Policy Advice, Coordination and Cabinet Support

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

Cabinet Services manages and coordinates all procedural, operational and logistical services supporting Cabinet and Cabinet Committees, including custodianship of Cabinet records from current and previous governments.

Key achievements 2016–17

Worked across government to drive policy implementation that supports the government’s jobs and economic development agenda, including:

• co-chairing the Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund (AQIAF) and Jobs and Regional Growth Fund Panel
• co-assessing applications for the $40 million AQIAF designed to attract businesses to Queensland to support new jobs
• supporting whole-of-government delivery of the Advancing North Queensland five-point plan to build jobs and create more opportunities in the north
• supporting job creation programs such as statewide capital works and infrastructure projects, Back to Work and Skilling Queenslanders for Work.

Drove the government’s North Queensland policy agenda and priority projects for regional economic and community development, including:

• implementing the Advancing North Queensland—investing in the future of the North plan, for example through the Powering North Queensland Plan and the Townsville City Deal
• coordinating the Interdepartmental Committee on Northern Australia
• coordinating the first regional meeting of the Premier’s Business Advisory Council in Townsville to discuss key challenges and opportunities for the North Queensland region
• providing support to the Directors-General responsible for implementing:
  • actions and strategies to break the cycle of youth crime in Townsville
  • the government’s four-point plan to achieve sustained calm in Aurukun
• delivering a whole-of-government strategic blueprint for the North West Minerals Province including additional funding of $39 million over four years to facilitate short and medium-term measures to support jobs and a strong and prosperous future.

Supported the government’s reform agenda for justice, health and community-related initiatives, including:

• engaging with regional communities to inform the finalisation of Action on ice—the government’s draft plan to tackle ice use in Queensland
• strategic oversight of the statewide roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
• facilitation and implementation of the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry recommendations
• providing policy direction, leadership, coordination and support in relation to Queensland’s disaster management and counter-terrorism arrangements, laws and action plans including facilitation of:
  • improved social cohesion and reduced risk of violent extremism
  • stronger, fairer and more effective responses to organised crime in Queensland
• releasing the Cohesive Communities Action Plan 2016–18 to enhance social cohesion throughout Queensland, focusing on individuals, families, communities and services
• leading the Tackling Alcohol-fuelled Violence Policy, including:
  • responding to the six-month independent evaluation report of the policy
  • establishing the Live Music Industry Working Group to preserve and grow live music in Queensland, while maintaining a safe and vibrant nightlife.

Provided leadership and recommendations to implement domestic and family violence and child safety initiatives, including:

• progressing implementation of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy and providing secretariat support to the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council
• providing oversight of the 10-year reform program, facilitating implementation of the 2013 Child Protection Commission of Inquiry’s 121 recommendations
• responding to the Queensland Family and Child Commission report Remembering Tiahleigh—A report into Queensland’s children missing from out‑of-home care.

Oversaw effective environmental protection initiatives including:

• coordinating whole-of-government actions to address contamination caused by the historical use of perfluorinated chemicals in fire-fighting foams
• finalisation of statutory guidelines to support delivery of ground-breaking Chain of Responsibility legislation
• reforms to financial assurance arrangements for mine site rehabilitation
• co-chairing the Climate Change Interdepartmental Committee
• protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
• coordinating Queensland’s participation in the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund and guiding the development of the Queensland Bulk Water Opportunity Statement.

Built confidence in government and effectively led whole-of-government initiatives including:

• coordinating policy analysis and advice from a whole-of-government perspective on Cabinet, Cabinet Budget Review Committee and other Cabinet Committee submissions
• establishing the Strachan Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Rail Train Crewing Practices and supporting development of the government response
• establishing the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission in response to the Queensland Greyhound Racing Industry Commission of Inquiry
• creating new investment and jobs and transitioning to cleaner energy by supporting the government’s commitment to affordable and secure supply of electricity
• launching a website for the Queensland Government Performance Management Framework including a new policy and a suite of supporting guidelines for agencies
• providing advice to Cabinet on the implementation of government commitments and publishing the government election commitments December 2016 progress report.

Our performance

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

Notes:

1. This service standard informs on overall satisfaction of the service and is derived from an annual customer experience survey. Customers are ministers, chiefs of staff, directors-general and their department’s cabinet legislation and liaison officers and senior policy officers.
2. Satisfaction levels in relation to DPC engagement with the policy development process is reflective of the progressive and complex agenda that adapts to current and future policy matters that are often time critical. DPC will continue to work with key agencies to improve this measure.
3. This service standard informs the total cost per hour for the provision of advice (including second opinion advice and contributions to policy advice led by other agencies. It does not include taskforces or inquiries). It is calculated by the amount of the DPC spend for Policy Division divided by the number of FTEs multiplied by the number of working days per year multiplied by standard public service core hours).
4. This service standard measures costs incurred by DPC in coordinating two-day Community Cabinet meetings. Costs of coordinating the meetings include venue and equipment hire, and costs associated with DPC staff preparing for and attending the meetings (such as salary, travel and accommodation).
5. This service standard has been replaced with a new measure ‘Average cost of supporting the Cabinet to govern from the regions’ reflecting the change in support provided to Cabinet to govern from the regions. In 2016–17, a two-day Regional Cabinet was held in the Whitsundays and three one-day regional Cabinet meetings were held in Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns respectively.

Future directions for 2017–18

• Develop policies to diversify Queensland’s economy by facilitating investment, encouraging innovation and planning for infrastructure development that create jobs.
• Continue to encourage businesses to establish in Queensland to bring economic benefits and jobs through the Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund and the Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.
• Continue to provide secretariat, policy and analytical support to the Premier’s Business Advisory Council, and the Working Queensland Interdepartmental Committee.
• Continue to support the Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland to drive the government’s North Queensland policy agenda and priority projects for economic development including:
  • co-ordinating the Northern Australia White Paper Implementation and Engagement Strategy
  • supporting Queensland’s participation at the Ministerial Forum on Northern Development.
• Support implementation of the Queensland Government’s Strategic Blueprint for Queensland’s North West Minerals Province, which is aimed at facilitating a strong and prosperous future for the region.
• Support the government’s reform agenda for justice and community-related initiatives, including:
  • a whole-of-government and community action plan to improve social cohesion
  • the government’s five-point plan to reduce youth crime in Townsville
  • ensuring an independent evaluation of initiatives to tackle alcohol-related violence.
• Finalise Action on ice—the government’s draft plan to tackle ice use in Queensland, after undertaking community consultation.
• Support the implementation of the Department of Housing and Public Works 10-year implementation strategy to provide safe and affordable housing to Queenslanders.
• Facilitate Queensland’s disaster management and counter-terrorism arrangements to ensure they remain responsive to the current and emerging risk environment.
• Continue to support the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and Queensland Security Committee.
• Support and monitor delivery of initiatives such as:
  • reforms on personalised transport
  • implementation of the recommendations of the Strachan Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Rail Train Crew Practices
  • the independent inquiry into the tow truck industry
  • funding arrangements for early childhood, school, tertiary and vocational education and training sectors
  • the Gas Action Plan.
• Continue to coordinate Queensland’s response to historical fire‑fighting foam chemical contamination.
• Continue to coordinate, develop and provide leadership and recommendations for implementation of domestic and family violence and child safety initiatives including:
  • supporting the operation of the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council
  • the government’s response to relevant child safety and youth detention centre reviews
  • supporting the Child Protection Reform Leaders Group, Child Protection and Domestic and Family Violence Reform Interdepartmental CEO Committee, and the Domestic and Family Violence Executive Group.
• Continue to coordinate consideration of relevant aspects of the Royal Commission inquiry into institutional child sexual abuse.
• Continue to lead the government’s response to the challenge of climate change through co-chairing the Climate Change Interdepartmental Committee with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, and ongoing involvement in initiatives to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
• Support the policy settings to stimulate the advancement of renewable energy, including hydro‑electricity, while maintaining affordable and secure supply.

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