Qld Health blowouts spun by $1.2m spin doctors

Queensland Health’s embattled infrastructure division has spent $1.2m of taxpayer cash on consultants to write a public relations strategy for its construction pipeline after cost blowouts equivalent to the price of a second Cross River Rail.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls at Parliament

• Qld Health’s biggest bungles

The embattled infrastructure division of Queensland Health spent $1.2m calling in consultants to write a public relations strategy for its severely blown out construction pipeline.

Health Infrastructure Queensland, which has control of a more than $14bn pipeline of projects, then moved to start its own breakaway unit of media spinners with tasks that included effectively identifying and minimising emergent media risks.

Queensland Health’s hospital expansion program has blown out by $6.4bn – enough to build a second Cross River Rail – after crucial services like birthing suites and mortuaries previously missing from plans were added into blueprints.

There are projects that have ballooned without add-ons, such as Hervey Bay Hospital, which doubled in cost from $40m to $94m.

HIQ, an arm of Queensland Health, spent $1.2m engaging consultancy Struber Pty Ltd in 2023-24 to come with a “communications framework”, though the total cost of the contract could be higher as work is ongoing.

A Queensland Health spokesman said Struber was engaged to “develop a framework to ensure transparent, relevant, and timely communication with local communities about the health infrastructure projects in their area”.

“It was crucial for HIQ to address this need, given the scale of projects and the potential for adverse community impact if the appropriate level of communication did not occur,” he said.

The Struber report recommended HIQ, which by its own admission “does not have its own branding or identity”, set up its own separate media unit despite Queensland Health having a central media wing.

HIQ’s media unit will be a team of two, with the principal media officer set to be paid more than $150,000 a year according to a job description seen by The Courier-Mail.

The job involved the “identification and execution of proactive media opportunities and effectively identifying and minimising emergent media risks” among other tasks.

“As a trusted expert in media management you will be responsible for supporting the Director Infrastructure Public Affairs to provide best practice advice to the deputy director-general HIQ, director-general, and relevant minister,” the document said.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the LNP had promised to review expenditure on consultancies in all departments, and this would include health.

“I have asked the department to provide the rationale for the appointment of this consultancy, including details of the expected outcomes,” Mr Nicholls said.

Treasurer David Janetzki has repeatedly bemoaned the state’s increasing expenditure on contractors and consultants, vowing to cut back over four years to save $6.8bn.

It has been revealed Queensland’s major hospital infrastructure pipeline has blown out by more than $6bn.

Mr Nicholls blamed the impost of BPIC obligations on major construction sites, material and supply costs, and lack of fiscal prudence by the former government for the skyrocketing price tag.