Additional published information

The information in this document further demonstrates the Department of Justice and
Attorney-General’s organisational effectiveness. This document covers:

  • information systems and recordkeeping
  • consultancies
  • overseas travel
  • waste management
  • recycling policy for buildings and civil infrastructure
  • initiatives for women
  • women on boards and committees
  • Carer’s Recognition Act 2008
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters
  • Queensland Multicultural Policy – (Queensland Multicultural Action Plan: 2011-14).

Due to reporting complexities following machinery-of-government changes, it has not been practical to report on some annualised or disaggregated Youth Justice data in this document. This is identified in the relevant sections.

The department complies with the Public Records Act 2002, keeping full and accurate records of its activities. Records management within the department is governed by the Public Records Act 2002, Information Standard 40: Recordkeeping and Information Standard 31: Retention and Disposal of Public Records as well as whole-of-government recordkeeping policies and guidelines issued by the State Archivist.

The department uses an electronic document and records management system to effectively manage and secure its administrative records.It also uses several case management systems to capture, secureand manageits core business.

The department incurred $270,308.02 on the cost of consultancies for 201112. Major consultancies included:

evaluation of Homeless and Special Circumstance Court Diversion Program

assessing electrical safely awareness in the Queensland Electrical Trade Community

review of operations and performance of the State Penalties Enforcement Registry

strategic review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman

review of stock provisions in Criminal Code and related matters

review of the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld)

review of electricity procurement services, billing and smart meter data management services.

Category / Cost
Professional/technical / $270,308.02
Total / $270,308.02

This section provides a summary of overseas travel by judicial and departmental officers on official business. These are actual costs to the department during 201112 including, in some cases, costs carried over for periods of travel occurring before 1July2011. These travel expenses exclude judicial entitlements that are available on the courts website,

Officer and position / Destination / Travel purpose / Agency cost / Contribution from other agencies or sources
Brian Richardson
Director (Equipment Safety)
Electrical Safety Office / Wellington,
New Zealand / Joint Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand Electrical Safety committee meeting / $ 1,401 / Nil
Brian Richardson
Director (Equipment Safety)
Electrical Safety Office / Wellington,
New Zealand / Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) Equipment working group committee meeting and Standards Australia committee meeting / $ 2,121 / Nil
Colin Liddell
Sr Equipment Safety Advisor
Electrical Safety Office / Auckland,
New Zealand / Joint Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) / $ 1,401 / Funded by Electrical Safety Office from funds paid under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of Clean Energy.
David Ford
Deputy Director-General
Liquor Gaming and Fair Trading / Singapore / Participate as a member of the Singapore Casino Regulatory Authority International Advisory Panel / Nil / 100% funded externally by Singapore Casino Regulatory Authority
The Honourable Justice Margaret McMurdo* (accompanied by spouse, The Honourable Justice Philip McMurdo) / London,
England / Attend International Association of Women Judges’Biennial Conference / $27,190 / Nil
Linda Woo
Executive Director
Office of Regulatory Policy / Auckland,
New Zealand / Gambling Foundation of New Zealand and International Think Tank on Gambling Research, Policy and Practice / $3,323 / Nil
Luke Richards
Policy Officer
Electrical Safety Office / Wellington,
New Zealand / Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) Equipment working group committee meeting / $ 412 / Nil
Michael Sarquis
Executive Director
Office of Liquor and Gaming / Cape Town,
South Africa / Participate as board member at the steering committee meeting and annual general meeting of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and attend the IAG Conference / $ 6,099 / Nil
Peter Lamont
Executive Director
Electrical Safety Office / South Korea / International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) Symposium / $ 3,720 / 65% from the APEC funding pool
Peter Lamont
Executive Director
Electrical Safety Office / Chicago,
USA / Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Electrical Equipment MRA Joint Regulatory Advisory Committee (JRAC) meeting. (Previous year’s travel) / $ 1,241 / 100% from the APEC/ERAC funding pool
Peter McGarry
Manager
Asbestos Unit / Boston,
USA / Attend meeting, workshop and symposium on nanotechnology, health and safety / $ 139 / 100% funded externally by Safe Work Australia other than incidentals
The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC,
Chief Justice** / Seoul,
South Korea / 14thConference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific Conference Planning Meeting
(Previous year’s travel) / $ 2,500 / Nil
The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC,
Chief Justice** and The Honourable Justice JH Byrne, Senior Judge Administrator / Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea / Meetings with Chief Justice and Judges of the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea with a view to preparing a Memorandum of Understanding / $4, 690 (The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC)
$3,215 (The Honourable Justice JH Byrne) / Nil
The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC,
Chief Justice***(accompanied by Mrs de Jersey) / London and Berlin / Attend W G Hart Legal Workshop 2011 Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London and attend Australian Bar Association Conference in Berlin / $ 8,585 / Nil

*The trip is in accordance with the Chief Justice Entitlement Booklet paragraph 1.1 schedule A.

**The trip is in accordance with the Chief Justice Entitlement Booklet paragraph 1.3 schedule A.

***The trip is in accordance with the Chief Justice Entitlement Booklet paragraph 1.1 schedule A.

The Department of Justice and Attorney-General established a strategic waste management plan under the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy. The plan provides:

the framework to address the department’s waste management practices and to formalise waste management initiatives and objectives

ways to avoid, minimise or treat appropriately, departmental waste and to limit any adverse impact on the environment, workplace or public health.

The department continues to seek opportunities to expand its recycling program and improve other waste management practices.

Thedepartmentsupports the Government’s vision of a low-waste Queensland and the goals of Queensland’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Strategy 2010-2020 of reducing waste and optimising recovery and recycling.

The department was not responsible for any construction or demolition of buildings or civil infrastructure projects completed during 2011-12 and reporting as required under the Recycling Policy for Buildings and Civil Infrastructure is not applicable.

During 2011-12, the department undertook a number of initiatives to benefit women, including:

  • establishing a partnership with Centacare Employment Group to support and mentor female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who are attending the Brisbane Murri Court. The partnership provided training and employment opportunitiesto these women and addressed issues such as grief and loss, drug and alcohol issues, parenting, healthy relationships and domestic violence
  • providing funding of $747 374 to Queensland Working Women’s Service, a not-for-profit community based employment advisory servicethat provides free information, advice and advocacy to women and young people on work-related issues
  • working with Court Network volunteers and domestic violence support services across Queensland to assist female domestic violence victims
  • funding Women Working Alongside Women with Intellectual and Learning Disabilities (WWILD), to develop a practitioner manual called How to Hear me and a DVD for victims of crime with an intellectual disability
  • providing a range of services and programs that can be tailored for young people under youth justice supervision, with a small number specifically targeted at young women
  • providing a specific aggression replacement training program for young women at the Brisbane South Youth Justice Service Centre
  • conducting a number of programs at the Caboolture Youth Justice Service Centre targeted at young females in the education, training and life skills areas
  • offering specific training to staff in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions about Indigenous women in the criminal justice system, communication with Torres Strait Islander people and workshop training with WWILDand Immigrant Women’s Support Services.
Board or statutory authority / As at 30 June 2012 / New members
1/7/11 – 30/6/12
Total no. of members / No. of females / %
females / No. of new members / No. of females / %
females
Adult Guardian / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Anti-Discrimination Commission / 3 / 2 / 66.66 / 2 / 2 / 100
Anzac Day Trust / 4 / 1 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 0
Appeal Costs Board / 3 / 3 / 100 / 2 / 2 / 100
Breakwater Island Casino Community Benefit Fund / 7 / 3 / 42.86 / 0 / 0 / 0
Building and Construction Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) (QLeave) Board / 8 / 2 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 0
Cardiac Assessment Tribunal / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Composite Medical Assessment Tribunal / 156 / 17 / 10.9 / 0 / 0 / 0
Construction Industry Sector Standing Committee / 11 / 1 / 9.09 / 0 / 0 / 0
Contract Cleaning Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Authority Board / 6 / 3 / 50 / 6 / 3 / 50
Council of the Queensland Law Society Incorporated / 12 / 5 / 41.67 / 12 / 5 / 41.67
Criminal Organisation Public Interest Monitor / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Crime and Misconduct Commission - Chairperson and part-time Commissioners / 7 / 2 / 28.57 / 4 / 0 / 0
Crime and Misconduct Commission - Assistant Commissioners / 6 / 3 / 50 / 3 / 1 / 33.33
Crime and Misconduct Commission - Crime Reference Committee / 2 / 2 / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0
Dermatology Assessment Tribunal / 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Director and (Deputy Director) of Public Prosecutions / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Disaster Appeals Trust Fund / 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Disfigurement Assessment Tribunal / 5 / 1 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 0
Ear, Nose and Throat Assessment Tribunal / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Electoral Commission of Queensland / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Electrical Licensing Committee / 5 / 2 / 40 / 4 / 2 / 50
Electrical Safety Board / 7 / 3 / 42.85 / 6 / 3 / 50
Electrical Equipment Committee / 13 / 6 / 46.15 / 12 / 6 / 50
Electrical Safety Education Committee / 11 / 5 / 45.45 / 10 / 5 / 50
Funeral Benefits Trust Fund Board of Trustees / 4 / 1 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 0
Gambling Community Benefit Fund / 8 / 5 / 62.5 / 0 / 0 / 0
General Medical Assessment Tribunal / 71 / 12 / 16.90 / 0 / 0 / 0
Health and Community Services Industry Sector Standing Committee / 11 / 3 / 27.27 / 0 / 0 / 0
Information Commissioner/RTI Commissioner/Privacy Commissioner / 4 / 4 / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0
Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund / 7 / 4 / 57.14 / 0 / 0 / 0
Land Court / 5 / 1 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 0
Land Tribunal (Aboriginal) / 1 / 1 / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0
Legal Aid Board / 5 / 2 / 40 / 1 / 0 / 0
Legal AidQueensland - Chief Executive Officer / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Legal Practice Committee / 7 / 3 / 42.85 / 0 / 0 / 0
Legal Practitioners Admission Board / 8 / 4 / 50 / 8 / 4 / 50
Legal Services Commission / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Licensing Review Committee (discontinued as at
1 January 2012) / 5 / 4 / 80 / 5 / 4 / 80
Manufacturing Industry Sector Standing Committee / 12 / 4 / 33.33 / 1 / 0 / 0
Neurology/Neurosurgical Assessment Tribunal / 9 / 2 / 22.22 / 1 / 0 / 0
Office of the Regulator / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Ophthalmology Assessment Tribunal / 5 / 2 / 40 / 1 / 1 / 100
Orthopaedic Assessment Tribunal / 47 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Professional Standards Council / 11 / 4 / 36.36 / 10 / 3 / 30
Public Advocate / 1 / 1 / 100 / 1 / 0 / 0
Public Interest Monitor / 3 / 1 / 33.33 / 3 / 1 / 33.33
Public Trustee of Queensland / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Public Trust Office Investment Board / 4 / 1 / 25 / 0 / 0 / 0
Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal-President and Deputy President / 2 / 1 / 50 / 0 / 0 / 0
Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal-Senior Members, Ordinary Members (full-time and part-time) and Adjudicators / 116 / 54 / 46.55 / 22 / 11 / 50
Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal – Lay and Practitioner Panels (formerly Legal Practice Tribunal) / 16 / 7 / 43.75 / 0 / 0 / 0
Queensland Industrial Relations Commission / 8 / 4 / 50 / 0 / 0 / 0
Queensland Law Reform Commission / 6 / 3 / 50 / 0 / 0 / 0
Queensland Liquor and Gaming Commission / 7 / 2 / 28.57 / 2 / 0 / 0
Queensland Ombudsman / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Reef Hotel Casino Community Benefit Fund / 6 / 5 / 83.33 / 0 / 0 / 0
Retail, Wholesale, Hospitality, Recreation and other services Industry Sector Standing Committee / 13 / 6 / 46.15 / 0 / 0 / 0
Registrar-General (and Deputy) of Births Deaths and Marriages / 2 / 0 / 20 / 1 / 0 / 0
Responsible Gambling Advisory Committee / 14 / 2 / 14.28 / 0 / 0 / 0
Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee / 10 / 3 / 30 / 0 / 0 / 0
Sentencing Advisory Council / 12 / 4 / 33.33 / 0 / 0 / 0
Solicitor-General / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
State Coroner / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Supreme Court Library Committee / 13 / 4 / 30.76 / 3 / 1 / 33.33
Transport and Storage Industry Sector Standing Committee / 13 / 3 / 23.07 / 0 / 0 / 0
Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Authority (Q-COMP) Board / 6 / 1 / 16.66 / 6 / 1 / 16.66
WorkCover Queensland Board (includes CEO of the WorkCover Employing Office) / 7 / 1 / 14.28 / 7 / 1 / 14.28
Workplace Health and Safety Board / 13 / 6 / 42.85 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total / 795 / 226 / 28.42 / 137 / 56 / 40.87

The department recognises the effort and dedication of carers in the community. Under the Carers (Recognition) Act 2008, agencies must ensure their employees are aware of and understand the Queensland Carers Charter and take action to reflect the principles of the charter. During 201112, the department continued to inform and educate its staff and managers about the Actand charter by promoting both through its intranet and induction packages.

The department considered carers’ needs and services when developing its new DisabilityServicePlan2011-14. Specific actions were included in this plan to accommodate the needs of carers during
2011-12, including:

  • the Queensland Courts Service designed a purpose-built kiosk for Court Network volunteers so they can better support court users and their carers
  • the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal developed an annual survey to identify the needs of carers and used feedback to adjust and improve its services
  • the Office of the Adult Guardian updated its online information to help carers negotiate advanced health directives, statutory health and enduring powers of attorney. Information services for carers will be further improved in 2012-13 when a new online resource is introduced.

The department undertook several initiatives during 2011-12 to contribute to the Queensland Government Reconciliation Action Plan 2009-2012.The table below shows the department’s progress.

The Queensland Government Reconciliation Action Plan 2009-2012 (RAP) –
implementation progress
Initiative / National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reforms
Action / The Queensland Government will work actively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve the Council of Australian Governments national Closing the Gap targets and strategies, including in the key areas of early childhood, schooling, housing, health and economic participation.
The department’s implementation progress in
2011-12 / Increased employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • Contributed to the whole-of-government Project 2800 strategy, focusing on attracting, retaining and growing the department’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce.
  • Managed specific whole-of-department recruitment drives to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees. Eleven new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees were recruited in February 2012.
  • Recruited 29 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, increasing the number from 72 to 101.
  • Developed a number of resources to help managers to employ trainees and cadets from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
  • Attendeda number of specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander careerexpos to promote work opportunities in the department.
  • Participated in the Diploma of Justice (ATSI) Work Experience Placement Programthat aims to provide participants with appropriate training and workplace skills to work as justice professionals in administration, managerial and/or law enforcement in public or private organisations.
  • Sponsoredfive[1]new Education toward Employment scholarship scheme school students and 101ongoing students from previous years.
  • Worked with the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Community Safety, Queensland Health and the Queensland Police Service to implement the Education and Justice Initiative. This initiative provides work placement opportunities for young Indigenous people in courthouses in the SunshineCoast and WideBay region.

Initiative / Annual agency planning and reporting
Action / All Queensland Government agencies will incorporate relevant reconciliation actions in their annual business plans and report on the progress of the implementation of The Queensland Government Reconciliation Action Plan 20092012 as part of their annual reports.
The department’s implementation progress in
2011-12 / Improved justice services and partnerships
  • The Courts Innovation Program conducted seven Regional Indigenous Justice Forums, which brought together 128 representatives from 52 community justice groups, Elders and respected persons from the 17 Murri Courts across Queensland. This initiative improved the partnership between government agencies, the Magistracy, community justice groups and Murri Courts to enable them to consider holistic strategies to address the needs of Indigenous victims and offenders.
  • The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunalworked with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) to make sure its registry staff and tribunal members had sufficient information to refer clients to ATSILS for assistance as appropriate. It is intended that this activity will expand to include other Indigenous Australian legal and advocacy services.
  • The Dispute Resolution Branch transitioneda peacemaking service to a local community organisation on MorningtonIsland. The service was developed as part of the Mornington Island Restorative Justice project—apartnership between the department and the remote Indigenous community of MorningtonIsland to deliver culturally appropriate restorative justice mediation processes.
  • The department upgraded the Cherbourg court facilities and opened them in December 2011 as the Allan Douglas Community Justice Centre. The centrenow serves as a hub from which government agencies, stakeholders and the Barambah Local Community Justice Group can meet and work with local community members.
  • The department contributed to the development of Just Futures 2012-2015. Just Futures aims to improve safety in Queensland’s Indigenous communities and reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as victims and offenders in Queensland’s youth detention and correctional centres.
Better services and support for young offenders
Youth Justice Services:
  • established integrated case management panels to improve the quality and coordination of services to young people at high risk of offending. Panels have specifically focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people resulting from the current level of overrepresentation
  • evaluated the effectiveness of Indigenous conferencing support officers in engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people’s families and communities in justice processes. Evaluation findings indicated that investment in these positions improved the quality of service provided to clients and improved the cultural competence of service centres
  • developed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory group at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre comprising Indigenous members of the community and centre employees
  • established an Elder mentoring program at the Ipswich Youth Justice Service Centre, where young people attend the old Purga Mission site and engage in activities with Elders from the community. Activities include establishing a yarning circle, engaging in land care and maintenance of the grounds, learning traditional painting techniques and learning to identify bush foods and medicine
  • in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services, secured Learning Earning Active Places funding for the Logan Youth Justice Service Centre. This funding allowed the centre to deliver an aggression replacement training program to a group of Aboriginal young people. This program was delivered within the community and facilitated better collaboration between the service and the agencies and better linkages for clients with community agencies
  • in partnership with the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service, engaged the services of two Pacific Islander youth workers and one Papua New Guinean/Torres Strait Islander youth worker through a supported tranineeship program at the Ipswich Youth Justice Service Centre. The program allowed youth workers from a culturally and linguistically diverse background to undertake an extended traineeship to gain the skills and confidence necessary for working with young people
  • developed positive relationships with a number of Aboriginal men’s groups that provide services to young people and families of Indigenous clients
  • continued a range of other actions to improve services and support for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including: cross-cultural care teams that provide support and guidance to young people, their families and community; and cultural programs targeted to young people under youth justice supervision either in the community or in detention.
Support for vulnerable people
Victim Assist Queensland:
  • funded and worked with Protect All Children Today to deliver the Thursday Island Court Support Capacity Building Initiative. This initiative aims to develop a culturally appropriate, community led court support group on Thursday Island to improve child witness support services
  • participated in the Yarrabah Sexual Assault Project that aims to build capacity to respond to sexual assault victims of crime locally, increase the access to services that are culturally appropriate and raise community awareness for victims of sexual assault
  • funded the Cairns Sexual Assault Service, through the Yarrabah Sexual Assault Project, to build capacity in the Yarrabah community to better respond to sexual assault. The project will promote appropriate and timely responses to sexual assault locally and develop a framework for all services working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have experienced sexual assault
  • worked with three key service providers on the Burdekin Victim of Crime Awareness Program to inform the community about services available for victims of crime in their region
  • developed a fact sheet and poster specifically targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of crime and stakeholders who support them.
Information, support and training about workplace health and safety
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland:
  • as part of the Asbestos Work Health and Safety Action Plan 2011-2016, developed a priority area action plan targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The plan aims to reduce the risk of harm to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders from exposure to asbestos
  • delivered workplace health and safety seminars about the national Work Health and Safety Act 2011 at the Northern Peninsula Area (Cape York) and Thursday Island (Torres Strait) to make sure councils, businesses, organisations, workers and the community were informed of changes to the laws
  • developed and distributed information kits about the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils, organisations, businesses and workers as another way of making sure communities were informed of changes to the laws
  • facilitated Class B asbestos removal training to Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council employees to help them understand legislative requirements and provide information about the safe removal, handling, transport and disposal of asbestos materials. The training was a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and council partnership initiative designed to skill up employees for a proposed asbestos work unit
  • conducted advisory sessions with councils and businesses, including mentoring them and providing resources and follow up assessment, to help them develop and maintain practical workplace health and safety management systems.
Consumer education and consultation
  • The Office of Fair Trading conducted a number of presentations developed for Indigenous consumers in Far North Queensland. These presentations covered consumer education about rights and responsibilities,scams, shopping and budgeting.