarm in 2008-09, while in 2009-10 the figure had slipped to 89.2 per cent.
“This simply isn’t good enough,” Mr Roberts said.
“House fires can be deadly.”
He said 18 people had died in residential house fires in Queensland since the start of 2011, including 11 in a fire at Slack’s Creek.
He said said in the past four months there had been 671 residential fires across the State.
“Since 1997 it has been a requirement under the Building Code that all new residential buildings are fitted with smoke alarms and in 2007 the government introduced laws mandating that all residential buildings, regardless of age, must be fitted with an alarm,” Mr Roberts said.
“I am hoping that this campaign will prompt the owners of the 10 per cent of properties that don’t have a smoke alarm to go out and buy one and install it.”
Fire Commissioner Lee Johnson said evidence was growing that photoelectric smoke alarms were more likely to save lives in a wider range of fires.
“It is in the critical early stages of a fire that photoelectric smoke alarms come into their own, because they more effectively detect particles of smoke before there are flames,” Mr Johnson said.
He said the better technology had shown itself to be more effective in slow smouldering fires, and just as reliable in detecting fast flaming fires.
“The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and all other Australasian fire services recommend photoelectric as a better alternative to those currently installed in most homes,” Mr Johnson said.
He said for more information on photoelectric smoke alarms call the Queensland Government call centre on 1300 369 003 or visit this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
State’s mine safety
is gold standard
An Annual Report from the Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health has confirmed the Queensland mining industry as one of the safest in the world.
Minister for Employment, Skills and Mining Stirling Hinchliffe said the Commissioner’s Annual Performance Report 2010-11 showed the industry’s overall lost time injury frequency rate continued to improve to 3.1 in 2010-11, down from 3.8 in 2009-10.
Mr Hinchliffe said the significant improvement in lost time due to injury in the State’s underground coal mines was highly encouraging - 3.8 in 2010-11 compared with 6.2 in 2009-10.
He said the lost time injury frequency rate in surface coal mines also improved.
“This downward trend was repeated in the State’s metalliferous mines, with a lost time industry frequency rate of 2.4 in 2010-11 compared with 3.3 in 2009-10 for underground metalliferous mines,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“Surface metalliferous mines also showed an improvement – a lost time injury frequency rate of 2.9 in 2010-11 compared with 3.2 in 2009-10.”
Mr Hinchliffe said lost time injury frequency rates for the quarrying industry needed further improvement – rising to 15.5 in 2010-11 from 12.3 the previous year.
He said lost time injury frequency rate was the number of lost time injuries/diseases per million hours worked.
Mr Hinchliffe said the Queensland Mines Inspectorate conducted 174 audits and 1,504 inspections – totalling 2,141 staff days – on mine sites throughout the State, and conducted 146 investigations of mine accidents and incidents totalling1,287 inspectorate days.
He said there were three fatal accidents in 2010-11, two in surface coal mines and one at an underground metalliferous mine, compared with one in a quarry in 2009-10.
“The unusual nature of two of these fatalities — a tyre exploding and fatally injuring a worker and the collapse of a small opal mining shaft in which a miner was buried — has prompted the Mines Inspectorate to increase its focus on tyre maintenance and opal miners in the coming year,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“Enhanced safety training of opal miners has started as part of the inspectorate’s Small Mines Initiative to improve health and safety management of miners in the gem and opal fields.”
The Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health’s Annual Performance Report 2010–11 can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Injured workers
working again
More injured Queensland workers are re-entering the workforce according to WorkCover’s 2010-11 annual report.
Acting Minister for Industrial Relations, Stirling Hinchliffe said that while WorkCover provided an effective safety net, it was no substitute for returning to work.
“Getting back to work is part of the healing process,” Mr Hinchliffe said, “so it is pleasing to see the return-to-work rate climbing from 90.7 per cent in 2009-10 to 93.6 per cent in 2010-11.”
“This is good news for workers, for employers and for the broader economy.”
He said reforms introduced last year to improve the way WorkCover and Q-COMP operated were also helping injured workers.
“This includes the Return to work assist program, which provides people with the hands-on help they need to get back to work sooner.
“This can include referring people to career information services, helping people update their resumes and improve their interview techniques, as well as linking people with training providers and other government-funded training programs.”
Mr Hinchliffe said the WorkCover annual report also identified a decrease in common law claims.
“Common law claims dropped by 9 per cent in 2010-11, which shows more people are preferring to use WorkCover to obtain fair compensation rather than entering into costly legal battles.”
He said Queensland employers were still paying some of the lowest average workers’ compensation rates in Australia with the average 2011-12 premium rate of $1.42 per $100 of wages still below the rates in New South Wales ($1.68) and Western Australian ($1.55).
“Raising the premium is an important part of ensuring the long-term sustainability of WorkCover,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“WorkCover remains financially sustainable with a solvency rate of 112 per cent.”
“Furthermore, the report shows that despite the difficult economic circumstances created by the global financial crisis, the financial position of WorkCover continues to improve.”
Mr Hinchliffe said WorkCover recorded a loss of $42 million in 2010-11, an improvement on the $259 million loss recorded in 2009-10, which showed the recovery was continuing well.
“WorkCover, like the global economy, is still facing some challenges but it is pleasing to see the financial position improve.”
The Annual Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Environment offsets
get green light
A new policy requiring developers and mining companies to offset the damage they cause to the natural environment has been announced by the Minister for the Environment, Vicky Darling.
Ms Darling said the Biodiversity Offset Policy would play a key role in protecting the State’s significant biodiversity values from the impacts of infrastructure, mining, petroleum and gas projects.
“The Biodiversity Offset Policy complements existing legislation that requires developers to first avoid and minimise their impact on our natural ecosystems,” Ms Darling said.
“Under this policy, where the loss of biodiversity cannot be avoided, an offset may be required as a condition of the development’s approval.”
She said the policy was based on a principle of no net loss of biodiversity and as a result, outcomes for biodiversity across the State would be improved.
“The use of biodiversity offsets will only be permitted where impacts are unavoidable on developments that have significant benefit, such as a community infrastructure project,” Ms Darling said.
“The policy will also contribute to achieving two key goals – reversing the decline in biodiversity, and increasing the resilience of species, ecosystems and ecological processes.”
She said the Biodiversity Offset Policy, which would commence on 3 October 2011, created a coordinated and consistent approach to offset environmental impacts from development.
“The policy has been developed following consultation with Local Government, industry and conservation groups and will guide decision making when offsets are required under legislation,” Ms Darling said.
“In the past, offsets for mining, petroleum and gas and major infrastructure projects were not necessarily consistently applied.”
“The new Biodiversity Offset Policy will fix this situation by setting out clear and consistent offset requirements to which developers will need to adhere to meet their environmental obligations.”
More information on the policy can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
More memories for
Police Memorial
Queensland Police Officers, Sergeant Daniel Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding, have had their names added to the National Police Memorial wall in Canberra, as part of National Police Remembrance Day last week.
The two new names join those of 750 officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since the first recorded police death in Australia in 1803.
This year’s event focused on the role of women in policing, with 13 policewomen listed on the National Police Memorial since the appointment of the first female police officers in 1915.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) held a dusk service in the national capital to honour the fallen police officers, in particular Sergeant Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Leeding.
AFP Commissioner Tony Negus said National Police Remembrance Day was a significant occasion to remember those officers who had put their lives on the line to serve the community.
“This day helps us to acknowledge the dangers of the profession, the stresses it places on individuals and the challenges that lie ahead,” Commissioner Negus said.
“These officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in upholding the law and providing a secure environment for their communities.”
He said the AFP was proud to recognise the role of women in police forces as they continued to make an integral contribution to policing in Australia and overseas.
National Police Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on 29 September, the Feast Day of Saint Michael the Archangel and Patron Saint of Police.
6 October, 2011
Flood of assistance
from QRAA
The Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA) approved its highest ever number of applications for assistance in 2010-11, processing 24,459 applications for $195.9 million.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies Tim Mulherin said the QRAA Annual Report 2010-11 demonstrated the unprecedented contribution the organisation had made to community recovery in the wake of Queensland’s summer of natural disasters.
Mr Mulherin said the annual report illustrated the effort of QRAA staff in delivering financial assistance to Queenslanders in their time of need.
He said thre was a 97 per cent increase in funding approved and more than 10 times the number of applications dealt with in the 2009-10 financial year.
“This includes 9,538 approved applications totalling more than $90 million in assistance to primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations affected by Queensland’s floods and 2,595 approved applications totalling nearly $25 million in assistance to primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations affected by Cyclone Yasi,” Mr Mulherin said.
He said the high level of assistance followed an unprecedented season of devastating natural disasters which resulted in close to $137 million approved under the joint Commonwealth and State Government Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
“The figures are a testament to QRAA’s responsiveness to natural disasters and commitment to fostering a more productive and sustainable rural and regional Queensland,” Mr Mulherin said.
He said in 2010-11 QRAA also actively strengthened Queensland’s rural and regional economies and helped primary producers create more productive and sustainable enterprises by approving more than $32 million in concessional loans under the Primary Industry Productivity Enhancement Scheme.
“During the year, QRAA positioned the organisation for further growth and invested in its service delivery capacity by adding seven new programs to its portfolio,” Mr Mulherin said.
“QRAA will continue to play a key role in delivering government assistance programs within Queensland and interstate.”
The Annual Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Building inspectors
being inspected
A statewide audit of building certifiers is taking place this week.
Minister for Building, Simon Finn said the Building Services Authority (BSA) conducted up to three certifier audits each year, targeting building and certification practices on site during construction work.
“These random audits involve BSA management and BSA technical staff, including BSA building certifiers and building inspectors,’’ Mr Finn said.
He said the certifier audits were in addition to the BSA’s usual certifier assessment audit process and were distinct from other BSA audits, such as natural disaster auditing and random audits that checked for unlicensed contracting, non-compliant contracts and other offences.
He said the BSA undertook certifier audits to ensure building contractors constructed building work in accordance with all codes and standards and that building certifiers’ inspections ensured all current codes and standards were complied with.
“The aim of these audits is to reduce future incidents of defective building work,” Mr Finn said.
“These audits help to protect home owners by ensuring work is completed to the necessary standard.”
Mr Finn said any defects noted were brought to the attention of the certifier by the building inspector.
“If the defect becomes the subject of a subsequent complaint and it is found the certifier had failed to take action to resolve the issue when originally notified of it, then disciplinary proceedings could commence against the certifier,” Mr Finn said.
6 October, 2011
Teachers resource for
first class curriculum
A new online package of resources for teachers and students to get the most from the Australian Curriculum has been announced by the Federal Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett.
According to Mr Garrett, the $41.2 million package would give all schools in metropolitan, rural and regional areas of Queensland access to new materials for the first seven subject areas so far developed under the Curriculum.
It will also offer cross-curriculum capabilities.
“The new Australian Curriculum will be the first fully digital curriculum,” Mr Garrett said.
“It will be accessible online to every school and teacher and will be linked to a wealth of additional materials that will be continuously expanded and updated over time.”
He said the funding would go to the publicly owned private company Education Services Australia which will work in partnership with education authorities and other groups to source and develop the new resources.
“We’ll also be offering online professional development support and resources for teachers, to help them deliver the new curriculum as it is rolled out over the coming years,” Mr Garrett said.
“It means that teachers and kids in regional or remote schools will have the same digital resources as city schools, so all students will have equal opportunities to learn and do well.”
He said the new package included $10 million to support teachers in their professional development; $5 million for language teaching and learning; $11.4 million for online materials for teaching English, maths, science, history, geography, languages and the arts; $5 million for technical improvements to enable the materials to be used by schools across Australia; and $9.8 million to make each part of the Curriculum easy-to-find for teachers.
Mr Garrett said new Curriculum would be a “huge benefit” to students and schools across the country because for the first time Australia would have a consistent, nation-wide program of learning for all students.
He said the Australian Curriculum was already being implemented in the ACT with some subjects due to be introduced in other States and Territories in 2012.
More information is available from this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Job security tames
wild river rangers
New measures to strengthen the job security of 40 Indigenous Wild River Ranger positions have been announced by the Premier Anna Bligh, as has the beginning of community consultation on the latest proposed Wild Rivers declaration for Queensland’s north.
Ms Bligh said the Wild River Rangers would now have a choice of becoming Queensland Government employees or continuing to be employed by host organisations.
“Under current arrangements rangers are employed through local host organisations with funding provided by the State Government,” Ms Bligh said.
“Individual rangers will now be free to choose a secure position as State Government employees or continue to be employed with their host organisation but with more security of positions within the communities.”
Ms Bligh said the new options were the result of consultation with Indigenous leaders and rangers.
She said the Wild River Rangers program contributed to building economic opportunities in remote parts of the State through natural resource management, while also protecting some of Australia’s most pristine river systems.
She said communities further south in the Lake Eyre Basin would have the opportunity to discuss the Wild Rivers declaration proposal for the Georgina and Diamantina river basins at a series of consultation meetings and public information forums running until the end of October.
She said a proposal had been released to declare the inland systems – which flowed through vast tracts of western Queensland – as Wild Rivers, covering a catchment of more than 263,000 square kilometres.
MP for Mount Isa, Betty Kiernan said the consultation meetings would give local residents and workers the opportunity to speak directly with staff from the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and find out more information about the Wild Rivers proposal for the area.
“Input on the proposal from members of the public is an integral part of the process,” Ms Kiernan said.
“This proposal recognises not only the Traditional Owners who have a deep understanding of the values of the Georgina and Diamantina basins, but also landholders who have worked to build a successful grazing industry alongside the region’s unique ecology for more than 160 years.”
More information about upcoming consultation meetings can be accessed at this PS News link or by calling (07) 4222 5532.
6 October, 2011
New transport kit
along for the ride
A free human resources kit is expected to help Queensland transport businesses manage all aspects of their workforce.
Director of Transform at Transport and Main Roads, Louise Perram-Fisk said People Plus was a practical workforce management toolkit specifically for the transport, logistics and supply chain industry in Queensland.
“People Plus is a free publication containing all the information, tools and resources businesses need to effectively attract, recruit, keep and manage employees,” Ms Perram-Fisk said.
“Supporting industry with tools such as these is vital, so we can get on with the task of Connecting Queensland.”
She said the transport, logistics and supply chain industry connected people and communities, moving goods and services, and providing access to employment, education, social services and recreational activities.
She said it also contributed nearly a fifth of the Gross State Product (equating to $15.8 billion).
“The rapid growth of this industry and the constant competition for skilled operators highlights the importance of managing its workforce,” Ms Perram-Fisk said.
“For a range of reasons, the vast majority of small to medium-sized businesses do not have staff dedicated to human resources and workforce planning strategies.”
Ms Perram-Fisk said transport, logistics and supply chain businesses in Queensland could use this resource for simple and practical ways to better manage their human resources.
She encouraged businesses to get a copy of the toolkit to assist them with the common people management issues they faced.
“People Plus is a great example of how the Department is connecting industry with the tools they need to strengthen workforce capability.”
She said the 128-page toolkit offered a comprehensive collection of human resource policies, forms, correspondence, checklists and sample items to help businesses find, keep, and develop the capability they needed to maintain or grow their business.
More information or free copies of People Plus are available from Transform on (07) 3306 6785 or by emailing transform@tmr.qld.gov.au
6 October, 2011
World class art
in the frame
An exhibition of 100 drawings by some of the greatest French artists of the late 19th century are to go on show exclusively at the Queensland Art Gallery next year.
Premier Anna Bligh said Modern Woman: Daughters and Lovers, from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, would exhibit from 24 March to 24 June 2012.
Ms Bligh said the exhibition was an international coup for the Queensland Art Gallery, organised in partnership with Art Exhibitions Australia.
“The Gallery, which includes the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), has successfully built a name for itself by attracting the big names in art and culture, international and exclusive exhibitions to our state,” Ms Bligh said.
“Paris’s renowned Musée d’Orsay is one of the world’s greatest repositories of 19th century French art and it is an honour that Queensland has secured the opportunity to present the works of leading artists such as Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Bonnard, Auguste Rodin, Georges Seurat and Gustave Courbet.”
She said the exhibition would depict the attitudes to women and the radical transformation of their many roles, within late 19th century French society.
“Adding to this amazing celebration of women, the exhibition will be complemented by the work of 21st century women artists in Contemporary Australia: Women, to show at GoMA from 21 April to 22 July 2012,” Ms Bligh said.
“I believe this extraordinary undertaking across both campuses will be a remarkable and inspiring story of women.”
Director of the Queensland Art Gallery, Tony Ellwood said the exhibitions would explore several key themes.
“Through the medium of drawing, Modern Woman: Daughters and Lovers captures the roles women assumed in the changing social and political landscape of Europe in the late-19th century,” Mr Ellwood said.
“Abandoning idealised representations of women as saints and goddesses, artists in this period increasingly turned to ‘real’ women as their subjects, depicting them with an increasing level of individuality.”
He said the exhibition captured women from a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds, in the private realm, engaged in family life and domestic activity, as well as in the public realm, as spectators, performers, and workers.
More information on the exhibitions can be obtained from this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Transport paper
shows the way
A new report prepared for the National Transport Commission shows that most Australians want a better transport system but reject many of the policies that would help pay for it.
A discussion paper has been released to encourage public comment.
According to the Chief Executive of the NTC, Nick Dimopoulos, the paper Smart Transport for a Growing Nation also highlights a lack of public knowledge about the way roads and rail systems were funded.
“Our research found that Australians have very little knowledge about the way that the transport system is funded, or about pricing models that operate overseas,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“Interestingly, when given further information, the community was more open to pricing reform – as long as it was fair and did not limit car use.”
He said the discussion paper explored opportunities for reforming Australia’s freight and passenger transport networks to respond to challenges such as population growth and ageing, urban congestion, accessibility, rising oil prices, and carbon pollution.
“The report examines the current transport system from a public user perspective, and provides a way to engage with individuals and organisations on opportunities for reform,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
He said urban congestion was identified as a growing issue affecting road users and the economy, with the cost of delays expected to reach $20 billion by 2020.
He said however that many Australians did not see public transport as a viable alternative, with over 90 per cent of all trips in Australia taken by private car.
“Our research found that Australians want better transport services and choices,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“Clear priorities for change included more frequent public transport services, better roads and new public transport routes.
“Yet transport users believe it is governments’ responsibility to fund improvements, without paying more.”
He said this attitude highlighted the fact that information and consultation was really the first step towards future changes to the transport system.
He said the Smart Transport for a Growing Nation discussion paper could be accessed at the NTC website this PS News link and would be open for public comment until 14 October 2011.
6 October, 2011
Agreement audit
found agreeable
An audit of the National Partnership Agreement for Natural Disaster Reconstruction and Recovery following the natural disasters of last year and earlier this year has found appropriate systems and processes in place and a positive and motivated workforce in the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
Conducted by the Auditor-General Glenn Poole, the audit assessed whether the Authority was fulfilling its role and complying with the requirements of the Agreement.
“The urgency and tight timeframes for establishing the Authority and the expected large number of individual project submissions, meant that prompt action and some ingenuity had to be applied,” Mr Poole said.
“The Authority has been able to rapidly set up its functions through a variety of means, including the use of established policies and procedures from organisations with similar functions.”
His audit found that the workforce employed by the Authority had the skills and experience to assess the many submissions received from Local Governments, State Departments and Agencies.
He said the Authority had the immense task of rebuilding Queensland and the audit and the Australian Government had significant interest in ensuring that its funding contribution was effectively utilised.
The Performance Audit was conducted during the ‘recovery phase,’ within the first six months of the Authority’s operations which Mr Poole said ensured early identification of any system weaknesses.
“The disadvantage of an early audit is that systems are still being developed and put into place,” Mr Poole said.
“This does not always allow for tested conclusions against maturing processes, and therefore further audit activity will be undertaken at a later stage.”
Mr Poole said overall, the governance arrangements directing the operations of the Authority and the Queensland Reconstruction Board were well-grounded in legislation and the Agreement.
He said his six recommendations would assist the Authority further develop its systems, policies and procedures.
The audit recommendations included that the Queensland Reconstruction Authority review and approve organisational policies and procedures in the areas of human resources, finance, communications and information technology and that it finalise value for money policies and procedures, particularly those taking into account the role and responsibilities of external service providers.
The full text of the Auditor-General’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
Disability plan a
10-year vision
The Minister for Disability Services has released a 10-year plan to create a better future for Queenslanders with a disability.
The Minister, Curtis Pitt said Absolutely everybody: enabling Queenslanders with a disability was a plan to create a brighter future for people with a disability over the next decade.
“This plan sets out a path where Queenslanders with a disability can participate in all aspects of community life,” Mr Pitt said.
He said the plan contained 10 priorities for action to help people access real opportunities in their communities.
“These include opportunities to learn in settings of their choice, access to public spaces and improved transport options,” Mr Pitt said.
“It’s also about increasing employment opportunities for people with a disability.”
Mr Pitt said the plan set employment targets for people with a disability in the public sector, while targeting improved support for students and parents to transition into work.
“There’s also a focus on giving people with a disability better access to mainstream and assistive technologies,” Mr Pitt said.
“This will help to support greater independence and participation at home, in educational and training settings, and in workplaces.
“We want to drive the development of mainstream technology and research to respond to the needs of people with diverse abilities.”
He said Absolutely everybody recognised the unique cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
“It also commits to increasing the number of homes built to adaptable standards, and to enhancing home modifications for people with a disability in remote communities.
“Furthermore, we’ll partner with tourism providers and facilities managers to increase access and inclusion at events and venues in built and natural environments.”
Mr Pitt said the 10 year plan was developed with input from government, business, industry, community groups, people with a disability and their families and carers.
“More than 1,300 people and organisations let us know their view as part of this consultation process,” the Minister said.
“The plan reflects the clear message few received that social inclusion in Queensland is everybody’s business.”
“We all have a responsibility to help people with a disability achieve their full potential and live extraordinary lives.”
The plan Absolutely everybody: enabling Queenslanders with a disability can be accessed at this PS News link.
6 October, 2011
And In Other News...
Payrise processed
The Division of Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations has advised Agencies to increase payrates to staff following a General Ruling of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).
PSIER has directed Agencies to increase award pays by 3.4 per cent or $22 per week, whichever is the greater, and to lift allowances by the same percentage.
The new arrangements are to date from 1 September 2011.
Health defends staff numbers
Queensland Health has rejected newspaper claims that administrative staff outnumbered frontline clinical staff saying the State had never employed more.
Deputy Director General of Finance Procurement and Legal Services at Queensland Health, Neil Castles rejected the claims saying that since March 2009 an extra 5,620 clinical staff had been hired.
“When record numbers of doctors and nurses are hired, it is not surprising they would require extra, medical records staff, payroll clerks, surgery booking clerks, and ancillary staff to support them,” Mr Castles said.
He said hiring of clinical staff far outstripped any growth in non-clinical staff.
More than 86 per cent of staff employed from June 2007 to June 2011 were front-line staff, he said.
Teachers reach finals
The National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) have announced the names of the 568 finalists of the NEiTA 2011 ASG Inspirational Teaching Awards.
The 202 finalists from Queensland schools and early childhood centres were the most from any State or Territory and were selected from 1401 Australia-wide nominations.
The full list of finalists can be accessed at this PS News link.
Radar for Townsville
A new weather radar has been commissioned by the Bureau of Meteorology in Townsville.
The Hervey Range radar – located about 21 kilometres south-west of Townsville – replaces the Mount Stuart radar, which has been in operation since 1971 and was one of the oldest in the Bureau’s network.
The radar’s primary purposes are the detection of rainfall and storms in the greater Townsville region, and also the long-range detection and monitoring of tropical cyclones as they approach the coast of Queensland.
To view real time data from the radar visit this PS News link and click on the radar link on the home page.
CMC drops case
The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) has completed its assessment of concerns regarding the Redcliffe Hospital Foundation’s management of the Moreton Bay Integrated Care Clinic project and will not investigate the matter.
The concerns relate to the Foundation’s management of the project and its compliance with financial and statutory requirements.
CMC Assistant Commissioner for Misconduct, Warren Strange said it had concluded that the concerns raised about the Foundation’s actions did not involve any non-compliance with required procedures that was motivated by improper purposes or criminal conduct.
Wet season preparations
The Bureau of Meteorology Queensland has urged communities to prepare early for the wet season.
A pre-season roadshow is underway with will include 13 seminars throughout the State to assist in preparation for the coming storm, cyclone and flood season.
According to the Bureau, the roadshow encourages a partnership approach to emergency management across Queensland, and provides a forum to share knowledge and experience from recent events to help the State prepare for, respond quickly to and recover from a disaster.
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