reflecting on Dr Flegg's responsibilities

Before it disappears from the website, let's remind ourselves of Dr Bruce Flegg's Ministerial Charter letter from Premier Campbell Newman........

10 April 2012

The Honourable Dr Bruce Flegg MP

Minister for Housing and Public Works

Level 7, 80 George Street

BRISBANE QLD 4000

Dear Minister

Ministerial Deliverables

Congratulations on your success in the electorate of Moggill and thank you for accepting my invitation to serve Queensland as the Minister for Housing and Public Works.    

                  

Our electoral success was achieved with a strong cohesive CanDo team committed to real change, and your contribution to the team played a significant part.  Queenslanders have voted for change, and it is critical that we respect the trust bestowed on us by delivering on our commitments to grow a four pillar economy, lower the cost of living by cutting waste, deliver better infrastructure and better planning, revitalise front line services for families, restore accountability in Government and work towards our goal of achieving 4% unemployment in six years.

For this reason, I am writing to each Minister outlining my expectations of the priority tasks to be achieved to deliver on our election commitments.   You and your Department have a vital role to play in the reform program, as reflected in the following tasks for which I am requesting you to take responsibility. 

I expect that at all times Ministers will demonstrate to the public the capabilities and behaviours that will define us as the Government we undertook to be – united, energetic, disciplined and ethical. I refer you to the Queensland Cabinet Handbook, the Queensland Ministerial Handbook, the Queensland Executive Council Handbook, the Queensland Parliamentary Procedures Handbook and the Queensland Legislation Handbook.

First Term Tasks

The following tasks within your area of Ministerial responsibility are to be achieved within the first term of Government.

·         Implement all LNP election policy commitments relevant to your portfolio.

·         Identify wasteful expenditure that could be redirected to front line services.

·         Provide public housing and public works advice, projects and services as required to implement LNP election policies.

·         Ensure that all operations within the Department are targeted to enable effective and efficient delivery of frontline services and develop a plan to enable this best business practice to continue.

·         Work with the Minister for Education, Training and Employment to achieve targets set for training of apprentices and trainees as required for implementation of recommendations of the Skills and Training Taskforce.

·         Review and reform arrangements for licensing and regulation in the building industry including taking account of the 2011 KPMG review of the Building Services Authority.

·         Audit all current Departmental processes and arrangements for provision of public housing with respect to their effectiveness and efficiency in meeting public housing needs.

·         Develop and implement a broad and integrated strategy to meet the need for public housing including arrangements with the private sector and utilising Commonwealth funding to best advantage.   

·         Implement the LNP’s election commitment to cut waste by reducing travel, advertising and consultancy expenditure.

·         Implement the LNP’s election commitment for sustainable public sector growth.

·         Implement the LNP’s election commitment to reduce red tape.

·         Continue to establish effective working relationships with stakeholders and other interest groups relevant to your portfolio areas.

Could you please consult with your Director-General to ensure these goals are understood by the Department and that systems are in place to monitor and report on progress towards their achievement, so that you are able to update Cabinet regularly. In this regard, the Department of Premier and Cabinet will be responsible for coordinating reports to Cabinet on progress, and will assist your Department with proposed reporting formats. 

I intend to review this charter and your efforts to implement it regularly.

Finally, I congratulate you again on your appointment and I look forward to working closely with you as a Ministerial colleague as we implement our policies and achieve the goal of providing a CanDo Government to get Queensland back on track.

Yours sincerely

CAMPBELL NEWMAN

PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND

Vested interests - Economic Development in Qld

Changes to Queensland’s development system under the Economic Development Bill 2012

Before the last Qld State election, the LNP promised to review the Urban Land Development Authority and return planning powers to local governments. 

Since being elected in March 2012, the Qld Government has not had a great record on acting in the 'public interest'.  However, the LNP also promised to "fast track" economic development of the State.  At the same time, the LNP Government is cutting red tape and green tape.

The Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jeff Seeney, on the 30 October 2012, has said:

“The essential reforms to existing planning and development legislation contained in this Bill will put the government in a position to facilitate economic development and development for community purposes and to deliver our election commitments, particularly where there are identified and persistent market gaps. Our government has committed to building a four-pillar economy for Queensland. Enacting the Economic Development Bill will equip us with the legislative tools necessary to identify and drive development projects that contribute to a strong and sustainable State economy by combining the powers of the former ULDA and the former Minister for Industrial Development.”

The repeal of the Urban Land Development Authority Act 2007

The Economic Development Bill 2012:

• repeals the Urban Land Development Authority Act 2007;

• creates a new Minister for Economic Development Queensland (MEDQ);

• provides for the optional establishment of local representative committees;

• allows the functions of the MEDQ to be delegated to other entities; and 

• introduces changes to the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971.

The Economic Development (ED) Bill essentially replicates all of the provisions of the ULDA Act, but the powers and functions of the Authority will reside within the machinery of the State government rather than in an independent statutory corporation. As a result, the ED Bill maintains Queensland’s bifurcated planning system, allowing for impact assessment through the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) to be by-passed where it is considered that there are particular economic and community benefits to be gained from development in the area, and there would be unacceptable impacts on delivery of the development were the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA) to apply.

The ED Bill provides for local government engagement in the process for making development schemes. The consultation and submission provisions relating to proposed development schemes are similar to those in effect under the ULDA Act. The most significant difference can be seen by comparing section 97(3) of the ULDA Act with section 13(3) of the ED Bill. While the ULDA is free to act alone in performing its functions, the MEDQ “…in planning for, or developing land in, priority development areas… must consult with each relevant local government”. This consultation is mandatory.

The ED Bill amends a number of Acts including the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (State Development Act). ‘Significant projects’ become ‘coordinated projects’ under the amendments. This is said to ensure that there is no implication that such projects have some form of State support. The criteria for determining an application for a declaration of a project as a coordinated project have been broadened and made more discretionary.

The ED Bill seeks to achieve similar outcomes as the ULDA Act, while engaging with local governments in the plan making processes for PDAs, and potentially bringing them within the decision-making framework relating to development in PDAs. The legal mechanism to achieve this involves the appointment of local government members or officers to local representative committees and delegation to those committees, their members, or to local governments

of the MEDQ’s powers and functions. The concept is obviously worthwhile, but its implementation may prove difficult unless there is a clear demarcation of lines of responsibility and separation of the laws, powers and duties under which the delegate is acting.

The amendments to the State Development Act will improve the State’s capacity to fast track projects that are economically important. However, the ability of the Coordinator-General to cancel a declaration of a coordinated project on ‘public interest’ grounds is concerning, because it is only through what are essentially public interest grounds that a project is declared in the first place. 

Energy Assets - not for sale

Energy Assets

Energy Minister Mark McArdle has responded to the Prime Minister’s call for the State Government’s energy assets to be sold.

This may be because the Qld Government’s energy generation asset would be difficult to sell in the current political and economic climate.

Asset sales proved to be quite unpopular for the previous Qld Government.  The wholesale electricity market is over-supplied and newer gas fired assets can produce electricity more efficiently.  Domestic gas prices are artificially low, as the coal seam gas industry ramps up.  This paradigm may change when the liquefied natural gas industry matures and opens up to international export markets.

Mr McArdle said, in the Executive Summary of a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Pricing, compiled by the Department for Resources, Energy and Tourism in conjunction with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury, the Federal Labor Government stated that:

“The Australian Government has a clear path for better-functioning energy markets through the progression of a set of critical reform issues. These include: … privatising government-owned energy assets – continued government ownership of energy businesses is impeding greater competition and efficiency, and reduces market confidence by creating uncertainty and risk for private sector investors.”

The Qld Department of Energy and Water Supply is in the process of developing a 30 year energy plan.

The terms of reference for an Inter-Departmental Committee and Independent Review Panel for Energy have been released.

The objectives of the Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) on Electricity Sector Reform are to ensure:

1.   Electricity in Queensland is delivered in a cost-effective manner for consumers;

2.   Queensland has a viable, sustainable and competitive electricity industry; and

3.   Electricity is delivered in a financially sustainable manner from the Queensland Government’s perspective.

Orica pleads guilty

Orica

 

Orica Australia Pty Limited pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching the Qld Environmental Protection Act 1994 as a result of unauthorised stormwater and effluent releases from its Yarwun facility near Gladstone, Qld, between February 2010 and February 2012.

Orica has been ordered to help fund turtle research, conservation and water monitoring initiatives in Gladstone Harbour following a decision handed down in the Gladstone Magistrate’s Court.

This is the first time that a public benefit order has been awarded in Queensland under section 502 of the Environmental Protection Act: an amendment to allow a proportion of a penalty to be directed towards environmental works.

The Court has ordered the Company to pay a fine of $432,000. Orica was also ordered to pay $53,101.09 in legal and investigation costs.

There was no evidence of any environmental damage as a result of the discharges. No conviction has been recorded.

In response to the incidents, Orica consented to a Court order for the undertaking of a comprehensive independent audit of the Yarwun site and has committed $30 million of investment to upgrade the facility.  This includes eight specific initiatives to improve stormwater management and environmental compliance at the site with the majority of works to be completed in November 2012.

This program includes:

·       upgrades to stormwater retention systems;

·       installation of perimeter berms, bunds and drains to improve stormwater management; and

·       improved surface management and sealing.

$250,000 of the fine to be paid by Orica will be directed to three community-based environment groups.

By agreement between the parties the Court has determined that $100,000 of the total fine will be allocated to green turtle research at Port Curtis, $90,000 for Australian Conservation Volunteers and $60,000 for the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership to assist with the groups ongoing environmental works.

Qld Green Tape Reduction Act

SSEE Technical Seminar - QLD Green Tape Reduction Act - What you need to know

Date: Tuesday 20 November 2012
Time: 5:30 for 6:00pm start
Where: Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward Street, Brisbane
Speaker: Lawrie Wade - Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

 The Environmental Protection (Greentape Reduction) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2012 (Greentape Reduction Act) primarily amends the licensing framework under the EP Act and will come into force on 31 March 2013. It aims to streamline, integrate and coordinate regulatory requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) without compromising environmental outcomes.

 This presentation will cover what the proposed changes mean to those who currently undertaken an Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) and/or those that will be involved in applying for a new ERA Approval.

This will include:

• How the Greentape Reduction Act will impact on the licensing framework under the EP Act.
• The impact the Greentape Reduction project on regulatory standards and environmental outcomes. 
• A description of the new approval process. 
• Including standard, variation and site specific applications and how mobile and temporary activities will be affected. 
• Suitable Operators 
• Which activities the new approval process applies to. 
• Transitioning into the new system. 
• Managing your environmental authority Auditors framework 

 For more information please follow this link.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion where comments and questions from attendees will be welcomed.

This presentation will count as one hour EA CPD

To REGISTER go to the Engineers Australia Qld Division Event Listing.

PLEASE NOTE that SSEE can only accept credit card registrations at the door.

Please register online before attending if possible. For registration enquiries please contact QLD Division on 07 3832 3749 or email qld@engineersaustralia.org.au

Release of water from Coal Mines

Release of water from Coal Mines

Last week in Parliament, the question of excess floodwater in the coalmines in Central Qld, was raised.  In the last financial year, the Qld’s income from coal royalties was down considerably to what otherwise could have been expected.

Coal mining in Qld was severely affected by the 2010-2011 wet season and the flooding that occurred.

The Qld Government has been in negotiations with a whole range of stakeholders.  The Treasurer has announced the formation of the Resources Cabinet Committee to look at a whole range of issues that are affecting the resources industry in Qld including the release of contaminated water.

The Qld Premier stated that he has not been involved in discussions on the release of contaminated water from mines.  The Premier told Parliament that he had yet to receive a briefing; if there have indeed been detailed discussions with mining companies.

The Preimer assured Parliament that the Qld Government will not do anything to in any way degrade the feed water coming down the Fitzroy for their water supply.

The Premier went on to say that there is an important issue here that needs to be dealt with. For a long time there has been water in pits, and it is affecting jobs.  The floods of almost two years ago really have hampered production, because the large open-cut pits have filled with water.  The Qld Government is working with the mining industry and stakeholders to actually find those solutions.

I give a shit! Do you?

The WTD is a day to raise awareness of how much there still is to do to ensure that billions of people around the globe have access to good sanitation. 

However, World Toilet Day is also a day to celebrate the good work that is being done and what has been achieved already. One way to contribute with the World Toilet Day is to share your experiences from the last year.

So the question is: Since the last World Toilet Day in 2011, what experience, activity or event that you were part of, etc that signals that progress is happening stands out for you?

If you have something to share, please send up to 250 words to P.Bongartz@ids.ac.uk and, if possible, a photo (separately in a jpg file) to go along with what you have written about. 

The responses will be compiled and posted them on the website on World Toilet Day.

Deadline: Tuesday, 13th November

Check out the World Toilet Day Website