Queensland parliament: Taxpayers slugged $330k for 'rail fail' inquiry

Taxpayers have forked out more than $335,000 in just eight months for external consultants to help Queensland Rail implement the scathing inquiry into 2016's 'rail fail" meltdown.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey will welcome the next cohort of Queensland Rail trainee drivers on their first day of class.Pic Annette Dew

TAXPAYERS have forked out more than $335,000 for external consultants to help Queensland Rail implement the scathing Strachan Inquiry. 

The large sum, tabled in a question on notice overnight, accumulated between July 1, 2018 and February this year. 

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said like any organisation, Queensland Rail was required to source external support if the technical or specialised experience required was not within the business.

The inquiry was launched in 2016 after Queensland Rail’s meltdown that saw trains cancelled causing mass disruption. 

“As part of implementing the Strachan report recommendations, 212 train drivers have now either been trained and employed, or are in training currently,” Mr Bailey said. 

“One hundred and thirty-two train drivers have now been trained and employed and 80 train divers are currently being trained for a net gain of 70 additional drivers.

“This contrasts with the reduction in driver numbers when the Member was the Assistant Minister for Public Transport when, not only did the former LNP government cancel driver training—with not one driver commencing training in 2014—they also cut 48 qualified train drivers.

“For the financial year to date (February 2019), Queensland Rail has spent $335,488 on consultants to assist with this important work.”

Updates

11:26 am April 2, 2019 Highlight

14,000 more train seats for peak times

Joanne Glover

Transport Minister Mark Bailey has revealed Queensland Rail will begin restoring services to the train network in peak hours from next month, about two and a half years after the “rail fail”.

Mr Bailey said the 32 extra weekly services in peak times would add another 14,000 seats to the southeast Queensland train network.

“These additional services will put more trains back into services when customers most need them – in the morning and afternoon peak,” he said.

He said from Monday May 13 new services would run on the Shorncliffe, Cleveland, Redcliffe Peninsula, Ferny Grove, Springfield, Gold Coast and Airport lines.

Mr Bailey also said train patronage had increased by 1.7 million trips in 2017/18 with 52.7 million total trips recorded.

“Confidence is returning to the rail system,” he said.

7:54 am February 9, 2025

The Opposition has continued to focus on hospitals with Member for Hervey Bay Ted Sorensen asking the Premier when she would admit that last week’s health crisis had spread to Hervey Bay.

Mr Sorensen said an 84-year-old woman had been discharged from Hervey Bay Hospital at 3am to catch a taxi home in the dark and another ill patient had fallen over in the car park after being discharged too early.

Ms Palaszczuk said it was an important issue but she could not comment on individual cases.

She said she would ask Health Minister Steven Miles to “follow this up”.

7:54 am February 9, 2025

Health Minister Steven Miles has played down a loss of patient information during the rollout of its new electronic medical records system.

Opposition spokeswoman Ros Bates asked about occasions in which “critical patient data” such as heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels had not been recorded during operations and asked Mr Miles to guarantee all data was being kept.

The Health Minister said there had been 40 occasions in which the integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) system had notified that data had been lost.

He said he stood by the system and said it was necessary to digitise the health system.

“Do you know how often a clipboard can notify it’s lost data? It can’t,” he said, accusing the Opposition of wanting to “go back to pens and paper”.

He said it was a world-leading hospital digitisation program that continued to roll out this week. 

11:21 am April 2, 2019

Questions raised over private patients in public hospitals

Joanne Glover

Private patients being allowed to use Queensland’s public hospitals – which the State Government has previously said props up hospital budgets by $400 million – has been questioned. 

Burdekin MP Dale Last has asked the Premier why she was putting profits ahead of patients by keeping people with private health insurance in public hospital beds instead of transferring them back to private facilities. 

Ms Palaszczuk said private patients were entitled to use the public sector.

“This was addressed last week in terms of where there are no private hospitals … people are entitled to, they pay the premiums,” she said. 

11:20 am April 2, 2019 Highlight

Patient fell over after being discharged early: Opposition

Joanne Glover

The Opposition has continued to focus on hospitals with Member for Hervey Bay Ted Sorensen asking the Premier when she would admit that last week’s health crisis had spread to Hervey Bay.

Mr Sorensen said an 84-year-old woman had been discharged from Hervey Bay Hospital at 3am to catch a taxi home in the dark and another ill patient had fallen over in the car park after being discharged too early.

Ms Palaszczuk said it was an important issue but she could not comment on individual cases.

She said she would ask Health Minister Steven Miles to “follow this up”.

7:54 am February 9, 2025

Referring to the recent reports of hospitals being at capacity, the Premier has referred to a six-year-old press release to suggest it's not a new issue.

The Premier has referred to a press release issued by former Health Minister Lawrence Springboard in 2013 to show patients have been clogging Queensland’s public hospital emergency departments with non-emergencies for years.

“Thousands of Queenslanders have presented with constipation, neck pain, nappy rash,” Ms Palaszczuk said, reading from the press release. 

“Some people complain of not being able to sleep.”

11:04 am April 2, 2019

Opportunity to reverse 'cruel cuts' in Budget

Joanne Glover

Health Minister Steven Miles has taken a swipe at the Coalition, claiming it has an opportunity to reverse its “cruel cuts” to Queensland hospitals in tonight’s Budget. 

“Will they deliver a fair share for our hospitals?” Mr Miles asked. 

“Will they deliver the cost of Redlands (hospital) car park, which they promised and changed their minds?

“Fortunately we only have to put up with them (LNP) for a few more weeks.”

11:03 am April 2, 2019

Clogged emergency departments is nothing new

Joanne Glover

Referring to the recent reports of hospitals being at capacity, the Premier has referred to a six-year-old press release to suggest it's not a new issue.

The Premier has referred to a press release issued by former Health Minister Lawrence Springboard in 2013 to show patients have been clogging Queensland’s public hospital emergency departments with non-emergencies for years.

“Thousands of Queenslanders have presented with constipation, neck pain, nappy rash,” Ms Palaszczuk said, reading from the press release. 

“Some people complain of not being able to sleep.”

10:57 am April 2, 2019 Highlight

Health Minister defends IT rollout despite lost data

Joanne Glover

Health Minister Steven Miles has played down a loss of patient information during the rollout of its new electronic medical records system.

Opposition spokeswoman Ros Bates asked about occasions in which “critical patient data” such as heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels had not been recorded during operations and asked Mr Miles to guarantee all data was being kept.

The Health Minister said there had been 40 occasions in which the integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) system had notified that data had been lost.

He said he stood by the system and said it was necessary to digitise the health system.

“Do you know how often a clipboard can notify it’s lost data? It can’t,” he said, accusing the Opposition of wanting to “go back to pens and paper”.

He said it was a world-leading hospital digitisation program that continued to roll out this week. 

10:49 am April 2, 2019

Minister to meet AMA councillor over patient concerns

Joanne Glover

Nicklin MP Marty Hunt has asked whether concerns raised last week, about a public plea issued by Australian Medical Association councillor Dr Wayne Herdy regarding one of his patients, had been acted on. 

“Nambour GP and AMA Councillor Dr Wayne Herdy has issued a public plea for one of his patients, saying that his patient must be seen within 30 days or she would die,” Mr Hunt asked. 

The Premier said the House did not talk publicly about individual cases but Health Minister Steven Miles was prepared to meet with Mr Hunt to discuss further.