Messages
Message from the Premier
I am pleased to table the 2017—18 Queensland Plan Annual Progress Report. I am immensely proud of what my Government has achieved in collaboration with business, industry and community, as we continue to deliver on our commitments to Queenslanders.
The themes represented in The Queensland Plan (the Plan) reflect my Government’s priorities and what we are passionate about delivering for Queensland: creating jobs in a strong economy, keeping Queenslanders healthy, giving all children a great start, keeping communities safe, protecting the Great Barrier Reef and ensuring we are a responsive government.
Now more than ever, we need to ensure Queensland is prepared for the challenges and opportunities from global trends and emerging technologies. My Government is committed to diversifying the economy, creating jobs and industries of the future and supporting our businesses to capitalise on the trade and investment opportunities from international markets.
My Government has injected $650 million into Advance Queensland as an investment for the future. Our programs are supporting Queensland innovators to create the new jobs and industries for a diversified economy and build our export and investment profile. At the end of 2017–18, we had backed more than 3600 innovators across the State through Advance Queensland, driving more than 12 500 jobs, and I look forward to seeing the continued global success of Queensland’s strong start-up ecosystem.
I would like to thank the Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council (the Ambassadors Council) for its continued promotion of the Plan and advocacy for implementation by community, business and industry in 2017–18. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of each Ambassador, who contributes their time and expertise in a volunteer capacity: the Chair, the Honourable Tony McGrady; the Deputy Chair, Mr Mark Henley; Mr Daniel Gschwind; Ms Shelley Argent; Ms Erin Faithful; Mr Taj Pabari; Mr Leon Yeatman; Ms Karen Tully; Professor Allan Dale; Professor John Cole; and Ms Kate Tully. I would also like to recognise the contribution of Emeritus Professor Roger Scott who stepped down from the Ambassadors Council during 2017–18.
My Government is committed to working with all Queenslanders across the State to build a prosperous, healthy and sustainable Queensland. Together, we will continue to advance our State as we look to the future, building on our strengths to deliver a strong economy, protect our natural assets, and ensure a safe and inclusive Queensland for all.
Annastacia Palaszczuk MP
Premier of Queensland
Minister for Trade
Message from the Leader of the Opposition
The Queensland Plan (the Plan) encapsulates a long-term vision for our wonderful diverse state, put together by Queenslanders. It outlives Parliaments and Governments, with nine foundation areas that continue to guide the plan and set the priorities for our State.
While some of the challenges we face have evolved since the Plan was first adopted in 2014, the spirit of collaboration and consultation that helped draft the initial plan remains strong and is connected through annual progress reports.
Queenslanders expect us to work together, in their interests, to make a better state for our kids and grandkids. That’s why the Opposition is proud to support the vision set out in the Plan, with ongoing goals, targets and measures.
Our economic plan includes busting congestion, addressing cost of living pressures like electricity, fuel and water costs, better health and education services, delivering water security for our regions and lower taxes to provide a future where Queensland’s best days are ahead of us.
As Opposition Leader and someone who was involved when drafting the initial plan commenced in 2013, I am determined to ensure that our shared goals and visions are not lost, but enhanced.
My team and I represent all of Queensland and will continue to work hard to unite our state to make Queensland a better place for our kids.
I encourage all Queenslanders to continue to get involved, make their views heard and contribute to the long-term vision for our State.
Deb Frecklington MP
Leader of the Opposition
Message from the Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council
The Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council (the Ambassadors Council) was established in 2014 under the Queensland Plan Act 2014 (the Act). As a group, we bring a range of experience and expertise to promote awareness of, and advocate for, the implementation of The Queensland Plan (the Plan) by the community, business and industry. As part of our role, we are also tasked with providing advice to the Premier about the implementation of the Plan.
In 2017–18, the Ambassadors Council continued the work we started in 2016–17 to review each of the nine foundation areas of the Plan. We met twice in Brisbane to host panel discussions on five of the foundation areas: education; community; health and wellbeing; infrastructure; and environment. Individual Ambassadors were selected to lead consideration of each foundation area, drawing on their background and sphere of influence to review the associated issues, priorities and challenges across Queensland.
Experts, government officials, community and sector representatives, and other relevant stakeholders were brought together to participate in panel discussions, bringing unique insights and informing the Ambassadors’ considerations. Ambassadors were also pleased to welcome Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Assistant Minister of State, Ms Jennifer Howard MP, the Premier’s representative responsible for the Plan; and Mrs Deb Frecklington, the Leader of the Opposition to their meeting in February 2018. The Ambassadors Council is grateful for the contribution these individuals have made to the work of the Council throughout the year.
The Council devised a summary of the priorities, issues and challenges identified through the panel discussions for each foundation area reviewed, and provided this to the Premier as advice in the form of a communiqué published on the Queensland Plan website at: www.queenslandplan.qld.gov.au/delivering-the-plan/ambassadors.aspx. An overview of the key discussion points is outlined below.
Education
Ambassadors noted a range of positive developments in education including more than 95 per cent of children being enrolled in a kindergarten program, and improvements in Queensland’s NAPLAN performance and Year 12 completion rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. These are achievements of which Queensland should be proud.
It is an ongoing challenge in the education sector for providers from kindergarten to tertiary education to ensure that learning environments, curriculum, and teaching methods are able to respond to the changing skills and education and training required for success in the 21st century.
Community
Ambassadors noted Queensland is Australia’s most decentralised state and the strength of the Queensland spirit. Some of the challenges facing Queensland communities raised during the discussion included rising income inequality, cost of living challenges, the emergence of a digital divide, homelessness, child safety and closing the gap. Panel members commended the Queensland Government strategies such as Advance Queensland, the jobs agenda, and discrete initiatives like Logan Together, which mobilises community resources to ensure that every child gets the support, love and care they need to grow to be the best they can be. Ambassadors were encouraged by discussions with community representatives who identified fertile prospects for such place-based community development initiatives.
Health and wellbeing
While there have been significant gains in the delivery of health services, including through trends towards community-based health models, co-design and preventative health, and some gains in relation to health outcomes, there are also ongoing challenges in the health sector. These include a need for an increased focus on prevention and primary health care and a gap of 10 years in the life expectancy of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.
Infrastructure
Panel members highlighted the progress being made under the State Infrastructure Plan (SIP) and acknowledged its value as part of the planning framework. The Ambassadors Council recognised the value in regional planning, translating SIP into regional infrastructure vision statements and plans informed by dialogue with the community. The Council sees, regional planning should ideally take a fully integrated approach across transport, water, energy, communications and social infrastructure, and across local, state, and Federal Government planning to identify opportunities for the private sector and prioritising regional infrastructure needs at a state level.
Prior to the panel discussion, the Chair of the Ambassadors Council, the Honourable Tony McGrady, and infrastructure foundation area champion, Professor Allan Dale, visited the Gold Coast to hear from state and local government staff about the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games facilities and the investment in long-term infrastructure for Queensland. Each were impressed by the integrated approach taken to regional infrastructure planning and the example this provided for how to leverage special events for broader and longer-term regional social and economic development benefits.
Environment
Ambassadors heard Queensland is facing a number of challenges in relation to environmental sustainability and natural resource management. Panel members advised climate change is now recognised as the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. As such, the Great Barrier Reef and climate change strategies need to be integrated.
The panel discussions revealed developing measures, capturing data and providing information in an accessible way is required as a priority to inform decision making, improve our understanding and management of the environment, and support an informed public discussion.
Addressing environmental challenges will require innovation. Panel members included representatives from a number of Queensland businesses that are already actively adopting innovation, rolling out new technologies for biowaste management, energy production and storage and soil management. The Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland agenda is also recognised as contributing great results in stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation in Queensland. Government also has a role to develop complementary legislative and policy responses that enable new and smarter ways of doings things and normalising this approach to natural resource management and environmental protection.
The year ahead
In 2018–19, the Ambassadors Council will focus its attention on two specific requests from the Premier:
- to prepare a written submission for consideration in the review of the Plan
- to provide advice to the Premier regarding suicide prevention in regional Queensland to support the Queensland Government in its endeavour to halve suicide rate by 2026 under Our Future State: Advancing Queensland’s Priorities.
The Premier must review the Plan within five years of it being ratified and will commence the review in 2018 in order to complete the work by October 2019. The Ambassadors Council will support the Premier in conducting the review through encouraging the community, business and industry to provide feedback and will provide a written submission focusing on our experience with the implementation of the Plan and its continuing relevance to Queenslanders.
The Ambassadors Council would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of retiring Ambassador, Emeritus Professor Roger Scott, who brought his expertise and networks in public administration and higher education to Ambassadors Council deliberations. Professor Scott retired from the Ambassadors Council in February 2018 and his contribution will be greatly missed.
The Ambassadors Council would also like to thank the Premier and Minister for Trade, the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk for her support of the Ambassadors Council and the Plan. The Ambassadors Council looks forward to supporting the Premier in the review of the Plan in 2018—19, as the Queensland Government considers the best way to support Queenslanders in achieving their vision for the future. The Ambassadors Council would also like to congratulate the Premier on the Queensland Government’s release of its objectives for the community, Our Future State: Advancing Queensland’s Priorities in June 2018, a clear expression of the Queensland Government’s objectives for the community.
