Taxpayers stump up a high price for jobs created by Advance Queensland innovation policy

EACH job created by the State Government’s innovation policy Advance Queensland costs taxpayers $78,877 – and there’s no way to know if the positions are fulltime.

Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch says the investment will pay off. Pic: Mark Cranitch.

EACH job created by the State Government’s innovation policy Advance Queensland costs taxpayers $78,877 – and there’s no way to know if the positions are fulltime or part-time.

State Government figures show $59 million has already been spent on grants and other programs related to innovation and the money has generated “at least 748 jobs”.

But the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation could not confirm whether the positions were fulltime or part-time because no data about the type of employment was kept.

“The 748 is a headcount number provided to the department by grant recipients and partnership participants,” a department spokesman said.

Each job works out slightly more expensive than the average private sector fulltime annual wage of $77,131, according to an Australian Bureau of Statistics report published in May.

Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch said data from similar programs run internationally showed the investment would pay off with benefits beyond the jobs already created.

“It should be noted that the reported number of jobs are only those supported by programs administered by my department,” she said. “Also, those figures do not include indirect jobs supported as a result of the creation of new industries, expanding businesses and start-up growth.

Opposition Innovation spokeswoman Tarnya Smith fears there are not enough safeguards on how taxpayers’ money is spent. Pic: Tim Marsden

“We recognise that encouraging innovation is critical for creating new jobs and keeping Queenslanders in work in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and health care.”

The $405 million Advance Queensland program – over four years – includes dozens of different grant and co-investment packages available to companies, start-ups and ­individuals to try and grow new industries.

But Opposition Innovation spokeswoman Tarnya Smith said there were not enough safeguards on how taxpayers’ money was being spent.

“Our greatest concern is that Advance Queensland has no jobs’ target,” she said. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it and Advance Queensland has failed to live up to all the hype.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk should be supporting Queensland businesses with a proven track record and creating an environment where start-ups and technology-based companies can thrive, not handing out taxpayer-funded grants to overseas companies to come over here for a bludge in the sun.”

But former premier Peter Beattie, who created the Smart State agenda, said innovation policy should receive bipartisan support.