Editorial: Time to expand crisis testing to wider bureaucracy

Rigorous annual review should be a feature of all government agencies, not just our disaster management bodies, writes the editor.

The emergency management centre at Kedron in Brisbane’s north

It is the easiest of cheap shots to dismiss the public service as full of red-tape-entangled fat cats and seat warmers, more interested in ticking boxes than achieving results.

But in the days and weeks ahead, millions of Queensland residents will be relying on well-trained government workers to get them through the immediate dangers of Tropical Cyclone Alfred and its aftermath – from first responders and command-centre shot callers to support staff helping devastated locals get the help they need.

Queensland’s disaster management emergency systems and processes and the people who deliver them, are world class, as they should be – they’ve been tested and honed in the fires of harsh experience, dealing with well over 100 crises in the past 15 years – 12 in the 2023-24 severe weather season alone.

The inspector-general of emergency reviews their work annually, assessing the “effectiveness of preparedness, response and transactional arrangements and activities undertaken by Queensland government, relevant local government and other agencies” and makes recommendations for improvement.

This continual process of being tested in the field, followed by regular performance assessments, highlights the endless hard work that goes into developing an effective and results-based public service, whatever the area of service delivery – from health to education and public safety.

But we would suggest this sort of rigorous annual review should be a feature of all government agencies, not just our disaster management bodies, to improve service delivery and also productivity.

A new report from the Menzies Research Centre – a conservative think tank aligned with the Liberal Party – titled “The Productivity Imperative: Policies for a prosperous Australia”, notes that labour productivity in government services has been “essentially zero for the last 25 years”.

Some of that continuing failure by the public sector to be more efficient and productive is explained by the community’s ever-growing demand for improved education, health and public safety services – all difficult areas to wring productivity improvements from.

But the Menzies Research Centre argues there are still things that can be done to improve productivity in the government sector. First, among them, it says, is “strong leadership from the Commonwealth government” to put the weights on the state governments, which the Centre says, “have proven to be even worse at productivity-enhancing reforms than the Commonwealth”.

It cites Queensland’s continued regulation of trading hours as one example – “despite overwhelming evidence that deregulating retail trading hours benefits consumers and businesses alike”.

Given its political leanings, the centre predictably sheets homes some of the problem of poor public service productivity to the lack of a profit motive. It claims that “without strong direction from Commonwealth ministers, there is no incentive for officials to improve productivity as there is in the private sector, where the reward to improving efficiency and productivity is higher profits”.

Although the centre is right that profit isn’t the driving force for public service activity, we doubt the solution is a tough-minded federal government trying to tell independently minded state governments how to run their business. The result would almost certainly be near-open warfare.

Until a better model comes along, we repeat our suggestion that the annual review model being applied to Queensland’s disaster management agencies and systems be expanded government-wide. It’s a model that appears to work and should reassure us that whatever we face in the next few days, Queensland has a band of well-trained public servants behind their desks standing by to help us.

DO NOT BE COMPLACENT

Cyclone Alfred’s arrival has been delayed, but that does not mean it is any less scary – and so this is no time for complacency.

At the time of writing, it remains a category two system. That means it remains a significant risk. The only good news here is that we all had an extra day to prepare.

The winds will continue to lift and the rain – up to 800mm – will start to really fall. In fact, that the cyclone is moving slower means it might actually cause more damage because it will take longer to pass over us tonight and into tomorrow. It is critical we heed the warnings – and stay safe tucked up inside our homes until the danger has passed.

While for many – particularly in Brisbane – yesterday was a weird day of waiting, we ask that you do not fall into a false sense of security ahead of today and tomorrow.

The best case scenario is that we will endure a heavy East Coast Low – and the incredible rainfall that we know from experience they bring. The worst is still that the cyclone gains strength again and we could be hit with a significant category three storm. Please, continue to heed the advice and do not assume that we have yet dodged a bullet.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here