1. Purpose of the Welcome Aboard Guide
Government Boards are, in most cases, established by or under a Queensland Act of Parliament. These bodies are usually administered by a number of people specially appointed by a Minister, Cabinet or by the Governor in Council because of their particular skills or experience. These individuals are appointed for a fixed period of time and together make up a Government Board, which is responsible to a Minister for the general direction, control and operations of the Government Board. Members of Government Boards have similar roles and responsibilities, irrespective of the size of the body.
Members of the public with relevant experience or expertise may be considered for membership to Government Boards when a new Government Board is established, when casual vacancies arise, or at the expiration of the term of office of a Government Board or individual members. Appointment to a Government Board carries with it many serious responsibilities and obligations. Lack of knowledge of these responsibilities can seriously disadvantage both the individual and the Board for whose performance they are accountable to a Minister. It is vital that people currently undertaking or newly chosen for such appointments fully understand the scope of the task so that they are able to contribute in a meaningful and positive way to the administration of their Government Board.
This guide is designed to assist the establishment and operation of Government Boards and to assist members in the effective and efficient performance of their duties. The guide may be useful to officers responsible for the appointment process and for Chairs and Chief Executive Officers responsible for selection and induction. This is not a legal document nor is it intended to be exhaustive. It endeavours to consolidate into one document key information relevant to members of Government Boards.
There are several categories of Government Boards which are discussed in this guide. Government Owned Corporations (GOCs) are quite different from most other Government Boards and are subject to the requirements of specific legislation, namely the Government Owned Corporations Act 1993 and, in certain instances, the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The Office of Government Owned Corporations (OGOC) located within Queensland Treasury maintains policies and guidelines affecting GOCs and these are available on their website. Welcome Aboard provides general information (see in particular Chapter 11) but does not duplicate the specific information available from OGOC.
