Queensland Parliament: Estimates hearings

ROLLING COVERAGE: Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller has threatened to lodge a Right to Information request about one of her own Government’s programs after grilling Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad while another Newman policy is wound back.

Jackie Trad at the Parliament estimates hearing. Pic Annette Dew

• ESTIMATES HEARINGS: Miller’s concerns, public service blowout
• ESTIMATES HEARINGS: Cross River Rail has no trains, claims LNP
• ESTIMATES HEARINGS: ‘New taxes’ commercial-in-confidence

LABOR MP Jo-Ann Miller threatened to lodge a Right to Information request about her own Government’s $180 million infrastructure program.

Ms Miller questioned both Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad and her director-general Frankie Carroll about the Significant Regional Infrastructure Projects program, citing “integrity, transparency and accountability” during the grilling.

During today’s estimates hearing, the Member for Bundamba quizzed Ms Trad about the allocation of funding and the departmental and decision-making process governing it.

But she later expressed her displeasure with the Deputy Premier’s lengthy response when she turned her questioning to Mr Carroll.

“I’m obviously going to seek further information in relation to the process regarding the significant regional infrastructure projects program, because I’m clearly not satisfied by the response given by the Deputy Premier,” she said.

Jo Ann Miller at Estimates. Pic Annette Dew

Ms Miller went on to ask him whether “flow charts” were available in relation to decision-making, while also questioning him about the positions held by those involved with the process.

After Mr Carroll gave his response, she again asked about the flow charts, adding: “Or do I have to RTI it?”

Ms Miller said she simply wanted to make sure there was accountability.

“I’d just like to know that process from a public administration perspective, also for integrity, transparency and accountability,” she said.

The former police minister caused headaches for the Government earlier in the week, when she raised serious concerns about one of its core employment policies.

She has sought to participate in every estimates session.

Ms Miller also questioned Ms Trad about Building Queensland funding, saying there had been “a lot of rhetoric” about the money being spent on it.

She also asked about the enlisting of consultancies.

“There’s been a lot of rhetoric about this, but there’s a few things I’d like to know,” Ms Miller said.

“Which firstly is, how is this money being spent. Secondly, I’d like to know a list of consultancies and the dollar value of those consultancies. And I’m particularly interested in the consultancies from a company called Urbis and I’d also like to know if any employees from Urbis are on any Government boards that might be under your control.”

Ms Trad said that to the best of her knowledge, there were no Urbis employees on boards, but offered to take the question on notice in case she was mistaken.

She also confirmed that the funding allocation for Building Queensland includes money for “potential consultancies”.

New heritage protection

THE State Government has unwound another former Newman government policy by restoring protections for sites adjoining Queensland Heritage Protected places.

The issue came to a head late last year with the $375 million 47-storey development approval next to Customs House in the CBD that was approved by Brisbane City Council.

Planning Minister Jackie Trad said the Government would reintroduce a state trigger for proposed developments which shared a common boundary with a Queensland heritage place.

“Prior to 2012, applications to develop land adjoining a Queensland heritage place triggered a referral to the state, but the previous LNP government saw fit to remove these important protections to suit their development agenda,” Ms Trad said.

“The new state trigger will place even greater value on heritage protection and further preserve these places for future generations of Queenslanders to enjoy.”

The trigger will refer an application to the State Assessment and Referral Agency where the proposed development shares a common boundary with a Queensland heritage place, or shares a common boundary with a lot containing a Queensland heritage place.

“The Government’s new trigger would have captured the controversial development recently approved by Brisbane City Council on the land adjoining Customs House – a culturally significant piece of Queensland’s history,” Ms Trad said.

The new regulation will commence later this year.

Black lung disease

LABOR MP Jo-Ann Miller has vowed to continue taking her own Government to task over its reluctance to hold a royal commission into black lung disease.

Ms Miller, who caused headaches for Labor during estimates hearings for a second day in a row, challenged Mines Minister Dr Lynham about whether he viewed inquiries into the Barrett centre and Bundaberg hospital as a waste of money, given he would not support one into the black lung debacle.

The former police minister at one point threatened to lodge a Right to Information request into the Government’s $180 million Significant Regional Infrastructure Projects program, declared some Queenslanders viewed Labor’s tree-clearing laws as “hypocritical” and quizzed Deputy Premier Jackie Trad about the costs of her trade missions.

Ms Miller also asked questions about Building Queensland, saying there had been “a lot of rhetoric” about the money being spent on it.

But she was most passionate about advocating for a royal commission into the failing that allowed black lung to re-emerge.

“It’s a matter, Minister, that I have no intention of dropping at all until a Royal Commission is in place,” she said.

While she acknowledged Dr Lynham was a “compassionate” towards anyone with illnesses like black lung, she asked: “Why can’t the coal miners have an inquiry when there was an inquiry into Bundaberg hospital, when there was an inquiry into the Barrett Centre?”

“Minister, were those Royal commissions also a waste of money?”

Dr Lynham responded that an inquiry would take away “valuable resources” needed to eliminate the black lung problem and said the completed Monash review was comprehensive.

“I under say completely why you’re calling for a royal commission,” he said.

“I understand completely why workers would want a royal commission into this. It’s not the money of a royal commission, it’s the time. I just want to get this thing sorted as quickly as possible.”

But Ms Miller persisted, saying workers were demanding to know who was going to take ultimate responsibility for the failure.

“What is the truth - who has apologised?”

Tree laws branded hypocritical

JO-ANN Miller has continued to cause headaches for her own Government, using an estimates hearing to declare people believe its controversial tree-clearing laws are “hypocritical”.

The Courier-Mail revealed earlier this year that the Bundamba MP had concerns about the proposed laws and the way they impact ‘urban’ areas.

Ms Miller asked Planning Minister Jackie Trad about the number of officers, planners and consultants working on the policy.

“The reason why I’m asking that is because a number of people believe it’s being hypocritical for the Government to have tree-clearing legislation for other parts of Queensland and yet southeast Queensland is literally being mowed down by some developers and not leaving any trees at all,” Ms Miller added.

The former police minister also questioned Ms Trad about the cost of her overseas trade missions.

“I’m just wondering how much was expended for the Minister’s component of these trips (and) whether you could provide the dollar value of trade that has been invested to date in Queensland as a result of the trip,” she said.

‘New taxes’ commercial-in-confidence

THE Queensland government is refusing to detail proposed levies in budget estimates, saying the material is commercial-in-confidence and could jeopardise major projects.

Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Deb Frecklington today repeatedly pressed Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad on a raft of so-called “new tax” options explored within modelling for major projects, including the $5.4 billion cross river rail.

She attempted to link the material to Labor’s promise of not introducing new taxes.

But looking into “value-sharing” and “value-capture” options was a requirement of the new Turnbull government when allocating infrastructure funding, Ms Trad said.

“If those opposite want to discredit value sharing then they are at odds with (Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull,” she said.

Ms Frecklington pressed on, asking the CEO of Building Queensland, David Quinn, whether using a “benefited-area levy” was, in fact, a new tax.

“It was a requirement for us to fully consider a full range of value-capture, value-sharing options,” he replied.

“We did that. That was the end of our role.” Frequent interjections punctuated the debate, during which Ms Trad said the opposition was referring to commercial-in-confidence information.

“What the Member for Nanango is asking for is something that could jeopardise this [cross river rail] project,” she said.

The patience of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee chair, Labor’s Jim Pearce, was clearly being tested.

“Come on, I’m a pretty easy-going person and I don’t want to get cranky,” he said.

Ms Frecklington insisted the government was planning to impose a $1 billion “benefited-area levy”, a $2.6 billion transport levy, a $1 billion ticket levy on public transport users, a $1.2 billion car park levy on motorists and a $1.2 billion motor vehicle registration levy.

“The fact that those opposite continue to talk about a taxation regime is just I think scaremongering,” Ms Trad said.

Ms Frecklington replied: “Well, rule it out and no-one will be scared.” Queensland budget estimates will continue until next Thursday.

Development charges indexed

QUEENSLAND councils will be able to charge developers more to fund associated infrastructure projects following the State Government’s announcement it will now index the maximum charges on new developments.

Local Government Minister Jackie Trad today used a Budget estimates hearing to announce the indexing changes, which would give local councils more money to build “trunk” infrastructure, such as major roads, pipes and parks, needed for new developments.

“Since the maximum charges were first set in 2011 they have not increased and these charges no longer reflect the real cost of construction and building, which is starting to hit the bottom line of council budgets,” said Ms Trad.

The new Planning Act 2016 will commence in 2017 but includes provisions for the indexation changes to occur earlier, which the government said will happen “in the coming weeks”.

“The Local Government Association of Queensland has estimated that councils would have missed out on $26 million in revenue for delivering trunk infrastructure if these charges were not indexed for another year,” Ms Trad said.

Currently the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 indexes charges by applying an increase based on an average of the previous three years increases to the cost of building infrastructure.