Resources Safety and Health Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

Supported the bill, arguing it makes RSHQ accountable to a board of technical experts and improves safety for resources workers, and defended retention (with reform) of the Land Access Ombudsman's functions.

“This legislation is a fantastic step in the right direction to get that regulator back to where it needs to be to deliver better safety outcomes for Queenslanders.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

As the minister moving the bill, defended replacing the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health with a skills-based governing board, repealing the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy, and streamlining the mining tenement framework as essential safety and governance reforms.

“This legislation will restore confidence in the resource sector's safety framework, ultimately making our resources industry a better and a safer place to work.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, reiterating the opposition's concerns that it ignores the Johnston review by abolishing the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health and fails to require industry and worker representation on the RSHQ board, and condemned the government for restricting consideration in detail time so 68 opposition amendments could not be debated.

“The shadow minister pointed out that the government is failing to listen to Professor Johnston's review into RSHQ by abolishing the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health ... and failing to require proper industry and worker representation of the RSHQ board.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Shadow minister who opposed the bill for abolishing the independent Commissioner against the Johnston review's recommendation and for merging the Land Access Ombudsman with Coexistence Queensland; moved a reasoned amendment to withdraw, redraft and split the bill.

“To sack the commissioner, as we are doing here today, is of course to do the opposite: to make mining more dangerous.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting it implements 15 of the 16 Johnston review recommendations and establishes an independent governing board for RSHQ, and challenged the opposition over voting against workers' safety.

“If those opposite do not support this and they vote against this, I would ask the question: what have they got against workers' safety?”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Opposed the bill, supporting the reasoned amendment to send it back to committee, arguing the government ignored the Johnston review's phased implementation and its recommendation to retain the commissioner, and merged the Land Access Ombudsman with Coexistence Queensland without consulting agricultural stakeholders.

“By ignoring the recommended 18-month staged implementation of reforms to the RSHQ and instead rushing through complex regulatory and structural changes, this LNP government is putting the safety of Queensland resource workers at risk.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, framing it as strengthening governance, accountability and oversight of RSHQ, defending the replacement of the commissioner with a governing board, the strengthening of advisory committees, and the reform of the Land Access Ombudsman.

“This bill is not about weakening safety; it is about strengthening the system that is supposed to deliver safety.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Opposed the bill, drawing on his experience on the black lung select committee to argue the government ignored expert advice and the tripartite model, weakening worker safety.

“Sadly, I think by going down that path we have a bill here that is deeply flawed... It is another botched bill. Labor does not support this bill.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill as enhancing governance and oversight of RSHQ in response to the Johnston review, and endorsed merging the Land Access Ombudsman with the CEO of Coexistence Queensland and repealing the proposed industry funding levy.

“This will make the sector safer for every mineworker, thus delivering on the Crisafulli government's commitment to making Queensland safer.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Supported the bill and opposed the reasoned amendment, arguing the bill need not be withdrawn since amendments could fix concerns, citing the Johnston review's damning findings about the commissioner role's ineffectiveness and defending the Land Access Ombudsman changes on cost-efficiency grounds.

“We do not need to withdraw a piece of legislation if he himself has amendments that he can move to fix what he says is a big problem. The legislation does not need to be withdrawn and redrafted.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, describing it as establishing an independent skills-based governing board for RSHQ that strengthens oversight, removes duplication and addresses three Johnston review recommendations.

“I rise today in strong support of the Resources Safety and Health Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

As committee chair, supported the bill, defending the skills-based governing board, the abolition of the commissioner role, and the repeal of the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy while noting committee safeguards and review recommendations.

“This bill reinforces that safety is not negotiable; it is essential. By strengthening governance, clarifying accountability and modernising key aspects of the law, this legislation lays the foundation for a safer and more effective regulatory system.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill as establishing an independent governing board for RSHQ and reforming the Land Access Ombudsman by merging it with Coexistence Queensland and repealing the industry funding levy.

“These reforms will deliver a modern, accountable system that puts safety first and restores confidence in Queensland's resource safety framework.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it departs from the Johnston review by abolishing the commissioner, weakens the tripartite model and worker representation, raises conflict-of-interest concerns about board composition, and bypassed the recommended staged implementation.

“Labor's concern here is that parts of this bill could undermine safety. It is also clear that other stakeholders share our concerns—unions and industry associations.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing the Johnston review exposed weak governance and an ineffective commissioner role under the former Labor government, and that the new skills-based board delivers clearer accountability while advisory committees retain their tripartite structure.

“This legislation delivers important and necessary reforms to Queensland's resources safety framework while also ensuring greater accountability, stronger governance, reduced duplication and a more efficient regulatory system.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing the governing board delivers clearer accountability as recommended by the Johnston review, that advisory committees remain tripartite and strengthened, and that the Land Access Ombudsman reforms remove an underutilised cost burden.

“This bill is about something incredibly important to my electorate of Mackay: keeping workers safe while ensuring our resources sector remains strong, productive and sustainable for generations to come.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Minister in reply: defended the bill as implementing the Johnston review by establishing an independent skills-based RSHQ board, abolishing the ineffective commissioner role, retaining tripartite advisory committees, and transitioning the Land Access Ombudsman, and condemned Labor for opposing the bill.

“Let me be crystal clear: Labor does not support the bill because it does not support the resources sector.”— 2026-05-13View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it rushes complex changes against the Johnston review, abolishes the commissioner contrary to recommendation 2 and stakeholder views, removes the commissioner's independent chairing of advisory committees, and includes no requirement for worker representation on the board.

“Taking away the commissioner role is like removing a key brick from the bottom of a wall—it weakens the whole structure.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing the governing board delivers stronger oversight and clearer accountability as found by the Johnston review, that advisory committees remain equally represented and strengthened, and that scrapping the lightly-used Land Access Ombudsman industry levy reduces red tape.

“This bill delivers practical reforms to strengthen Resources Safety & Health Queensland and restore confidence in the system.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, citing the Johnston review's findings of accountability and oversight failures in the Labor-created RSHQ model, defending the abolition of the commissioner, the new board, and the repeal of the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy.

“Establishing an RSHQ board will ensure Queensland establishes a best practice, skill-based governing board with a direct reporting relationship to the minister.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing the government commissioned the Johnston review then ignored its staged process and recommendation to retain the commissioner, that the board can be removed without reason and lacks worker representation, and that merging the Land Access Ombudsman with Coexistence Queensland creates conflicts of interest.

“This bill is not just flawed; it is dangerous.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, rejecting claims of inadequate consultation, citing the Johnston review's findings of poor oversight and an unclear commissioner role, and defending the skills-based board and repeal of the Land Access Ombudsman levy.

“It strengthens oversight, clarifies accountability and helps to restore confidence that Queensland's resources safety framework is focused on its one and only job: keeping workers safe.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it removes the independent commissioner contrary to the Johnston review, allows board and ombudsman members to be removed for any or no reason, and repeals the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy and collapses the office into Coexistence Queensland, subsidising the resources sector at taxpayers' expense.

“This is really a cynical way of introducing quite far-reaching administrative changes that not only were not recommended by that review but also actually run counter to it and serve to quite directly undermine the independence and integrity of some key regulatory bodies.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, emphasising worker safety for Central Queensland FIFO/DIDO families, defending the new governing board for stronger oversight and the repeal of the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy to reduce red tape and protect jobs.

“We must also ensure that the systems protecting workers are modern, accountable and effective, because strong resources industries and strong worker protections do not have to be mutually exclusive.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it ignored experts and rushed changes, abolished the commissioner against the Johnston review, allows the minister to remove board members without reason, and includes no requirement for worker representation, foreshadowing opposition amendments.

“Once again, the Crisafulli LNP government has ignored the experts, putting the safety of Queensland resource workers at risk.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, drawing on her policing background to argue that clear accountability protects frontline workers, defending the skills-based governing board following the Johnston review and the repeal of the Land Access Ombudsman industry levy.

“These workers deserve one thing above all else: they deserve to come home safely, and that is what this bill is all about.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, citing the Johnston review's findings of governance weaknesses, defending the five-member board replacing the commissioner, the strengthened advisory committees, and the merger of the Land Access Ombudsman into the Coexistence Queensland CEO role without new levies.

“The bill is about one simple principle: safety first.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing the government ignored the Johnston review's 18-month staged process, abolished the commissioner against expert advice, weakened advisory committee independence, and merged the Land Access Ombudsman with Coexistence Queensland; foreshadowed opposition amendments for tripartite board representation and to retain the commissioner.

“This government has ignored the very expert advice it commissioned and has rushed through complex structural changes without the proper consultation that Queensland workers, industry and regional communities deserve.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing it delivers real worker safety free from union abuse, and that the underutilised, costly Land Access Ombudsman should be reformed by merging it with Coexistence Queensland.

“This is real safety for workers. It is about having a framework and a disciplined system which puts their interests at the forefront and which deals with lessons learnt about structures which have been proven to be suboptimal.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it fails to respond to the government's own Johnston review, abolishes the commissioner against stakeholder and QRC support, removes independence from advisory committees, allows board removal without reason and lacks worker representation; foreshadowed amendments to retain the commissioner and add union/worker representation.

“This bill does not deliver health and safety in the resource sector; it weakens health and safety laws.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing it restores accountability and oversight to worker safety through the new board, and that merging the Land Access Ombudsman with the independent Coexistence Queensland ends costly duplication.

“The accountability that will be implemented by the establishment of this board will directly, as a result of recommendations from experts, restore accountability and oversight when it comes to safety.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, citing the Johnston review's findings of weak governance and an ineffective commissioner role, defending the skills-based board, the strengthened tripartite advisory committees, and the merger of the underutilised Land Access Ombudsman with Coexistence Queensland without new levies.

“This is a worker focused reform that delivers on our Crisafulli government's clear commitments: making Queensland safer for the men and women who power our economy.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, drawing on his mining-equipment and electrical-trade experience to argue safety must be practical and accountable, defending the governing board recommended by the Johnston review and the removal of duplication and unnecessary costs.

“It strengthens governance, removes duplication, restores accountability and importantly puts worker safety back at the centre of the system.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing it implements key Johnston review recommendations through the governing board, strengthens tripartite advisory committees, and removes the underutilised Land Access Ombudsman's industry levy by merging the role with the Coexistence Queensland CEO.

“That is exactly what this bill does: it fixes it. The bill strengthens governance, it improves accountability, it restores clarity.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

As Minister for Primary Industries, supported the bill, defending the abolition of the commissioner in favour of a five-member board, the reinstated advisory committee functions, and the reform of the underutilised Land Access Ombudsman, rejecting AgForce's concern that the ombudsman is being abolished.

“Despite what those opposite are saying, the position of the LAO is not being abolished. The position will be held concurrently with Coexistence Queensland.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, citing the Johnston review's findings of weak governance and an unclear commissioner role, defending the skills-based governing board, strengthened advisory committees, and the streamlining of the underutilised Land Access Ombudsman and repeal of the proposed industry levy.

“This is not about weakening safety protections; it is about ensuring the system actually delivers outcomes for workers.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing the independent governing board responds to the Johnston review's findings of weak governance and unclear roles, streamlines advisory structures and reduces duplication to make the sector safer for resource workers.

“This is an important step forward in strengthening Queensland's resources safety and health frameworks, improving accountability and delivering a safer resource sector for every worker.”— 2026-05-12View Hansard