Another day another dollar!
Budget estimates will return for its final hearing tomorrow. It's education then small business.
See you then.
Budget estimates: Government splashes $9m on Bluey house
Queensland’s top ranking sport bureaucrat has refused to delve into the circumstances behind the departure of “gold medal maker” Chelsea Warr from the state’s elite athlete academy. Follow our live blog
Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Communities Minister Leeanne Enoch has been forced to again defend a lavish trip to North America last year as she appeared before budget estimates this morning.
Ms Enoch, who is also Arts Minister, appeared before Premier Steven Miles.
Child safety will follow before the Opposition is expected to dig into the state government’s Olympic venue decisions in the evening during the Tourism and Sports session.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG
Updates
Goodnight
I'll speak to East Brisbane SS parents Healy vows
Sport Minister Michael Healy has vowed to speak to parents at East Brisbane State School once the government better understands what upgrades are needed at the Gabba stadium in the lead up to the 2032 Games.
Mr Healy, at budget estimates, said it was “sensible” and “reasonable” to speak to parents and staff at the school once it was understood how it would be impacted by upgrades at the Gabba.
As it stands the sporting bureaucrats at estimates, including Stadiums Queensland, say it is still too early to say what the impacts will be to the school.
Elite sporting mystery: Bureaucrat under pressure to explain issues at QAS
Queensland’s top ranking sport bureaucrat has refused to delve into the circumstances behind the departure of “gold medal maker” Chelsea Warr from the state’s elite athlete academy.
Tourism and Sport Department director-general Andrew Hopper, at estimates, also confirmed it was his “decision alone” that the top position at Queensland Academy of Sport would move from a “chief executive” role to a “general manager” who reports to Mr Hopper's subordinate.
Internationally renowned sports official Ms Warr abruptly left as the chief executive of the QAS in February after being lured back to Queensland from the UK just four years earlier.
Opposition sport spokesman Tim Mander, in a bid to understand the series of events leading up to Ms Warr’s departure at budget estimates, queried why it was she had enthusiastically given a speech about the future to athletes just hours before she left the role.
Mr Hopper repeatedly declined to “discuss employee arrangements or circumstances”.
Ms Warr has been credited as the architect behind Great Britain’s medal hauls at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2016 Rio Games.
“Would you concede that there’s been a massive loss of experience with the departure of Ms Warr?” Mr Mander asked Mr Hopper.
“There’s certainly been a change in leadership,” Mr Hopper responded.
Mr Hopper also revealed it was “my decision and my decision alone” to change the reporting structure at the QAS.
After the departure of Ms Warr as chief executive, an acting general manager was installed.
While the chief executive reported directly to Mr Hopper, the general manager reported to the deputy director-general.
“Structurally and operationally I felt it was the best thing for the department and the best thing for the QAS,” Mr Hopper said.
The departure of Ms Warr sparked fervent calls from high-powered sporting greats for the QAS to become an independent body, amid warnings bureaucracy was holding the elite athlete institution from doing its job.
The state government undertook a structural review.
This month it was confirmed the QAS would be unshackled from government bureaucracy, in a process that is expected to take two years.
Government splashes $9m on Bluey tourism campaign
The state government has spent $9million on a Bluey tourism campaign that entices visitors to explore Queensland and see the real life locations from the popular cartoon.
Tourism Minister Michael Healy said the campaign for to see Bluey’s world in real life had performed strongly, and is estimated to have so far generated $8.3million worth of publicity for Queensland.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli asked Mr Healy how much the government had paid to use the character in the advertisement during estimates.
Tourism and Events Queensland chief executive Patricia O’Callaghan was unable to specify the details of the $9m deal citing commercial in confidence, but confirmed BBC Studio received the payment.
-Taylah Fellows
Minister admits 'horrendously slow' start to Wangetti Trail
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has kicked off this evening’s budget estimates session with questions over the progress of the Wangetti Trail for the Tourism Department.
First conceived in 2018, the 94km multi-purpose track between Palm Cove and Port Douglas is now estimated to be complete in December 2026.
Tourism Minister Michael Healy has conceded that progress has been “horrendously slow,” but assured the scope of works would remain unchanged over the next two years.
the past financial year and took the question on notice.
“The simple reality is we are building in the wet tropics and unsurprisingly, weather events such as the recent cyclone does have an impact on construction time,” he said.
“It's spanning a World Heritage Area, three national parks, two local government areas, three separate Native Title clients.
“It has been a horrendously slow start…it has been unbelievably complex.”
Mr Crisafulli asked why the project had kept recording underspend and asked for explanations of where money was being redirected.
Director-General Department of Tourism and Sport Andrew Hopper could not answer why $3.4million had been taken from the project's property plant and equipment budget over the past financial year and took the question on notice.
The first stage of the trail from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach is due to become operational by the end of this year and the second stage from Ellis Beach to Wangetti remains slated to open by the second quarter of 2025.
-Taylah Fellows
The person missing from this year's estimates
We are now in the Seniors and Disability Services section of budget estimates and there is one key figure missing this year.
That person is an AUSLAN interpreter.
Veterans of budget estimates (or anyone who was here last year) would remember AUSLAN interpreting Hall of Famer Mikey Webb was on hand to help ensure those democracy nerds who use AUSLAN because they are deaf or hard of hearing could tune in.
The online live broadcast of the estimates hearing does come with closed-captions this year after the larger tech upgrade at Queensland Parliament. But it’s just not the same.
Government funding helping those fleeing international conflict
People escaping war in the Middle East have been provided access to free health care and fee-free education at state schools, budget estimates documents show.
The number of people helped is unclear but according to the government there is $4.8m set aside over two years for the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Assistance Program.
“Multicultural Affairs Queensland works closely with communities affected by international conflicts, including the Middle East, Ukraine, Eritrea, Rwanda and India,” Multicultural Affairs Minister Charis Mullen said in a question on notice.
Ms Mullen then notes a motion in Queensland Parliament in March which joined with the Federal Government in a “call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages”—referring to the war in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
The original motion, put forward by The Greens, was substantially different to what it ended up becoming after the government used their numbers to amend it.
‘We acknowledge there is an urgent need for a negotiated political solution to achieve peace and security in the region,” Ms Mullen said.
“This will require a two-state solution, where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in peace, security, and dignity within internationally recognised borders."
More children aged under 10 now under state care, a quarter of kids experiencing school troubles
There has also been an alarming rise in children aged under 10 being placed into state care, which jumped from 283 last year to 358 this year – a 26 per cent increase.
Currently, child safety officers have an average case load of 15-16 children each at any given time, however the Opposition has reported case loads reaching upwards of 60 children per officers.
Child Safety Department Director-General Deidre Mulkerin said staff vacancy rates had been an issue, and were last sitting around 8 per cent, down from 16 per cent in March.
The estimates committee has heard that 25 per cent of children under state care have experienced or are experiencing either some disruption to schooling suspensions or expulsion.
Child Safety Minister Charis Mullen said she had only visited two residential care facilities, one in Brisbane and another in Townsville, since becoming minister last year. Both visits occurred in July, six months after Ms Mullen took over the portfolio. She did not interact with any children during the visits.
-Taylah Fellows
Kids in care: Residential care population in Queensland skyrockets (again)
There are 1955 children in residential care across Queensland, an increase of 11 per cent year-on-year.
The latest figures, revealed at budget estimates, comes as Child Safety Minister Charis Mullen acknowledged the system was “over-utilised”.
As of March 2024 there were 1955 children in residential care.
Child Safety Department Deidre Mulkerin also revealed the state doesn’t keep centralised data on how many children in residential care have jobs or part-time jobs nor does it hold how many of the kids have gone missing in a particular year.
Quick outside world update: Inflation is up, stuff is very expensive
Inflation has risen to 3.8 per cent in the year to June, from 3.6 per cent in March.
The annual rise is the first in 18 months. The Reserve Bank of Australia has its next meeting on Tuesday.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics higher labour and material costs drove the 1.1 per cent rise this quarter for construction of new dwellings.
“The continuing tight rental market and low vacancy rates caused rental prices to go up 2.0 per cent for the quarter, following a 2.1 per cent rise in the March 2024 quarter,” ABS head of prices statistics Michelle Marquardt said.
"Fruit and vegetable prices rose this quarter as unfavourable growing conditions drove higher prices for grapes, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and capsicums. This was the highest quarterly rise for Fruit and vegetables since 2016.”
Join the conversation
Bolt: Why is the Albanese govt giving taxpayer cash to Muslims?
The government’s latest announcement shows exactly what’s wrong with its multiculturalism. Hindus, Jews and Buddhists don’t seem to need such grants to save our “social cohesion”.
Read more
Premier’s wife reveals her biggest fear in first-time interview
Premier Steven Miles’ wife Kim has revealed her biggest fear and the struggles the couple face protecting their children from online predators and trolls.
Read more