Community Support and Services Committee

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Disability Services (Restrictive Practices) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, which reforms how restrictive practices are authorised for people with disability in Queensland. The committee recommended the bill be passed, noting broad stakeholder support for the new clinician-based authorisation framework and its focus on reducing and eventually eliminating restrictive practices. The committee also made three additional recommendations for amendments, including expanding the framework's scope to cover accredited residential services, adding a cancellation ground for the senior practitioner, and creating a specific offence for unauthorised restrictive practices. The Queensland Government adopted only the cancellation ground amendment, declining the other two at that time.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Criminal Justice Legislation (Sexual Violence and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2024, which implements recommendations from the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce. The committee recommended the bill be passed, while making three further recommendations addressing law enforcement guidelines for new offence provisions, review of listed persons under proposed section 210A(3), and development of trauma-informed guidance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the justice system. The Queensland Government supported all recommendations, noting it intended to move amendments to clarify and narrow certain provisions in response to stakeholder feedback.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Child Safe Organisations Bill 2024 over approximately seven weeks, receiving 21 written submissions and holding a public departmental briefing and public hearing. The committee unanimously recommended the Bill be passed, finding broad stakeholder support for the establishment of mandatory child safe standards, a Universal Principle for cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and a nationally consistent reportable conduct scheme. While supportive of the Bill's objectives, stakeholders raised concerns about implementation support for smaller and regional organisations, potential duplication of reporting obligations, and the adequacy of the Queensland Family and Child Commission's complaint-handling functions.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over seven weeks, receiving 13 submissions and holding public hearings. The committee recommended the bill be passed, while also making three additional recommendations focused on police training for LGBTIQA+ diversity, clarification of when gender preferences for searches may not be accommodated, and recruitment of psychologists for corrective services. The Queensland Government supported or noted all four recommendations.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Marine Rescue Queensland Bill 2023, receiving 20 submissions from stakeholders who were generally supportive of the proposed reforms. The committee recommended the bill be passed and encouraged the Queensland Police Service's Reform Implementation Taskforce to undertake public education and engagement sessions with State Emergency Service and Marine Rescue Queensland volunteers. The Queensland Government supported both recommendations.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the State Emergency Service Bill 2023 as part of a package of three emergency services reform bills, receiving 20 submissions and holding a public briefing and hearing. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding it had sufficient regard to fundamental legislative principles and was compatible with human rights. Most stakeholders supported the reforms, though the LGAQ and Brisbane City Council raised concerns about the Commissioner's power to suspend local government SES employees. LNP members filed a statement of reservation expressing concerns about the lack of information provided to volunteers and a reliance on unpublished regulations.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Emergency Services Reform Amendment Bill 2023 over approximately three and a half months, receiving 20 submissions and holding a public briefing and hearing. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding it compatible with fundamental legislative principles and human rights. Stakeholders were generally supportive, though concerns were raised about concentrating disaster management power within the Queensland Police Service and the need for greater investment in community services during emergencies. LNP members filed a Statement of Reservation citing concerns about the lack of information provided to volunteers regarding new arrangements.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Victims of Crime Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 and recommended it be passed. The committee found the bill's increases to financial assistance payments for victims of crime were warranted, noting that payment amounts had not been raised since 2009 despite inflation. The committee also encouraged the government to explore alternative delivery models for financial assistance and counselling for vulnerable victims, and sought clarification on whether the KPMG review of the Financial Assistance Scheme would consider indexing payment limits to inflation.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Public Records Bill 2023 over six weeks, receiving 12 submissions and holding a public hearing with key stakeholders including the Australian Society of Archivists, the Office of the Information Commissioner, and the Interim Truth and Treaty Body. The committee recommended the bill be passed, noting its pro-disclosure approach to public records management and its recognition of the unique significance of First Nations peoples' records. The committee also flagged the need for further work on Indigenous Data Sovereignty. The LNP members filed a statement of reservation.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Path to Treaty Bill 2023 over several months, holding public hearings and forums across Queensland and receiving submissions from First Nations communities, legal experts, government bodies and advocacy organisations. The committee made 18 recommendations, including that the bill be passed. Key areas of focus included the independence and governance of the First Nations Treaty Institute, the scope and powers of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry, the relationship between the bill and existing frameworks such as native title and the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the need for broad public awareness campaigns. The government accepted some recommendations, noted others, and declined a few -- notably rejecting the suggestion for parliamentary oversight of the Treaty Institute in order to preserve its independence.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over three months, receiving 11 submissions and holding a public briefing and public hearing. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding that the proposed limitations on reportable offenders' rights were justified by the overriding importance of protecting children's safety. The committee also recommended enhanced cross-jurisdictional data sharing on child sex offenders.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over approximately three months, receiving submissions and holding public hearings. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, while making additional recommendations about resourcing, public education, and independent evaluation of the expanded wanding trial. The Queensland Government supported all four recommendations. Key concerns raised by stakeholders included the potential impact on marginalised groups who rely on public transport and human rights considerations around the expansion of police scanning powers.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Housing Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 and recommended it be passed. The bill addresses two areas: enabling the Homes for Homes charitable donation deed model (allowing voluntary property sale donations to fund social housing) and improving financial transparency for retirement villages. The committee made nine recommendations, including clarifying the process for removing donation deed records from land titles, ensuring donated proceeds are used only in Queensland, and protecting retirement village residents from additional costs. The Government accepted or noted all recommendations, agreeing to move amendments during consideration in detail on key issues.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over several months, receiving over 120 submissions and holding public hearings. The committee recommended the bill not be passed, finding that while Queensland faces a genuine rental affordability crisis, a rent freeze would not address the underlying cause of high rents — a shortage of housing supply — and could lead to reduced rental stock, poorer property maintenance, and distortions in the rental market. The committee was also not satisfied that sufficient regard had been given to the rights and liberties of individuals, citing concerns about retrospectivity and natural justice. Greens member Michael Berkman MP filed a dissenting report arguing the bill should be passed as an emergency response to the housing crisis.

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.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over six months, receiving submissions and holding public hearings. While submitters broadly supported raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility, the committee recommended the bill not be passed, favouring instead a national approach to raise the age from 10 to 12 rather than the bill's proposed increase to 14. The committee made four additional recommendations directed at the Queensland Government, all of which the Government supported, covering residential care worker training, national coordination with other Attorneys-General, improved doli incapax training for justice stakeholders, and the need for adequate diversion programs.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Public Trustee (Advisory and Monitoring Board) Amendment Bill 2021 and tabled its report in January 2022. The committee recommended the bill be passed, with two additional recommendations: adding a board member with lived experience of impaired decision-making capacity, and requiring the Board to table a separate annual report in Parliament. The Queensland Government accepted all three recommendations and moved amendments during consideration in detail.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the bill over 31 days, receiving 4,188 submissions (including 2,427 form submissions) and holding public briefings and a public hearing. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding the extension of temporary COVID-19 public health powers until 31 October 2022 to be justified given the ongoing pandemic, while noting most associated COVID-19 measures would expire on 30 April 2022 as planned. The committee was satisfied that limitations on human rights were reasonable and demonstrably justifiable. Both the LNP opposition members and the Greens Member for Maiwar filed statements of reservation raising concerns about insufficient parliamentary oversight and transparency.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Child Protection Reform and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 and recommended it be passed. The committee made two additional recommendations: that the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs establish age-appropriate participation processes for children in care, and that the Department of Justice and Attorney-General investigate barriers for First Nations persons obtaining Blue Cards. The Queensland Government supported all three recommendations.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Housing Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 over two months, receiving submissions and holding public hearings on key rental reform issues. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed and made four additional recommendations addressing data collection on tenancy management, community housing head-leasing practices, monitoring of minimum housing standards, and support for resident-operated retirement villages. The Queensland Government accepted all five recommendations.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Queensland Veterans' Council Bill 2021, which establishes a new Queensland Veterans' Council to replace the Anzac Day Trust and take over management of Anzac Square in Brisbane. The committee recommended the bill be passed, subject to two amendments: requiring at least 50 per cent of council members to be veterans or veterans' community representatives, and making the establishment of a veterans' reference group mandatory rather than discretionary. The committee held public hearings and received departmental correspondence during its inquiry.

The Community Support and Services Committee examined the Child Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 and recommended it be passed. The bill had previously been examined by the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee in the 56th Parliament, which also recommended passage. A significant majority of submissions opposed the bill's proposed changes to the permanency hierarchy, particularly regarding the inclusion of adoption as the third preference for non-Indigenous children, with strong concerns raised about the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The committee acknowledged these concerns but concluded that existing safeguards in the Child Protection Act and Adoption Act were sufficient.