Police Service Administration and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2022
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill makes operational improvements to the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. It reforms police discipline processes, introduces automatic dismissal of officers sentenced to imprisonment, creates stronger protections for confidential police information, streamlines weapons licensing, and modernises fire safety and emergency management laws.
Who it affects
Police officers face stricter accountability measures including automatic dismissal if imprisoned. Building occupiers must maintain external fire safety installations. Weapons licence applicants may see faster processing times. Anyone accessing confidential police information, including contractors, faces new criminal penalties for misuse.
Police accountability and discipline
Reforms the police discipline system and introduces automatic dismissal for officers sentenced to imprisonment. Strengthens protections for confidential police information held by the QPS, extending criminal penalties to contractors and subcontractors.
- Police officers sentenced to imprisonment (including suspended sentences) are automatically dismissed from the QPS
- New offence of unauthorised use of confidential police information carries up to 100 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment
- Discipline proceedings can be delayed until related domestic violence protection order applications are finalised
- A substitute prescribed officer can continue disciplinary proceedings if the original officer dies, leaves, or becomes incapacitated
Weapons licensing
Streamlines the processing of weapons licence applications by allowing authorised officers to delegate licensing functions to qualified police officers and QPS staff members.
- Licensing functions can be delegated to police officers and QPS staff with relevant expertise
- Existing licences and permits to acquire issued by non-authorised officers are retrospectively validated
Fire and emergency services
Modernises fire safety and emergency management laws, including allowing fire officers to use drones, expanding fire safety maintenance obligations, and enabling better information sharing between QFES and QPS on fire death investigations.
- Fire officers can use drones and robots to enter premises and open receptacles for fire prevention and investigation
- Fire permits can be temporarily suspended during high-risk periods instead of being revoked
- Building occupiers must maintain fire safety installations outside their building to the same standard as internal ones
- QFES can share investigation information with police when a fire or hazmat emergency involves a death or serious injury
- Impersonating a Rural Fire Brigade member is now a criminal offence
Online publication modernisation
Updates publication requirements across fire and disaster management legislation to require online publication instead of newspaper notices, reflecting that many Queensland communities no longer have local print newspapers.
- Local fire bans must be published on the QFES website instead of in newspapers
- Deemed approval notices under the Planning Act must be published online instead of in print
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Committee11 May 2022View Hansard
Referred to Economics and Governance Committee
The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Bill over approximately three months, receiving submissions from stakeholders including the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, and the Queensland Police Union of Employees. The committee recommended the Bill be passed, finding that it would deliver appropriate operational improvements and efficiencies for the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. The committee was satisfied that any restrictions on individuals' rights and liberties were justified and that the Bill was compatible with human rights.
Key findings (5)
- The Queensland Police Union of Employees broadly supported the proposed amendments to the Police Service Administration Act and Police Powers and Responsibilities Act.
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service raised concerns that amendments allowing medically unfit police officers to transfer to Public Service Act employment could enable officers to avoid appropriate disciplinary action.
- The Crime and Corruption Commission noted that the proposed confidential information offence did not address its broader recommendation for a public sector-wide misuse of information offence, though the QPS stated this was beyond the Bill's scope.
- ATSILS opposed the extension of fire officer entry powers using remote-controlled devices such as drones, considering them too broadly drafted, but the committee found sufficient safeguards existed.
- The committee was satisfied that the delegation of weapons licensing administrative powers to qualified staff members was appropriate and consistent with practices in other Australian jurisdictions.
Recommendations (3)
- The committee recommends the Police Service Administration and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2022 be passed.
- The committee recommends the Minister for Police and Corrective Services, through the Queensland Police Service, continue to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the application of the Police Service Administration Act 1990, and where improvements are identified, consider further enhancements to maintain optimal operational efficiency.
- The committee recommends the Queensland Government continue to engage with other Australian jurisdictions and the Commonwealth Government to ensure a consistent, efficient and safe approach to Australian weapons licencing practices.
Committee report tabled
▸Second Reading11 May 2022View Hansard
▸11 members spoke11 support
Supports the bill which enhances police service administration, acknowledging the work of frontline workers in difficult times.
“All workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and not adversely affect the safety of others.”— 2022-05-12View Hansard
Supports the bill's police administration provisions.
“The bill provides important updates to police service administration.”— 2022-05-12View Hansard
Supports the bill's provisions for police services.
“The bill supports our police services.”— 2022-05-12View Hansard
Supports the bill's provisions.
“The bill provides important updates.”— 2022-05-12View Hansard
As minister, introduced the cognate debate, thanking the Jack Beasley Foundation and outlining the expansion of knife wanding powers to all safe night precincts and public transport stations.
“If a person chooses to unlawfully carry a knife in a public place, then they are putting the community at risk of serious harm. This is not good enough, and the bill will directly address this.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Supported both bills, proposing amendments to make the wanding provisions permanent rather than a trial, and called for adequate police resourcing of safe night precincts.
“The opposition firmly believes that extending this trial is not warranted and that these changes regarding scanning provisions, increased scope of prescribed public places and the criteria that a senior police officer must consider before approving the use of a handheld scanner device should be made permanent.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Supported both bills as committee chair, acknowledging the Jack Beasley Foundation's advocacy and the importance of evidence-based decision-making in using wanding powers.
“The committee recognises that using wands to search for and detect weapons is an extraordinary and nation-leading power to give to any police service.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Strongly supported Jack's Law as a community-led reform driven by the Jack Beasley Foundation, of which he is a board member, but argued the trial end date should be removed to make the powers permanent.
“Jack's Law should be permanent. This should be reviewed in two years but the end date should not be included.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Supported both bills, acknowledging the Beasley family's advocacy and the importance of expanding knife detection powers to enhance community safety.
“As a parent myself, it is really important that we all support this bill to prevent lives being lost.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Strongly supported Jack's Law, sharing the story of Balin Stewart who was fatally stabbed in his electorate, and argued the trial should be made permanent rather than extended.
“I say to the Labor members in this chamber: suspend any extension of the trial and make it permanent across our communities. Just end the trial and make it permanent.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Supported both bills, acknowledging the Beasley family and the importance of expanding knife detection trials to all safe night precincts and public transport stations.
“I acknowledge the Beasley family in the gallery and offer my condolences for their loss. I also pay tribute to all the members who have spoken with great heart about other victims of this prevalent crime.”— 2023-03-29View Hansard
Referenced Entities
Legislation
Organisations
Programs & Schemes
Sectors Affected
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